Would it simply be a matter of population? Do we have the Census Bureau ask people to self-identify their religious commitment? Or would it be religious preference? Or does the question need to come from the realm of Christendom in America? In other words, would there need to be a census conducted of the denominations and churches in America to count the number of church members there are?
The difference is important. Someone self-identifying as Christian gives no criteria against which to measure the claim. Imagine the kind of questions:
1. If asked to claim a personal religious affiliation, which of the following religions would you select:
The answers would be a, b, c based on current religions found in the US. If they answered “Christian”, for the sake of clarity, we might ask their denominational affiliation or non-affiliation:
2. If you answered Christian in question 1, what would be the best description of the variety or denomination of Christianity that you belong to?
You could list the popular denominational categories, Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, with an entry for ‘non-denominational’. Of course, there are at least six substantially sized distinct Presbyterian nation-wide churches in the United States with significant theological differences between them. I cannot even begin to count the others.
But how do you screen it? Are you a Christian because your parents were? Because you planned to be buried with a minister presiding? Because you tune in to Joel Osteen once every couple of months? There are certain screening questions.
Perhaps:
3. Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
That is the question in my church.
Or:
3. Are you born again?
Or:
3. Are you saved?
Perhaps some space needs to be provided for a person’s testimony, if they are inclined to give it.
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