(By: Eddie Goodwin) Paul David Tripp talks up the “grace that decimates…” here.

Collected Headings
Grace will: decimate what you think of you while it gives you a security of identity you’ve never had, expose your deepest sins of the heart while it covers every failure with the blood of Jesus, make you face how weak you are while it blesses you with power beyond your ability to calculate, and take control out of your hands, while it blesses you with the care of One who’s plan is unshakable and perfect in every way.”

(By David Giarrizzo)

[On Friday of this week, July 16^th, two Ardent Cries bloggers—Chad Bennett and myself—will celebrate 5 years of marriage to our wonderful wives. In light of that occasion, here is a short review I wrote about a month ago of Piper’s recent book on marriage.]

In a world where subjectivism, relativity, and personal feelings reign supreme, God has blessed some men with the wonderful ability of cutting through culture’s philosophical garbage heap and explaining the truths of God’s Word in a powerful, unambiguous way.

In my opinion, John Piper is one of those men.

His name has become a common word in the YouTube search field of many “New Calvinists.” His sermons have been downloaded and listened to on thousands of iPods. His books have been a blessing to Christians from differing denominational affiliations around the world. And it’s no wonder why Piper has become so well-known. Piper—alongside men like Sproul, MacArthur, White, Mohler, Dever, Horton, etc.—is telling the truth about God, His Son, His Word, and His world. It’s clear by his preaching, teaching, and writing that Piper get’s the Gospel; and it’s clear he wants others to spend their lifetimes getting the Gospel too. So I respect John Piper for being right about the most important things in Christianity.

This Momentary Marriage

Like all humans, however, Piper has his shortcomings. Some of Piper’s doctrinal flaws are readily apparent in his book, This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence. This work is a vivid example of Piper’s theological hits and misses interlaced within the same binding. I want to take the rest of this opportunity to briefly outline some of those hits and misses. I’ll start with the points of disagreement between Piper and myself (and truly, between Piper and a great number of others beyond myself) simply because I want to end on a positive note. For all of the positive statements that I want to make about this book, I am first compelled to highlight the negative aspects of the book because Piper devotes so much of his ink to them.

Misses

The Thesis—

 “…therefore, the highest meaning and the most ultimate purpose of marriage is to put the covenant relationship of Christ and his church on display. That is why marriage exists. If you are married, that is why you are married. If you hope to be, that should be your dream.”

With these words from chapter one, Piper establishes his central point and lays the foundation for the rest of his book. But the problem with this thesis is that while marriage does indeed reflect the relationship between Christ and His Church, in the beginning, when God created Adam and Eve and instituted marriage, He said nothing about marriage reflecting the covenantal love between Christ and His Bride. Instead, God said something specific about His purpose for marriage in Genesis 2:18: “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” Companionship, then, was God’s purpose for marriage.

The reason this distinction is so important here is because upon this foundation Piper builds his argument against all cases of divorce and any possible allowance of remarriage. As Reformed Baptists, however, we do not make the same conclusion about the purpose of marriage. To quote our Confession: “Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and for preventing uncleanness” (LBC 1689 25:2).

Divorce and Remarriage—

“Whether you agree with me concerning the grounds of divorce and remarriage or not, I pray that we will all recognize the deepest and high­est meaning of marriage—not sexual intimacy, as good as that is, not friendship, or mutual helpfulness, or childbearing, or child-rearing, but the flesh-and-blood display in the world of the covenant-keeping love between Christ and his church.”

Piper spends two of the final chapters of his book laying out his argument against divorce and against remarriage after divorce. Piper himself has admitted that he holds a “radical, narrow” view amongst believers on this topic; in fact, Piper’s view of remarriage after divorce is not even the held position of his church. Nevertheless, he holds to his view strongly and explains it in part in chapters 14 & 15 of This Momentary Marriage. One of the strongest lines emotionally in chapter 14 is also one of the weakest lines logically: “Therefore, if Christ ever abandons and discards his church, then a man may divorce his wife. And if the blood-bought church, under a new covenant, ever ceases to be the bride of Christ, then a wife may legitimately divorce her husband” (p 159). Using this poor premise Piper continued to construct an invalid conclusion about the Bible’s position on divorce and remarriage.

Other Thoughts—On a non-theological level, I felt that This Momentary Marriage was pieced together from a series of different topics under the umbrella of the theme of marriage. While the book made sense, it just wasn’t as fluid as I hoped it would be.

Additionally, I felt as if this book could have been a lot shorter. Here’s what I mean: The amount of time Piper spent on reasserting his thesis (The purpose of marriage is to represent the covenantal love between Christ and the Church) and summarizing a previous chapter at the beginning of a new chapter was truly excessive. Piper is a naturally gifted communicator; and summary and recap is often important in asserting a specific point; but I felt like I was reading the same things over-and-over without much expansion on the original idea. In other words, Piper should have tried harder to keep it short and sweet.

Hits

 “There never has been a generation whose general view of marriage is high enough. The chasm between the biblical vision of mar­riage and the common human vision is now, and has always been, gargantuan. Some cultures in history respect the importance and the permanence of marriage more than others. Some, like our own, have such low, casual, take-it-or-leave-it attitudes toward marriage as to make the biblical vision seem ludicrous to most people.”

A High View of Marriage—In light of the poor arguments Piper presents, mostly on the topic of divorce and remarriage, what I really appreciate is Piper’s high view of marriage and low view of divorce. I appreciate this about the book because that’s the view I see presented to us in God’s Word.

“Staying Married Is Not Mainly about Staying in Love”—What a wonderful way to start a book on marriage. I think it was this chapter’s title (chapter 1) that first enticed me to read the whole book. There is so much truth packed into that statement.

Husbands and Wives—As expected, Piper does a fine job dealing with the roles of husband and wife in marriage. He lays out the biblically-defined roles of headship and submission, wraps each with the understanding of Christ-like love, and encourages Gospel-centered living within the home.

Singles and Married Couples—To be honest, I was a little surprised to see a chapter in a book on marriage devoted to a discussion about singles and singleness; but I think that’s the point. Piper acknowledged that many married couples in the body of Christ are in need of a greater awareness for the non-married within the flock. Essentially, this part of the book served as a reminder to show love and hospitality to others in our churches.

The Gospel—Finally, I wasn’t at all surprised to see how much of the message of the gospel Piper infused into this book. I am thankful for Piper’s ability to focus our eyes on Christ and a God-centered view of married life. For all of this book’s flaws, it still has much to offer to married believers.

(By David Giarrizzo)

In last week’s post I gave my simple definition of a small group and discussed some of the benefits that small groups offer. This week I want to consider some of the potential pit-falls of small groups. As with any kind of ministry in this world of sin, men have been found to misuse or abuse something like small groups which are intended for our good. Based on my definition of a small group—“an identifiable, regular, and deliberate gathering of people (usually 12 or less?) from within the larger congregation who meet together to study God’s Word, pray, practice their spiritual gifts, and fellowship for the purpose of spiritual growth”—the very first part of the definition points to the very first potential problem with small groups: they’re full of people.

Small(er) Groups of Sinners—It is important for us to remember the doctrine of Total Depravity when we think about assemblies of people, especially when those assemblies involve lot of talking. Proverbs 10:19 aptly describes the idea here: “When words are many, sin is not absent…”. Furthermore, Matthew 12:36 warns, “…men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” Small groups, though they can be wonderful environments of peace, love, and unity, they can also be precarious minefields of pride, selfishness, and anger. We all have our opinions about things; we all have our suggestions and criticisms. But the small group setting is not the place to air our feelings on a wide variety of church issues or publicize our perspectives on specific areas of doctrine. Both small group leaders and members must remember humility and self-control. Judgmentalism, gossip, self-promotion, grumbling, defiance, exaggeration, course joking, divisiveness, and lying are sinful attitudes or behaviors and should have no place in a Christian’s life. May our small groups promote dying to self and living for Christ.

Self-Serving & Inept Leaders—In my last post I considered how one of the benefits of small groups is to allow believers to exercise their spiritual gifts, namely the ability to teach. Conversely, however, one of the dangers of small groups is that a group may be harmed by a poor teacher. Poor leaders come in various forms; but for the sake of this post, I will break it down into two types: the self-serving leader and the inept leader.

1.) The self-serving leader is a person with an agenda. This kind of person has volunteered for the “position” of small group leader/teacher (by no means, a biblical office of the church) because he has something to either gain or ingrain, not because he sincerely cares for the study of God’s Word and the edification of God’s people. This person’s mission may be political in nature: to earn the respect of others; to make a name for himself; to gain friends (or future followers). Or maybe he just has an opinion or belief or perspective that he is aching to share or promote and ingrain in the minds of others. Unfortunately, there have been numerous instances in churches across the country where a teacher has taught so persuasively on a position contrary to the church’s position that he convinced others of his position. Instances like these seldom end well. I have heard of these kinds of self-serving teachers leading their small groups away from the held position of the church and eventually away from the church itself. This is an example of the danger of self-serving teachers. (2 Timothy 6:3-6)

2.) There is another danger of having a leader who is unqualified to teach. While small group lessons are often discussion-heavy, I think that the leader should be a man who is gifted to teach. This doesn’t mean that a small group leader should necessarily be a seminary graduate, but simply someone who has some ability to handle the Word of God and lead a discussion on a specific text with others. According to Mark Mullery, “small group leaders are in place to extend the pastoral ministry of the church by providing a context in which to apply God’s Word so that growth, care, and relationships may occur.” I read this to mean that a small group leader’s role is not to serve self but to serve others through the faithful application of God’s Word for the purpose of sanctification and under the submission and oversight of his elders.

Formal & Informal Extremes—We humans are prone to extremes. Finding a proper, balanced way is often a difficulty we all face. This propensity can be evidenced in some churches’ small groups. Some small groups are so well-planned, neatly structured, and diligently led that they feel more like a business meeting or rehearsed performance than a Bible study. They are just too formal. Other small groups are so relaxed, casual, and spontaneous that they resemble more of a Fourth of July Bar-B-Que or Friday afternoon happy hour than a time of fervent prayer and true fellowship. Either extreme is a divergence from what C.J. Mahaney describes as the purpose of small group ministry: “…to be provoked and challenged by others so we can grow in spiritual maturity, for the glory of God.” Small groups should be places where Christ’s preeminence and our sanctification for God’s glory—not mental exercising or social networking—are primary themes.

Elder Planning & Oversight—All of the above dangers of small groups can boil down to a lack of awareness on the part of the church’s leaders. When the elders of a congregation cease from shepherding the flock, wolves are more likely to creep in the fold and sheep are more likely to get lost or stolen or eaten by wolves. Therefore, with any small group’s style or setup, elder oversight is essential to spiritual safety. However a church decides to do it, oversight must occur. Of course, while the only proven safeguard against Satan’s attacks is the sustaining grace of God at work in our churches, elders still carry the responsibility to look out for the health of the body. This, then, requires concerted effort and time to stay involved in the various ministries of the local church.

As we think about the ins and outs of small groups, it’s important for us to remember that the local church is a family. No family is perfect; they are comprised of people who have unique and peculiar personalities that when interacting with others can result in disagreements and bickering. The cause is remaining sin in the lives of believers; the solution is the Gospel and love of Christ.

May God grant us biblical wisdom and spiritual discernment as we consider our own church small groups and their potential for immense blessing as well as their potential for great harm within the local body. May the grace of God be upon our churches to keep us safe and keep us strong as we seek to further His Kingdom and give God all the glory in all things.

(By: Nick Kennicott)

It seems as if the prevailing evangelical conservative opinion is that patriotism equals devotion to Christ, and non-patriotism equals non-Christian. It is troubling, to say the least. As a combat veteran and voting citizen of this country, I have many opinions about the nation’s direction, objectives, actions, and governance, yet at the end of the day I am happy that God chose to give me life in America. Nevertheless, I am deeply troubled by the opinion of those who equate citizenship in this country with citizenship in God’s Kingdom. The Church has made great advances that have stemmed from the United States in our nation’s short history, but the Church is not, nor was it ever uniquely American. One does not have to be an American patriot to be a Christian (consider our good friend and fellow blogger Chris Powell from up North!). Likewise, just because a person is not a patriot and doesn’t support every action of their country, doesn’t mean they don’t love their country.

As I think about this week in celebration of American Independence, I am grateful for several things. I am grateful for my freedom: not to do what I want, but to do as I ought. I am grateful for all those who have given so much for the preservation of our country’s freedom, to include blood, sweat, tears, and life. I am grateful that I was healthy enough to serve my country in 6 combat tours over a 4 year period of time with Special Operations forces. But with all that said, I am troubled by a typical American notion that we are somehow God’s chosen nation.

In the Baptist Hymnal used in most Southern Baptist Churches, both “America the Beautiful” and “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” are subtitled with Psalm 33:12 (KJV): “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” I question: is America’s God the Lord?

At his inaugural address, the first in our nation’s history, George Washington was compelled to acknowledge God’s role in the founding of America:

It would be peculiarly improper to omit in the first official Act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being… No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the Affairs of men more than the People of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some…providential agency…We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained.

In the context of 1700’s culture, George Washington’s words, I believe, were particularly true. I cannot doubt that America is a country founded on Christian principles (although it has been compellingly argued otherwise). Nor could I ever infer that God was absent in the fight for independence – our American forefathers were successful, against all odds. Too often, though, we equate military and economic power with blessings from God. In today’s context, do we see the “invisible hand” in the “Affairs of men… Every step by which [we are] advanced” as a nation?

There have been some nations that consider themselves to be chosen to lead the world. Jewish believers consider themselves to be God’s chosen people — with reasonable support — and nationalism forces Zionists to consider Israel as an expression of this status. There are very few, however, who would consider Israel the apparent leader for the world in its entirety.

The French had a revolution leading many of them to a feeling of obligation to civilize and liberate various nations — not drastically different from the ideals of many Americans. Ancient civilizations often felt compelled to consider themselves chosen and forced their ideology on nations of lesser strength. It seems that every nation has seen itself with “special” eyes, perhaps making it better or more suitable for the purposes of God… but has it ever been to the extent of the American mentality?

Many of the early colonists and political leaders of America had a lot to say about God’s providence in the founding of our country. America has, for the entirety of its existence, been regarded by most (Americans) as the new Israel. America has done many wonderful things. Twice we have freed Europe from tyranny. We have brought peace and eliminated genocide in foreign lands. We have provided countless opportunities for individuals to live successful lives with less suffering. We’ve offered liberty to millions of immigrants. These and other accomplishments should not be under-valued, even though many of them were done in direct contradiction to the role of government as laid out in the United States Constitution. But does all this make us God’s chosen nation?

I say no.

There is an undeniable danger in assuming God’s election resides solely in the heart of our nation. America is an incredible place to live. I have traveled the world, mostly to third world countries, and can say from experience that we are truly blessed to have the freedoms and opportunities that are available. Sadly though, I believe many of the freedoms and opportunities we have make America a fertile soil for the seeds of Satan. If America was God’s chosen nation, would we then be the third largest recipient of foreign missionaries? Our lawmakers consistently manipulate our founding documents and legal precedent to deny anything that may have once been formed with Christian roots. Various organizations have successfully convoluted the American mindset to believe in absolute tolerance and conditional truth. 45 Million + unborn children have been killed to the tune of American freedom to choose, at the hands of American doctors (4 times more deaths than Adolf Hitler was responsible for). Our values consist of more money, bigger houses, faster cars, and better, more promiscuous sex. Our “heroes” play sports, make movies, and sing songs while living lives comparable to Jezebel and Judas. The American dream is bigger and better.

The American dream is a lie.

A chosen nation that openly invites sin and consistently acts against the will of one true God? Reprehensible.

I love and have fought for America. I thank God for the blessings of this wonderful place. But I will never make the mistake that America is God’s chosen land. His Kingdom is much greater than our country — it pains me to see that so many have lost sight of that and have made America their heaven on earth.

Lord Jesus, come quickly.

(By David Giarrizzo)

[Disclaimer: The following post is not intended to be an exhaustive treatise on the subject of small group studies. I acknowledge that many churches practice small groups and many others do not; there are varying opinions about small groups in every church. Therefore, I do not intend to directly build a case for or against small groups; nor do I intend to propose a specific methodology. Instead, my intention is to outline some of the potential benefits that small groups can have on an individual and a congregation when done correctly. My description of small groups and their benefits is based simply upon my personal observations of and experiences with small groups at Grace Covenant Church and elsewhere.]


C.J. Mahaney wrote in Why Small Groups: Together Toward Maturity (1996), “Since the mid-1970s, the church in America has been fascinated with small groups.” It’s true—small groups have thrived across the landscape of American Evangelicalism for years. I remember when I used to work in a Christian bookstore, there was an entire room devoted to small group curriculum and study guides. Every day it was a popular part of the store. The material found on the shelves there ranged from study guides for every book of the Bible to material we might hear Dr. Phil discussing on his show. While some of the small group helps out there that are doctrinally sound, there are plenty more books that lack the same theological accuracy. (More on that another time!) The reality is, however, that small groups are a vital part of the ministry of many American churches.

In my mind, the concept of small groups is simple. I think of a small group as is an identifiable, regular, and deliberate gathering of people (usually 12 or less?) from within the larger congregation who meet together to study God’s Word, pray, practice their spiritual gifts, and fellowship for the purpose of spiritual growth. Small groups come in different shapes and sizes. Some might refer to their small group as a “Care Group;” others simply call it a “Wednesday Night Bible Study.” Some small groups are organized by geographic proximity; others are designed to be age-specific or geared towards a specific stage of life (college & career, young married’s, new parents, etc.). But regardless of the names of the small groups or the way they are comprised, in most churches, the basic components of small groups are the same: Time in the Word, a time in prayer, and a time of discussion and fellowship. When done correctly, I think the ministry of small groups offers a variety of important benefits for the individual believer and the local church.

Below I have outlined what I believe to be some of the primary benefits of small groups.

Bible Study—One of the most important and beneficial aspects of small groups are when they are used to confront us with the powerful Word of God. Small groups become less and less useful the further away they stray from the Bible. Conversely, only when the small group curriculum or study material or subject matter is founded firmly upon God’s Word can we derive the best and most practical applications for living godly lives (Matthew 7:24).

Conviction & Encouragement—When a small group is rooted in Scripture, God will work through the means of the lessons and study times to convict and encourage by His Word. Additionally, small groups can provide a setting for mutual accountability and discipleship; a place where we can “spur one another on” in our sanctification (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Prayer—Martin Luther is attributed with saying, “As is the business of tailors to make clothes and cobblers to make shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.” Prayer isn’t reserved for Sunday morning worship or Sunday evening prayer meetings or meal-time thanks. As believers, we should gather to pray as often as possible; the more opportunities we have for corporate intercession the better. Small groups offer the benefit of mid-week prayer opportunities—to share our requests, rejoice in each other’s praises, and join our hearts in prayer to God.

Spiritual Gifts—The local church is the place where Christians are able to practice their spiritual gifts to the glory of God and the good of their brethren. Small groups offer wonderful opportunities for the exercising of the spiritual gifts of teaching, hospitality, and encouragement, just to name a few (Romans 12). For example, small groups provide the setting for a believer who has the gift of teaching to use that gift to edify others who sit in the living room of someone who is exercising their gift of hospitality. Additionally, as the members of the church use their gifts to bless one another through small groups, some may find other avenues for using their spiritual gifts.

Evangelism—Because of their less-formal structure and setting, small groups offer a wonderful occasion for reaching out to unsaved friends and neighbors. All too often this opportunity to serve and communicate Gospel truths to our unbelieving friends is overlooked. Small groups provide more of a conversational atmosphere than most church services and thus provide opportunities for the unconverted to listen to God’s Word being taught and interact with it in a personal way. Those of us in present and future small groups should take note of this important opportunity to reach the lost with the love of Christ.

Fellowship—Finally, small groups offer just another opportunity to relate to our spiritual siblings. Small groups should support the idea of the church as a large family. Small groups encourage peace and love and encouragement and growth. Fellowship is an action that is facilitated within the small group setting through verbal discussion and corporate prayer. I like what J.I. Packer wrote about the topic of fellowship:

“We should not think of our fellowship with other Christians as a spiritual luxury, an optional addition to the exercises of private devotions. Fellowship is one of the great words of the New Testament: it denotes something that is vital to a Christian’s spiritual health, and central to the church’s true life…The church will flourish and Christians will be strong only when there is fellowship.” (God’s Words, Baker Academic, 1998, p.193)

By way of summary, may we be reminded of what our confession states in chapter 26:

Each church and all its members are obligated to pray constantly for the good and prosperity of all Christ’s churches everywhere, and to help forward everyone who comes into their district or calling, by the exercise of their gifts and graces. It clearly follows that when churches are planted by the goodness of God they ought also to hold fellowship among themselves to promote peace, increasing love and mutual edification as and when they enjoy an opportunity to do so to their advantage.” -LBCF (1689)

Here we see the description of a unified, loving, and serving family of believers who are engaged in active and mutual encouragement, be it through Bible studies, small groups, discipleship meetings, or just regular times of fellowship. May we seek to emulate this kind of Christian living in our local churches.

(There are surely other benefits of small groups that I have not listed here. Please feel free to add your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below. I hope to soon follow up on this post with another to discuss the potential dangers that small groups can pose to believers. Stay tuned!)

(By: Chad Bennett)

Today the World Cup enters the Knockout stage of the tournament. The tournament included 204 nations that attempted to qualify, 32 of these made it to South Africa, now only 16 remain. These nations bring with them their religious beliefs. I thought it might be interesting to learn more of these nations and their religions as the world watches on.

Below is a list of the final 32 nations with their religious makeup. I used primarily Operation World to comprise this list with some updated information from the internet where necessary. These percentages are based on how individuals defined themselves. Christian basically includes all protestant religions as well as cults (per Operation World not me).

May the gospel go forth to the ends of the earth!

Algeria –
Christian – 1%
Muslim – 99%

Argentina –
Christian – 2%
Jewish – 2%
Catholic – 92% (20% practicing)

Australia –
Christian – 5%
Muslim – 4%
Catholic – 74%

Brazil –
Christian – 15%
Catholic – 74%
Agnostic/Atheist – 7%

Cameroon –
Christian – 40%
Muslim – 20%
Indigenous Beliefs – 40%

Chile –
Christian – 16%
Catholic – 70%
Agnostic/Atheist – 8%

Denmark –
Christian – 85%
Muslim – 3%
Catholic – 1%
Agnostic/Atheist – 11%

England –
Christian – 56%
Muslim – 3%
Catholic – 8%
Agnostic/Atheist – 30%

France –
Christian – < 2%
Muslim – 10%
Catholic – 67%
Agnostic/Atheist – 20%

Germany –
Christian – 34%
Muslim – 4%
Catholic – 34%
Agnostic/Atheist – 27%

Ghana –
Christian – 53%
Muslim – 21%
Catholic – 10%
Indigenous beliefs – 15%

Greece –
Christian – 5%
Muslim – < 2%
Catholic – < 1%
Greek Orthodox – 90%
Agnostic/Atheist – 4%

Honduras –
Christian – 18%
Catholic – 82%

Italy –
Christian – < 1%
Muslim – 2%
Catholic – 76%
Agnostic/Atheist – 20%

Ivory Coast –
Christian – 12%
Muslim – 39%
Catholic – 14%
Indigenous Beliefs – 29%

Japan –
Christian – < 2%
Buddhist – 70%
Agnostic/Atheist – 4%
Indigenous Beliefs – 24%

Mexico –
Christian – 6%
Catholic – 90%
Agnostic/Atheist – 4%

Netherlands –
Christian – 22%
Muslim – 5%
Catholic – 33%
Agnostic/Atheist – 38%

New Zealand –
Christian – 48%
Buddhist – 1%
Catholic – 12%
Agnostic/Atheist – 36%

Nigeria –
Christian – 38%
Muslim – 41%
Catholic – 14%
Indigenous Beliefs – 6%

North Korea –
Christian – 1%
Chondogyo – 14%
Buddhist – 4%
Indigenous Beliefs – 16%
Agnostic/Atheist – 65%

Paraguay –
Christian – 11%
Catholic – 85%

Portugal –
Christian – 19%
Catholic – 75%
Agnostic/Atheist – 5%

Serbia –
Christian – 1%
Muslim – 3%
Catholic – 6%
Serbian Orthodox – 85%

Slovakia –
Christian – 20%
Catholic – 63%
Agnostic/Atheist – 17%

Slovenia –
Christian – 1%
Muslim – 1%
Catholic – 82%
Agnostic/Atheist – 14%

South Africa –
Christian – 64%
Muslim – 1%
Catholic – 8%
Hindu – 1%
Indigenous Beliefs – 15%
Agnostic/Atheist – 8%

South Korea –
Christian – 27%
Buddhist – 24%
Catholic – 6%
Agnostic/Atheist – 35%
Indigenous Beliefs – 8%

Spain –
Muslim – 1%
Catholic – 67%
Agnostic/Atheist – 31%

Switzerland –
Christian – 42%
Muslim – 3%
Catholic – 44%
Agnostic/Atheist – 8%

United States –
Christian – 64%
Muslim – 1%
Catholic – 21%
Judaism – 2%
Buddhist – 2%
Agnostic/Atheist – 10%

Uruguay –
Christian – 10%
Catholic – 50%
Judaism – 2%
Agnostic/Atheist – 25%
Indigenous Beliefs – 13%