About 4 in 10 Protestant pastors believe Pope Francis has positively impacted views on the Catholic Church.
According to the survey from LifeWay Research, half of preachers do not value the Pope’s opinion on theological issues.
The survey included responses from 1,000 pastors.
TheBlaze.com reported that 63 percent believe the Pope is a Christian, while 22 percent do not. Sixteen percent said they aren’t sure.
The survey comes during the Pope’s first visit to the U.S.
In response to the visit, Denny Burk, professor of Biblical Studies at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said he was “disappointed” in the Pope’s speech to Congress.
“He stands before the United States Congress—a platform that commands the attention of the world—and he says nothing about the heart of the Christian gospel,” Burke wrote in a column for his site. “Nothing about Jesus Christ crucified and raised for sinners. Nothing about the Kingdom of God and the renewal of all things in Christ.”
Burke also added that the Pope didn’t “mention abortion explicitly.”
“He spoke specifically to defend the lives of the guilty from the death penalty. But he said nothing specific to defend the lives of the innocent millions who have been killed legally in our country since 1973.”
Publication date: September 25, 2015
