Carla Hinton, religious editor, in the Oklahoman, gave some commendable research concerning a national telephone survey of 35,071 from June 4 to September 20, 2014 (“Oklahomans express little surprise by decline in Christian population,” May 13, 2015, p. 6A). One finding: “The percentage of adults who describe themselves as Christians has dropped by nearly eight percentage points in just seven years” (78.4% in 2007 to 70.6% in 2014). While this decline was stated as no surprise, it should be a concern!! Our nation for many years has been showing a decline of allegiance to God and a weakening of respect for God’s Word.
One interesting report was from Kate Fulghum, president of Oklahoma Atheists. When she was young, she was told that, “all of the answers to my problems could be found in the Bible.” She then noted the “proliferation of the internet,” expressing how young people “today...don’t have to rely on an ancient book to solve their modern problems.”
That type of thinking is a far greater disaster than an 8% drop in the number who call themselves Christians. The tragic facts are that far more young and old are spending much more time on the internet than are devoting time to Bible study!! The internet is a fantastic tool of communication and offers a mountain of information. It could be an international blessing if properly used. However, to look there for a solution to modern problems, in difference to the Bible, assures us of humanistic headaches and heartaches, plus a downward spiral of degeneracy!
The internet can only supply theories about how we got on this planet without the information in Genesis 1& 2 of God’s Word. The internet has no reliable information about the source of heaven and earth unless one quotes from the Bible, sources like Psalm 19:1-6 or Psalm 33:6-11. Even more sobering are the solutions for moral, ethical and spiritual problems that headline every day’s newscasts! The only true solution is Jesus Christ and His up-to-date, eternal message for men (Matthew 24:35; 28:18-20; John 14:1-6; Acts 4:12; Romans 1:16-18). Solutions and Salvation are in none other source or person. Truth is timeless, and those truths are in that Ancient Book!