Prepare yourself for more bad news.

According to a survey conducted by Scientific American, "religious authorities" rank at the bottom of eight categories of persons trusted "to provide accurate information about important issues in society." On a 1 (strongly distrust) to 5 (strongly trust) scale, clergy (at 1.55) ranked below "elected officials" (1.76), "companies" (1.78), "journalists" (2.57), and "citizen groups" (2.69).

I want to reiterate this point, just so we don't miss it: ministers rank below politicians in believability and trustworthiness.

Maybe we have one piece of the puzzle why folks are not beating a path to the doors of the church. Note also that the question wasn't who you trust to provide good "scientific" information, though scientists came out at the top of the reliability scale at 3.98, above "friends or family" (3.09).

This study disturbs me. The results may be influenced by the actions of pastors on the angry fringe like the one in Florida who advocate the burning of the holy book of another religious tradition. The results may be influenced by the outrageous congregation in Topeka, Kansas, that seems to hate everyone in the name of God. The results may be influenced by the endless culture wars and ideological wars that continue to rock mainline denominations. Or the results may simply be influenced by the anti-institutionalism that is so much a part of our society. I don't know. But the results are disturbing, because faith and trustworthiness go hand-in-hand.

I want to believe that a well-educated clergy (i.e., ministers with the deep knowledge and critical judgment that come from careful study of complex issues in light of their religious tradition) could provide some bulwark against this erosion of trust. But there are very smart and well-educated people who have proven untrustworthy.

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