The headline is a question and a comment: “Are churches key to solving social problems? Fewer Americans now think so.” Accompanying graphs and statistics report not on whether churches are attempting to solve social problems, but what the observing public observes them doing or not doing. On that front, there are no surprises: only 58% think they are doing a “great deal” or “some,” while a growing number, now 39%, say “not much” or “nothing.” The number of those who say and see “not much” or “nothing” has grown 17% since 2008.
One hopes that the responses to the survey will be illuminating. Most responding bloggers, in the short space their format allows, cannot deal with complexity, nuance, or corollary and secondary themes, but these have to be kept in mind. Such blogs allow people who have a case, to enlarge it: note how the anti-religious, anti-church, etc. folks can be seen and heard venting ideologies. Some of the implied critiques can be helpful to problem-solvers who are members and advocates of churches and synagogues, and we can have no doubt but that these findings will reach many a pulpiteer or thoughtful congregation. Yet merely pointing, weeping, or wailing will not do anyone much good.
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