Reincarnation and Salvation by Works: Survey Reveals Surprising Beliefs of Pastors

A report by Arizona Christian University reveals that pastors believe that "reincarnation is a real possibility", or that "a person who is generally good or who does enough good things for others can earn a place in Paradise ".

The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University has just revealed the results of a survey, conducted earlier this year, the American Worldview Inventory 2022, which interviews pastors about their beliefs. And the beliefs of more than a third of the pastors surveyed will probably surprise you.

According to this report, more than a third of the pastors surveyed believe that “the Holy Spirit is not a living entity but a symbol of the power, presence or purity of God”. They are as much to think that “reincarnation is a real possibility”, or even that “a person who is generally good or who does enough good things for others can earn a place in paradise”.

"In studying the spiritual behavior patterns of pastors, it has become apparent that a large proportion of them do not have a regular spiritual routine," observed research director George Barna.

“There is a correlation between having biblical beliefs and having a consistent ritual of Bible reading, prayer, worship and confession. In some faith communities, the majority of pastors do not regularly engage in these fundamental spiritual practices. Yet among the pastors who have the most consistent biblical beliefs, there is also a daily routine that incorporates all of these disciplines. »

A phenomenon that the research director associates with the magnitude of the tasks that rest on the pastor. "In such situations, it must be easy to neglect the fundamentals in order to tackle tasks that seem more pressing and urgent," he explains before adding, "unfortunately, after a prolonged period of such neglect, the foundations weaken and the person changes, in this case, not for the better”.

MC