As a possible and plausible causal factor, this makes sense.  As a matter of fact, Blow appears to express what millions of Americans (including many, no doubt, who consider themselves evangelicals) believe -- that the American way is the way to heaven.  But, people who "expect this American life to continue the same way in heaven" will find no biblical support for this expectation.

Second, Blow offers that "many Christians apparently view their didactic text as flexible."  In other words, they do not believe the Bible is eternal truth.  As he explains, "According to Pew’s August survey, only 39 percent of Christians believe that the Bible is the literal word of God, and 18 percent think that it’s just a book written by men and not the word of God at all."

Well, once again he points to a crucial factor.  Those who believe that the Bible is "just a book written by men and not the word of God at all" will see no reason to believe what the Bible teaches.  Those who believe that the Bible is in some sense God's revelation but deny the inspiration of the actual text will feel quite free to revise (or reject) biblical teachings at will.

Blow's third proposal delivers the most significant paragraph in his column:

Now, there remains the possibility that some of those polled may not have understood the implications of their answers. As John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum, said, “The capacity of ignorance to influence survey outcomes should never be underestimated.” But I don’t think that they are ignorant about this most basic tenet of their faith. I think that they are choosing to ignore it . . . for goodness sake.

At this point Blow's analysis gets even more interesting.  He rejects the claim that American Christians (including the evangelicals cited in this report) are confused or ignorant concerning what the Bible teaches about "this most basic tenet of their faith."  No, Blow insists, these American Christians are not confused or ignorant about this Christian teaching:  "I think that they are choosing to ignore it ... for goodness sake."

Look closely at this argument.  Blow argues that many American Christians are rejecting the claim that Jesus is the only way of salvation for sake of "goodness."  In other words, "good" people don't believe that other people are going to hell.

Here we see the ultimate confusion of theology and etiquette.  The implication of Charles Blow's argument is clear.  He believes that Americans are trimming theology to fit current expectations of social respectability.  Socially respectable people -- people who are recognized for "goodness" -- consciously reject the clear biblical teaching that Jesus is the only Savior because it just isn't socially respectable to believe that your neighbors and fellow citizens who do not believe in Christ as Savior are going to miss heaven and go to hell.