Whence Cometh These "Statistics"?
Some brethren may think they are above being questioned, and may become indignant when asked for proof to substantiate their claims, but that will not alter the force of 1 Pet. 3:15 and 2 Tim. 2:15. No one is exempted from complying with the principles set forth in these and kindred passages. When one claims immunity regarding any position or practice, they only tend to create more suspicion.
Statistics are good things to have, when attempting to prove a point. This is so universally true, that some try to capitalize upon this accepted method of proving an argument by presenting figures and making claims that have no foundation. Certain advertisers are under investigation in the TV industry now, because they have made false and misleading claims about their products.
Some brethren use statistics (?) which supposedly support their product, to the point where one begins to wonder where they obtained their information. We are not only caused to wonder where some of these "statistics" were obtained, but how. We wonder, because it is impossible to gain access to the information that brethren would need in order to arrive at the conclusions they reach. When conclusions are drawn from "statistics" that are in turn derived from an impossible source of information, we wonder if some have confused the term statistic with the term static.
We will cite a few examples. It is contended that a certain percentage of those who receive their education in state schools become lost to the church. This we wouldn't question. Neither would we question the statement that some who receive their education in schools operated by brethren are also lost to the church. Neither would we question the possibility that there are more of the former than the latter. But, some brethren claim to know the percentage of loss in each case. This, we do question, and would like to know just how brethren go about determining the figure in each case.
The Ohio Valley College Bulletin, April, 1958, states that 80% of those who are educated in state schools are lost to the church. The same Bulletin for April, 1959, sets the figure at 50%. The same bulletin for July, 1959, sets the figure at 90%. Bro. Gatewood, in a speech at Marietta, August. 1959, set the figure at 60%. Somehow, another brother in the Dec. 15 issue of Bible Herald has determined that we of the church of Christ provide homes for only 1% of the nation's homeless. How do we gather such "statistics"?
Just how do brethren go about determining what the church of Christ does or doesn't do? Now, we aren't interested at this time about exploring the advantage of one school over another, or vice versa. Neither are we trying to prove or disprove that sectarian churches care for more of the nation's homeless than "we of the church of Christ." What we are concerned about at this writing is, upon what basis do brethren reach these conclusions? Then, after determining the source of "statistics" we will be better able to decide about the conclusions themselves.
I can conceive of fairly accurate figures being obtained about any given group, at a given time and place. But when we start claiming to know what the members of the church of Christ in a nation, or in the world, are thinking, doing, believing, and teaching, then we had better be prepared to answer anyone who might ask us how we found out.
The New Testament church has no earthly head, or headquarters. The largest organization God gave the church is the local congregation, comprised of bishops deacons, and saints. (Phil. 1:1.) The organization of the church is such that no one can disseminate the information that some claim to have. Even if we could keep centralized records of the church's activities in some earthly location, God's records may not agree with ours. It would be dangerous for the enemies of the church, or for any elder(s), preacher, editor, college president, or home superintendent, to have access to such information as only the courts of heaven now retain. God knows best.