The second he labels "Mere Secularity." God and the church aren't attacked, they are ignored "by people preoccupied with this world and their daily routines." Think Great Britain. The trappings of religion are everywhere...but no one really cares. "Christianity" is equated with being "morally good."
The third, exemplified he says by the United States, is "Controlled Secularity." Marty says the dominant religion in America is a "folk religion which deifies traditional American values." The symbols of Christianity get mashed-up with culture...so huge, rich churches are the "best," prosperity gospel (worshipping consumerism, in essence) is popular, God "chooses" America over all others as the most beloved (nationalism).
From where I stand, I think we struggle with Mere and Controlled Secularity. But regardless of the type of our secularity struggle, what is critical for "evangelism" is the understanding that most people haven't a clue what we are talking about when we speak of faith or faith practice. (Yep...most. I think given the number of folks outside our churches on Sunday morning, and a large number inside who are nominal, it adds up to most.) George Hunter III articulates it well in his book How to Reach Secular People:
Secular people vary in their consciousness of Christianity. Perhaps a third of them...have no christian memory; they are "ignostics"--that is, they don't know what Christians are talking about. Another third have a distant christian memory--they could identify Moses; they are "notional" Christians--who think of themselves as more of less Christian because they assume their culture is more of less Christian. Another third are "nominal" Christians--who are somewhat active in churches, but their religion is civil religion (which they mistake for Christianity) and most gospel washes past them. But all three subgroups are secular, for their lives are not significantly influenced by the christian faith. Their assumptions, vocabularies, decision making, and life-styles reflect no christian agenda...The first two groups are also not "church broke," Hunter reminds us. If you can get them in the door, worship is clumsy and alienating. Nominal Christians know enough to fake it, but it is meaningless for them because they are not practicing faith.
Our attempt to "get people in the door" assumes that once there, there is enough knowledge and history to have practices make sense. Really, we think, all we have to do is be nice and welcoming, then they will stay and do what we know they know they should do.
Frankly, it's like taking me to a football game and then assuming if you are nice to me and buy me a beer and a jersey that I will become a football player...or even an avid fan. Understand I know there are two teams and one ball and a whole lot of crashing into each other. And I do enjoy hanging out with people I like while a game is on. But I don't understand the game. I don't get the strategy. And I wonder "what is the point?" That attitude is heresy to a die-hard fan.
The good news is that people left in church, practicing their faith, are mostly pretty serious practitioners. The bad news is that it has been so very long since we have had to interpret or articulate the "why" or the "how," that many of us, even those of us who have the strongest faith practice and whose practice is transformative of our lives and our worlds...even we fail the "seculars" in our midst.
Worship is a hold-over from a time that the entire culture (frankly, whether they were "Christian" officially, or not) understood the "Christian" language, practice, and moral code.
We don't live there anymore.
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