{"id":2262311,"date":"2024-06-07T13:49:01","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T17:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/as-40-percent-of-british-christians-prefer-not-to-share-faith-believers-are-reminded-of-call-to-boldness\/"},"modified":"2024-06-07T13:52:58","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T17:52:58","slug":"as-40-percent-of-british-christians-prefer-not-to-share-faith-believers-are-reminded-of-call-to-boldness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/as-40-percent-of-british-christians-prefer-not-to-share-faith-believers-are-reminded-of-call-to-boldness\/","title":{"rendered":"40% of British Christians Hesitate to Share Faith; Reminder Issued on Boldness Call"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fas-40-percent-of-british-christians-prefer-not-to-share-faith-believers-are-reminded-of-call-to-boldness%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2262311&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Not of our own strength, but our God\u2019s. Hallelujah!<\/p>\n<p>We need to let \u2063our faith remain public, as \u201cmen also \u2062light a lamp and put \u200cit under\u200b a\u00a0peck measure\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Matthew+5%3A15&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matthew 5:15<\/a>). Know\u2062 why? \u201cIt gives light to all in \u2062the house. In the same way, let\u200c your light shine before others, so that they may \u200dsee your \u200dgood works \u2063and give \u200bglory to your Father who is in heaven\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Matthew+5%3A16&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matthew 5:15-16<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>God Almighty is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/unpopular-lsu-qb-burrow-deserves-adulation-americans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">worthy<\/a> of that\u200c glory. So, beloved, let\u2019s be brave Christians. Let\u2019s be open about our faith and the hope we have within us! A light doesn\u2019t\u2062 grow \u200bdimmer\u2064 when\u200b it shines in the midst of darkness. \u200cFrom the seemingly insignificant\u2063 interactions with the person in the next cubicle\u2064 over, to the grander discussions of politics with peers, let us bear witness to the Gospel.<\/p>\n<div id=\"firefly-poll-container\">\n<p>Do you show your faith in public?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;The Survey That May \u2063Encourage You \u2062to Be Bold About Your Faith in 2024&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In \u200b2024, a survey was conducted in the United\u200c Kingdom to understand the \u200dattitude \u200cof Christians towards\u2062 their faith.\u200d The results\u2063 showed that \u200daround\u200d 40% of Christians\u200b prefer \u2063to keep their faith private in the workplace and politics. However, \u2064there were some positive aspects, \u200csuch \u200cas a strong faith and willingness to \u2063share it, among the younger \u200dgeneration (Gen Z). The \u200carticle suggests \u2063that having \u200can eternal perspective, focused on the future glory of being with Christ, can encourage Christians to be more vocal about \u2062their faith in\u200d public.\u200c It also highlights the importance of letting\u200c our light\u200d shine \u200band sharing the hope we have within us. the survey serves as a reminder for Christians\u2063 to be bold and open about their faith and to focus on the eternal impact of \u200dtheir actions and words.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/commentary\/\">  Commentary <\/a>   <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/washingtonstand\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/washingtonstand\/%20\"><span>Sarah Holliday, The Washington Stand<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   June 7, 2024 at 8:52am <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>Have you ever wondered where some Christians stand in terms of their faith around the world today? Let\u2019s take a minute to observe Christians in the U.K., for instance.<\/p>\n<p>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/iifl.org.uk\/reports\/britains-attitudes-to-faith-in-public-life-may-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent survey<\/a>, British Christians seem to be going through a bit of a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/05\/17\/almost-40pc-of-uk-christians-dont-like-revealing-faith\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">self-confidence crisis<\/a>.\u201d At least, that\u2019s how it was phrased by the researchers.<\/p>\n<p>Authorized by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life and steered by Whitestone Insight, the survey, \u201cBritain\u2019s attitudes to faith in public life,\u201d received responses from 2,064 U.K. adults between May 1-2, 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Author Dr. Jake Scott emphasized, \u201cData were weighted to be representative of all U.K. adults.\u201d Among several key findings, perhaps the most eye-opening was that roughly 40 percent of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/christians-can-experience-deeper-rest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Christian<\/a> respondents prefer to keep their faith to themselves and out of \u201cthe workplace and politics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cForty-nine percent of religious respondents\u201d were opposed to seeing more religion in the media, and 27 percent felt religion was not necessarily \u201ca force for good in society.\u201d This isn\u2019t exactly encouraging news. However, there were two positive \u2014 maybe even encouraging \u2014 aspects to these results worth recognizing.<\/p>\n<p>First, there was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianpost.com\/news\/40-percent-christians-prefer-not-to-tell-others-about-their-faith.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">distinction<\/a> between \u201cexclusivist\u201d Christians and \u201ccultural\u201d Christians \u2014 the former being \u201cthose who believe their religion is the only true faith,\u201d and the latter being \u201cthose who were baptized but attend church infrequently and do not strongly identify with the Christian faith.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The exclusivists were far more willing to share their faith, as they are called to in Scripture. And we can\u2019t be too surprised the cultural Christians, who don\u2019t appear to take their faith seriously, don\u2019t take intentionally sharing their faith seriously.<\/p>\n<p>The second encouraging point highlighted by Scott was the influence faith seems to have on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/young-americans-must-lead-the-way-in-opposing-additional-covid-shutdowns\/\" title=\"Young Americans Must Lead The Way In Opposing Additional COVID Shutdowns\">younger generations<\/a> such as Gen Z. As reported, \u201c69 percent of respondents within the 18-24 year old bracket believe their faith significantly impacts their lives\u201d; 72 percent \u201cfind faith helps them <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-slammed-for-prior-remarks-after-extremist-showed-up-to-kavanaughs-home-to-kill-him-report\/\" title=\"Democrats Slammed For Prior Remarks After Extremist Showed Up To Kavanaugh\u2019s Home To Kill Him: Report\">find purpose<\/a> in life\u201d; 78 percent \u201cfeel their faith has shaped their moral values\u201d; and 53 percent \u201cbelieve their faith to be the only true religion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Scott wrote, \u201cOverall Gen Z are more seeking God; they are more zealous in their faith being that the majority of them believe their faith is the only true religion; they are more wanting to speak of their faith in public and hear others share their faith, whilst also showing higher levels of interfaith and learning through interfaith.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"firefly-poll-container\">\n<p>Do you prefer to separate faith from work and politics?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I\u2019d say this is good news. It at least paves the way for optimism, and the church can pray the fruitfulness within <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/gen-z-counter-culture-shocker-another-jesus-revolution-breaking-college-campuses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">younger generations<\/a> continues to multiply.<\/p>\n<p>As I consider a survey like this, I can\u2019t help but wish to have received better results. But am I flabbergasted? No. However, to read about Christians intentionally keeping their faith to themselves and not even having much of an optimistic view of their faith motivates me to offer some encouragement.<\/p>\n<p>Here is my thought process as it pertains to American Christians, and really, Christians across the globe: Moving forward, let\u2019s not echo these statistics. Scripture calls us to be bold, not timid. It calls us to share our faith, not purposefully keep it to ourselves.<\/p>\n<p>I imagine if you\u2019re a reader of The Washington Stand or a supporter of Family Research Council at large, then you care about your faith \u2014 especially how it impacts the public square. You likely want to share it, and part of why you turn to a resource such as this is to be encouraged.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s one of the many pleasures of my career being able to write about practical ways we can live out our faith in the workplace, politics, and all of life. After all, Paul wrote in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1+Corinthians+10%3A31&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 Corinthians 10:31<\/a>, \u201cSo, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And so, in relation to what this poll brought to the surface, we inevitably ask: What do we do to avoid mirroring the statistics of those hiding their faith? How can we be bold Christians?<\/p>\n<p>In short, we need an eternal perspective.<\/p>\n<p>A mind fixed upon the future glory of being with Christ allows many insecurities, fears, and hinderances to fade away. If we focus on the here and now, of course we\u2019re more likely to feel intimidated to not obey Scripture\u2019s call to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/share-gospel-everyone-no-case-hopeless-jesus-lives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">share our faith<\/a>. But in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Matthew+10%3A33&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matthew 10:33<\/a>, did Jesus not say, \u201cWhoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>I should think rejection from Christ to be far more daunting a reality than to be rejected by man. Perhaps that\u2019s all the encouragement one needs. But I happen to think there\u2019s more to the story.<\/p>\n<p>Scripture tells us time and again to keep our gaze fixed upward, \u201cwhere Christ is\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Colossians+3%3A1b&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Colossians 3:1b<\/a>). And this perspective is what provides answers to life\u2019s grandest struggles. A mind centered on Christ explains why we exist, where we came from, and where we are going.<\/p>\n<p>A mind fixed on Christ allows us to respond to anything we should face far better than a mind fixed on the self. And it happens to transform the way we live out our faith in the public sphere, as well.<\/p>\n<p>A Christ-centered perspective at work helps us have humility and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/good-samaritan-brings-cheer-entire-neighborhood-simple-act-kindness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">compassion<\/a> with those otherwise irritable aspects of certain coworkers or responsibilities. In politics, it helps us know who to vote for and how to better pray for those leading this country.<\/p>\n<p>In general, it is an eternal perspective, one rooted on salvation and spending eternity with God Almighty, that fuels us toward humility, compassion, patience, love, and joy.<\/p>\n<p>We don\u2019t have to be downcast when a candidate we did not vote for is elected, because God is sovereign. We need not worry when our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/weekly-sabbath-observance-expected-christians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">job<\/a> puts worldly pressures on us, because God cares for you and said He will never forsake you.<\/p>\n<p>Anger doesn\u2019t have to consume us when the world acts in rebellion to God, because Jesus is King and He has already won the battle. We don\u2019t have to live in fear at the state of this world because we know that this world is temporary and that our eternal citizenship is in heaven, where sin and death will be no more (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Revelation+21%3A4&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revelation 21:4<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Beloved,\u00a0these\u00a0are the things an eternal perspective puts front and center. These are the realities we have to look forward to, and these are the realities that serve us\u00a0now.<\/p>\n<p>Do you see how even just a subtle shift of emphasis unleashes a tsunami of hope? Our God is an awesome God! And \u201cthanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1+Corinthians+15%3A57&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 Corinthians 15:57<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture defines us as those who are \u201cmore than conquerors\u201d in the trials of life (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Romans+8%3A37&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Romans 8:37<\/a>). We are victorious because of, precious in the sight of, and chosen by a holy, majestic, and loving God.<\/p>\n<p>To be a Christian and serve Him who is worthy is the highest calling anyone can receive. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=1+Peter+2%3A9&#038;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 Peter 2:9<\/a> deems us \u201ca royal priesthood, a holy nation,\u201d and \u201ca people for his own possession.\u201d In this identity, we are to \u201cproclaim the excellencies of him who called\u201d us \u201cout of darkness into his marvelous light.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So I ask: Why would anyone want to keep that to themselves? May we not do as such. No, may we be an army \u2014 a Kingdom \u2014 that reflects a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/african-church-elder-stands-firm-denominations-rewrite-marriage-holds-bible-high-declares-word-god\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">zeal for the Lord<\/a> and a passion to share His truth and proclaim His name unabashedly.<\/p>\n<p><em>This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-loeffler-fires-back-after-ossoff-accuses-her-of-campaigning-with-kkk-member\/\" title=\"Sen. Loeffler Fires Back After Ossoff Accuses Her of Campaigning with KKK Member\">article appeared originally<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonstand.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Washington Stand<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"author-info-45743\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/washingtonstand\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-45743\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-45743\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-45743\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>  The Washington Stand is Family Research Council\u2019s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Commentary by Sarah Holliday, The Washington Stand, June 7, 2024. Ever curious about the current state of Christian faith globally? Focusing on the U.K., a recent survey indicates that British Christians are experiencing some challenges in their faith practices and beliefs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2262312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/London-at-rush-hour.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2262311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/London-at-rush-hour.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2262311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2262311"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2262311\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2262312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2262311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2262311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2262311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}