"Cultural Christianity"

I quoted Rick Warren last Sunday in a statement he made about he decline of Christianity in the United States: Cultural Christianity is dying. Genuine Christianity is not. The number of cultural Christians is going down because they never really were Christian in the first place. They don’t have to pretend by going to church anymore.

I've noticed at least 3 responses when I reference this quote in personal conversations: 1) Intrigue; 2) Confusion; and 3) Anger.

I'm inclined to think that the first response comes out of a suspicion of it's truthfulness.  I've felt this way for a while, but Rick did a good job at putting words around the feelings that I, and I suspect many others, are feeling about the current climate of Christianity in our country. 

The second response comes from people who have a hard time separating their culture and their faith.  In fact, some of these folks that are confused by the quote have been highly influenced by "Cultural Christianity."  They are from a time and place where everyone went to church because it was "the thing to do."  That does not necessarily mean that each person influenced by "Cultural Christianity" is not a real Christian, it just means that they have a more difficult time differentiating it.  I haven no doubt that many in this group love Jesus very much. 

The third response comes from folks who, for all intents and purposes, seem completely incapable of making the distinction Warren made.  In their response they begin to lament the removal of prayer from school (or "school-sanctioned prayer"), the10 Commandments from the court house, the Bible from hotel rooms, etc.  They usually never get around to actually addressing the difference between "Cultural" and "Genuine" Christianity, because they are too
angered by its decline and their perceived reasons behind it.  These folks do not seem to have a lot of hope for the future.

Far be it from me to judge who may or may not be a "Genuine Christian," as Warren puts it.  But I do believe that hope is one of the central features of authentic Christian belief.

Do you find Warren's quote helpful?  Does it give you hope?  In what ways might this distinction help the Church move forward in accomplishing the mission of God?