Nov 18, 2014

America's "Most Trusted" Heros... Or Villians ???

Common Sense Commentary:

A Poll was taken by Reader's Digest which was, indeed, very "revealing" to all Americans and "shocking" to most. It revealed that Actors, TV Personalities, Billionaires, Nobel Prize Winners, Doctors, Athletes, Politicians and even Jimmy Carter, Hillary, Michelle/Barack Obama beat out Billy Graham as the "Most Trusted American" ... by Americans.

The Reader's Digest commissioned the poll which they declared "Revealing, Hopeful and Shocking" in their June 2013 issue. "Revealing and Shocking", yes, but "Hopeful" .... not even a little bit.  The four "Most Trusted" of the top 100 were actors, as were ten or twelve others farther down the list. Lesbian, Ellen Degeneres, #19 barely edged out Michelle Obama who was #20. Jimmy Carter, #24, beat out Hillary at who was #51. Even Whoopi Goldberg, Opra Winfrey and Barack Obama beat Billy Graham as "Most Trusted" American. Well, at least Billy was 2 points ahead of Pat Sajak. Billy was #67 of the top 100, the only one on the list known for his Christian faith. There were at least four Muslims ahead of him on the list. So, what does this poll say about our so-called "Christian America"? The most obvious thing is that American Christians, real ones, are no longer a majority .... if they ever were.

There are more anti-heros on that list of "Most Trusted" than true heros. Why are Barbara Walters, Johnny Depp, Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Muhammad Ali more trusted than the elderly Billy Graham? We aren't talking here about vocational or material success, fame or power. The poll was, "Who do you most trust". Trust is about honesty, dependability and character issues not fame, fortune or power. But evidently the average American doesn't even know what those things are. There is no segment of the American population more immoral than Hollywood unless it is prostitutes and drug pushers ... and yet Hollywood personalities are the top four most trusted. It doesn't say much for preachers when there is only one, at #67 of the top 100.

Is America still a "Christian Nation"? Not according to this poll. We Christians, specifically real ones, have about as much popularity in America as "righteous" Lot had in Sodom. But wasn't that also true about Jesus and his Apostles and disciples? So it isn't really a new development. Actually, its always been that way and will be until the end of time.... which may not be that far away. Who would your picks be? RB

1 comment:

Peter David Orr said...

Wow, how sad this is. I suspect that it also represents the dumbing down of the citizenry too, as it is likely due in large part to simple name awareness.