25AR30-38

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AR 30:38 - Evangelicals "parroting creeds they don't understand"?

In this issue:

AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY - the profound doctrinal misunderstanding of "a significant number of evangelicals"

APOLOGETICS - responding to challenges in "a way that reflects both truth and grace"

KNOWLEDGE GROWTH - as digital content quality devolves, what constitutes "current consensus"?

Apologia Report 30:38 (1,727)
November 1, 2025

AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY

"The Results Are In: 2025 State of Theology Survey" (Ligonier, Sep 22 '25) -- "What do Americans in 2025 believe about God, the Bible, and salvation?

   "Every few years, The State of Theology survey from Ligonier Ministries takes America’s theological temperature, revealing what people actually believe - both outside and inside the church.

   "The 2025 results are in, and they’re sobering. ...

   "This nationwide survey highlights widespread confusion about God and His Word, even among evangelicals who claim to have a high view of the Bible. For example,

   "53% of evangelicals affirm that 'Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.'

   "53% think that 'The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being.'

   "47% affirm that 'God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.' ...

   "The responses of evangelicals in the 2025 State of Theology survey reveal that the true character of God as displayed in Scripture is either not being taught in many evangelical churches or not understood by individual evangelicals. For example, the survey shows that many evangelicals hold theologically erroneous beliefs about the nature of God and the sinfulness of man - two critically important areas of doctrine that lay the foundation for all other theological beliefs."

   Conclusion: "Such results display a profound misunderstanding among a significant number of evangelicals regarding the foundational scriptural teaching about original sin and the implications of Adam's sin for all mankind (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:18–19; Eph. 2:1–3) <www.tinyurl.com/48y88kbz> 

   Here's the related Ligonier YouTube Trailer <www.tinyurl.com/2txd6ajd>

   Plus, commentary by The Gospel Coalition's Joe Carter, who opines: "Despite 98 percent of evangelicals affirming belief in the Trinity, a majority have no understanding that the Trinity is composed of three persons. More than half (53 percent) believe 'The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being.' How can any Christians claim to believe in 'one God in three persons' while denying the personhood of one of those persons? This would suggest many evangelicals are simply parroting creeds they don't understand." <www.tinyurl.com/mr3wf43n>

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APOLOGETICS

"Responding with Gentleness & Respect" by Doug Anson (Doug Anson's Apologetics Notes, Oct 20 '25) -- "a powerful real-life example of how to respond to ... questions and/or criticisms" by way of journalist Piers Morgan's interview <www.tinyurl.com/Huff-Morgan> last Easter with repeat guest Wesley Huff, <www.tinyurl.com/AR-on-W-Huff> "a young Christian scholar and Vice President of Apologetics Canada. Huff <wesleyhuff.com> holds degrees from York University and Tyndale University and is pursuing a PhD in New Testament studies at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. He recently gained recognition after an impressive debate with a prominent skeptic." <www.tinyurl.com/Huff-Carson> (Huff's 7.5M-view Joe Rogan Experience <www.tinyurl.com/Huff-Rogan> last January wasn't too shabby either.)

   "Huff patiently and clearly defended [a series of 'rapid-fire' questions about] Jesus' divinity, the resurrection, the uniqueness of Christianity, and the reliability of Scripture. He maintained steady eye contact, listened carefully, and responded with warmth and confidence - never defensive, always respectful. ...

   "In defending Scripture's reliability, Huff cited the Bible as primary evidence for Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. While some might see this as circular reasoning, Huff skillfully balanced Scripture (special revelation) with logical and historical analysis (general revelation). His references to historiography - the study of historical methods - demonstrated an objective approach that appeals even to skeptics."

   Anson concludes: "Huff's blend of faith, intellect, and humility serves as a model for all believers. Whether trained in apologetics or not, we should aim to respond to challenges in a way that reflects both truth and grace." <www.tinyurl.com/3aesakb2>

   The Gospel Coalition has picked up on the growing interest in Huff. Paul Carden received a promo from TGC titled "How an Obscure Academic Discipline Is Reshaping Apologetics." It in turn seems much like a subtitle for the included introduction to the TGC web production "Is Textual Criticism ... Cool?" by Michael J. Kruger (Sep 25 '25). <www.tinyurl.com/fxbdmu49>

   See <www.tinyurl.com/AR-Textual-Critic> for some interesting related AR history.

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KNOWLEDGE GROWTH

It is growing ever more daunting to maintain digital knowledge fluency and veracity - and consequently, even more so - to predict the trajectory of human knowledge. For example: "No One Wants to Post Anymore" by Taylor Lorenz (User Mag Substack, Sep 10 '25), a 30-minute YouTube presentation which begins: "In the early days of the internet, social media offered a space where anyone could casually post thoughts, fleeting moments, and feelings about the world. But lately, that culture has disappeared. It has been replaced by highly curated influencer content, manufactured viral [and lately, 'AI generated'] slop, and it feels like everyone is just posting … less."

   Kyle Chayka, a writer at The New Yorker, "recently explored this phenomenon.... He joins me to talk about the death of casual posting and what this shift says about the future of the internet." <www.tinyurl.com/5u4wnfhm>

   The included "AI-generated video summary" fills things in, just a bit: "Taylor Lorenz [and] Kyle Chayka ... explore the shift from spontaneous sharing to highly curated content, examining the role of algorithms and evolving social media platforms. The conversation delves into the reasons behind this change and its implications for the future...."

   Chaka's piece, "Why the Internet Isn't Fun Anymore" (New Yorker, Oct 9 '25) is also subtitled: "The social-media Web as we knew it, a place where we consumed the posts of our fellow-humans and posted in return, appears to be over. It considers how bot responses to user posts are driving profits and influence while spoiling digital reality for the bored yet ever-hopeful."

   Chaka gets this far before the paywall kicks in: "Lately on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, my timeline is filled with vapid posts orbiting the same few topics like water whirlpooling down a drain. Last week, for instance, the chatter was dominated by talk of Taylor Swift's romance with the football player Travis Kelce. If you tried to talk about anything else, the platform's algorithmic feed seemed to sweep you into irrelevance. Users who pay for Elon Musk's blue-check verification system now dominate the platform, often with far-right-wing commentary and outright disinformation; Musk rewards these users monetarily based on the engagement that their posts drive, regardless of their veracity. The decay of the system is apparent in the spread of fake news and mislabelled videos...."  <www.tinyurl.com/5x3snyvm> 

   For some knowledge growth history, visit <www.bit.ly/knowledge-doubling-curve>

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