A Barna Group survey indicates one in four people nationally can't think of any positive contributions the Christian faith has made to American society in the last few years, but area clergy say those respondents must not have looked very hard.
"Hopefully, the Christian church and Christians in particular are the conscience of society by living a higher ethical and moral life that exemplifies what Jesus taught," said the Rev. Gary Carver, pastor of First Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
He said the Christian church directly or indirectly is responsible for schools, homeless shelters, orphanages and other social services in the United States and a variety of relief work abroad.
OTHER FINDINGS* Evangelicals and people who consider themselves "mostly conservative" on sociopolitical matters were among respondents least likely to list helping poor or underprivileged people have a better life as a positive contribution by Christians.* Only 6 percent of respondents named efforts related to marriage and 5 percent listed actions related to stopping abortions as positive contributions.* Respondents listed as skeptics made up the largest percentage of people who said Christianity had not made any positive contributions to the U.S. or who couldn't think of a positive contribution made by Christians.* Respondents ages 25 or younger were twice as likely as other Americans to list the opposition of Christian to gay marriage as a negative contribution.* Less than 1 percent of respondents said Christians are too aggressive in their evangelistic efforts.
Of survey respondents who listed positive contributions, the highest percentage (19 percent) mentioned how Christians in the United States have helped poor or underprivileged people live better lives.
Others mentioned how Christians' efforts have promoted belief in God or Christ or adherence to the Christian faith, and still others listed shaping or protecting the nation's values and morals.
The California-based Barna Group is a private, nonpartisan, for-profit organization that conducts primary research, produces media resources pertaining to spiritual development and facilitates the spiritual growth of leaders, children, families and Christian ministries.
The survey is based on a random sample of 1,000 adults across the continental United States and was conducted Aug. 16-22. The sampling error is plus or minus 3.2 percent at 95 percent confidence level.
In spite of the positive responses, slightly more than one in 10 respondents said Christianity has not made any positive contributions to the nation.
The survey also noted that more Americans identified negative contributions than positive contributions to American society in recent years.
The most frequent negative response (20 percent) was violence or hatred incited in the name of Jesus Christ. That was followed by opposition to gay marriage, churches being too involved in politics and the sexual abuse scandals involving Catholic priests.
The Rev. Harold K. Lester, senior pastor of Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church, acknowledged that "negative consequences" have been perpetrated in the name of Christianity, but he said there are far more positives than negatives.
"The good outweighs the bad," he said. "Even a negative situation can be positive" because it brings the negative situation into the light under which it can be judged.
Carver said clergy misbehavior gets major headlines, which further degrades understanding of the Christian faith among those who already view it with suspicion.
"The quiet Christians who live their daily lives with devotion and sacrifice to others are never mentioned," he said.
The Rev. Lou Parsons, rector at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, said the church today often struggles to get its message heard.
"What we have entered is a time where we don't have the voice of authority that we did 30 years ago," she said.
"A lot of people don't think about going to church," she said. "They look at what's in front of them."
And what they often see, she said, is the media disseminating something negative about the Christian faith.
"Media is a business itself," she said. "It's supply and demand. It drives lots of stuff."
Lester said if the Christian faith is not making positive contributions, it is not following the model Christ set.
"The Christian faith has played a marvelous role in the lives of people," he said. "For Jesus, ministry was about people. Jesus ministered and cared for people."
Lester said his congregation has tried to follow that lead in using its assets to serve people in the community.
The Orchard Knob church, he said, hosts Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, gives scholarships to college-bound student members, sends low-income children to camp, offers an extensive computer lab, manages a 45-unit senior citizens apartment, provides a course for managing finances and hosts a community picnic.
Parsons said the Christian faith has been "out front" in Chattanooga in the creation of agencies such as the Chattanooga Community Kitchen and the Interfaith Homeless Network of Greater Chattanooga.
"The services that have been offered by various people of faith are huge," she said. "The houses of faith do that on a day-in, day-out basis. This city does a very good job of putting denomination aside when it's for the good of the people."