Although evangelical Christians are only 7% of the nation’s adult population ... (virgin, beliefs)

[DianeVera]

Looking at the Barna site, I saw something else very interesting. I posted a message about it here, then realized my post was off-topic for this thread, so deleted it. For those who may have seen it during the time it was here and might wish to comment, I reposted it in a separate thread on Gender differences in religion in the U.S.A., according to Barna, in the comparative religion forum.

[No*s]

Originally Posted by NetDoc

Given that I AM a "true Evangelical" according to their definition, I wonder just how accurately the pundits understand this group???

Probably not much. I've been one before, and I was simply saying you don't tend to take the standard Evangelical voting route .

[Scuba Pete]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

For instance, the comparatively high rate of college graduation.

Stupidity is not a pre-requisite for belief in God, nor for an evangelical outlook.

Originally Posted by No*s

I was simply saying you don't tend to take the standard Evangelical voting route

Unfortunately, many of their "routes" have caused me to speak where I have never felt a need to before. Those claiming to believe in Jesus and DEFEND this war as just are hypocrites to the extreme. We should be working and praying for PEACE and not revenge. Just before the inasion of Iraq, I got to join a cluster of Catholic priests and nuns protesting the coming war. It was the first protest I had taken part of in over 30 years and it felt good to stand up. I lost an account over it, but that was fine and I have felt an affinity for those brothers and sisters ever since. No, I couldn't get any "evangelical" out to join us, and that hurt. This war needs to END. Those supporting it need to be OUSTED from power. I am committed to doing just that!

[No*s]

Originally Posted by NetDoc

Unfortunately, many of their "routes" have caused me to speak where I have never felt a need to before. Those claiming to believe in Jesus and DEFEND this war as just are hypocrites to the extreme. We should be working and praying for PEACE and not revenge. Just before the inasion of Iraq, I got to join a cluster of Catholic priests and nuns protesting the coming war. It was the first protest I had taken part of in over 30 years and it felt good to stand up. I lost an account over it, but that was fine. The war needs to END. Those supporting it need to be OUSTED from power.

Back when I was an Evangelical. I had similar experiences, because I was a "conservative" Baptist, by which I mean I took the historic position: separation of Church and State, and seriously advocated a limited government (more than just monetary power, but really limited government). I understand the situation you were in, because my view made my politics unpopular very fast with everything but some of the Baptists more on the "left," and some older Baptists who thought about things more clearly.

Frubals for your political oddity as an Evangelical .

[DianeVera]

Originally Posted by DianeVera

Here's the Barna page on Born Again Chirstians, said to have been 38 % of the U.S. population in 2004. However, "Born Agains" are a much broader category than what Barna calls "evangelical Christians." Regarding non-evangelical "Born agains," see also Americal Faith is Diverse, as Shown Among Five Faith-Based Segments.

It seems that hardcore evangelical Christians are more educated than the average Christian. However, the BEST-educated categories are the atheists/agnostics and the people of non-Christian religions. So, it would seem that ordinary run-of-the-mill Christians are the worst-educated on average.

Why would hardcore evangelical Christians be better educated than average? Offhand, I would guess that it's because they do a lot of Bible reading in the King James version, which, if nothing else, can do wonders for one's vocabulary, thereby making it easier to do well in school. In ex-fundamentalist support groups online, the members tend to be excellent writers.

[niceguy]

Originally Posted by anders

I thought I was beginning to understand what your evangelicals are like, and then I saw and understand even less than before. I tried to find something similar to 'born again' used in Swedish, to relate to something familiar to me, but the few sites where I found such a phrase (apart from sports and entertainment sites describing comebacks) belong to sects seemingly very distant from the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Sweden, of which I am a member since 1943. I don't remember ever having heard the term in the CoS. Those sects using it seemed to be slightly similar to Pentecostals, but I can't identify them better than that from the scanty information they gave on their beliefs. It was mainly "We teach what's in the Bible".

I would welcome a link to a page explaining what 'born again' means in the US.

Being a fellow Swedish citizen I concur that the idea of what constitutes as an "evangelical christian" in the US are totally alien to my understanding of it. If anything they stand on the forefront fighting this called "born again" cult that has spread to Sweden in the form of some minor but highly intolerant churches. They are also there to help those that has left those denominations badly scarred by their time in them. Our Lutheran church, who has the majority of the population as members by the way, are a very tolerant faith. While they don't marry homosexual couples they are tolerated, and we have no problem with women acting as priests, actually they are rather common. It seem that we are using the same word "evangelium" but put totally different meaning into them.

[anders]

Originally Posted by niceguy

Our Lutheran church, who has the majority of the population as members by the way, are a very tolerant faith. While they don't marry homosexual couples they are tolerated, and we have no problem with women acting as priests, actually they are rather common. It seem that we are using the same word "evangelium" but put totally different meaning into them.

Indeed. And, waiting for the Church of Sweden to recognize and preform same-sex marriages, there is at least a way of performing a blessing of the Church, accepted by the Council of Bishops. There are also homosexual priests, quite active in public debate, and the way I understand it, they are accepted by most people.