Berean Journeymen

March 6, 2009If Jesus were to ask, “Who do you say I am,” the question He famously asked his disciple Peter, He would be disappointed by some of the answers He’d receive from contemporary Americans. A new nationwide survey conducted by The Barna Group among a representative sample of adults explored how many have what might be considered a “biblical worldview.” The report from Barna compared current results to the outcomes from a similar survey the company conducted in 1995, 2000 and 2005.

Defining Terms

For the purposes of the survey, a “biblical worldview” was defined as believing that absolute moral truth exists; the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches; Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic; a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or do good works; Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; and God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today. In the research, anyone who held all of those beliefs was said to have a biblical worldview.

National Results

Overall, the current research revealed that only 9% of all American adults have a biblical worldview. Among the sixty subgroups of respondents that the survey explored was one defined by those who said they have made a personal to commitment to Jesus Christ that is important in their life today and that they are certain that they will go to Heaven after they die only because they confessed their sins and accepted Christ as their savior. Labeled “born again Christians,” the study discovered that they were twice as likely as the average adult to possess a biblical worldview. However, that meant that even among born again Christians, less than one out of every five (19%) had such an outlook on life.

The same questions were asked of respondents in national surveys by Barna in 1995, 2000 and 2005. The results indicate that the percentage of adults with a biblical worldview, as defined above, has remained unchanged for more than a decade. The numbers show that 7% had such a worldview in 1995, compared to 10% in 2000, 11% in 2005, and 9% now. Even among born again adults, the statistics have remained flat: 18% in 1995, 22% in 2000, 21% in 2005, and 19% today.

Components of Worldview Thinking

Varying numbers of Americans embrace the different aspects of biblical worldview thinking. The survey found that:

One-third of all adults (34%) believe that moral truth is absolute and unaffected by the circumstances. Slightly less than half of the born again adults (46%) believe in absolute moral truth.

Half of all adults firmly believe that the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches. That proportion includes the four-fifths of born again adults (79%) who concur.

Just one-quarter of adults (27%) are convinced that Satan is a real force. Even a minority of born again adults (40%) adopt that perspective.

Similarly, only one-quarter of adults (28%) believe that it is impossible for someone to earn their way into Heaven through good behavior. Not quite half of all born again Christians (47%) strongly reject the notion of earning salvation through their deeds.

A minority of American adults (40%) are persuaded that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life while He was on earth. Slightly less than two-thirds of the born again segment (62%) strongly believes that He was sinless.

Seven out of ten adults (70%) say that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe who still rules it today. That includes the 93% of born again adults who hold that conviction.

Differences among Demographic Segments

The research data showed that one pattern emerged loud and clear: young adults rarely possess a biblical worldview. The current study found that less than one-half of one percent of adults in the Mosaic generation – i.e., those aged 18 to 23 – have a biblical worldview, compared to about one out of every nine older adults.

Other groups that possess a below average likelihood of having a biblical worldview included people who describe themselves as liberal on social and political matters (also less than one-half of one percent); Catholics (2%); Democrats (4%) and residents of the Northeast (4%).

Why It Matters

Ongoing research by The Barna Group on these matters consistently demonstrates the powerful impact a person’s worldview has on their life. A worldview serves as a person’s decision-making filter, enabling them to make sense of the complex and huge amount of information, experiences, relationships and opportunities they face in life. By helping to clarify what a person believes to be important, true and desirable, a worldview has a dramatic influence on a person’s choices in any given situation.

Barna’s research has discovered that there are unusually large differences in behavior related to matters such as media use, profanity, gambling, alcohol use, honesty, civility, and sexual choices.
The firm’s studies have also pointed out that a person’s worldview is primarily shaped and is firmly in place by the time someone reaches the age of 13; it is refined through experience during the teen and early adult years; and then it is passed on to others during their adult life. Such studies underscore the necessity of parents and other influencers being intentional in how they help develop the worldview of children.

For information about the Revolutionary Parenting Workbook, a new research-based resource that provides practical steps and advice to help parents shape the worldview of their children, click here

George Barna, who has directed this tracking research since the early Nineties, pointed out, “There are a several troubling patterns to take notice. First, although most Americans consider themselves to be Christian and say they know the content of the Bible, less than one out of ten Americans demonstrate such knowledge through their actions. Second, the generational pattern suggests that parents are not focused on guiding their children to have a biblical worldview. One of the challenges for parents, though, is that you cannot give what you do not have, and most parents do not possess such a perspective on life. That raises a third challenge, which relates to the job that Christian churches, schools and parachurch ministries are doing in Christian education. Finally, even though a central element of being a Christian is to embrace basic biblical principles and incorporate them into one’s worldview, there has been no change in the percentage of adults or even born again adults in the past 13 years regarding the possession of a biblical worldview.”

To find out which Christian teachings are most helpful in developing a biblical worldview, read Think Like Jesus. For more information, click here.

Barna concluded by noting that the lack of movement in the worldview status of adults reflects the fact that children are not provided with the basic ability to think in ways that correspond to foundational biblical teachings. He noted that Christian families, Christian schools, and Christian churches would be wise to invest more effort and tangible resources into helping young people understand and adopt the core ideas of Christianity, and to reinforce those concepts through their own lives. His pointed out that without such an investment, the current generational patterns indicate that the future Christian Church is likely to be one that has even less of a connection to biblical principles than is evident today.

About the Research

This report draws information from four nationwide telephone interviews conducted by The Barna Group, each including between 1,002 to 1,005 adults randomly selected, during the years 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2008. The range of sampling error associated with a survey of 1,000 people is ±1.5 to ±3.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Each of the surveys utilized minimal statistical weighting to calibrate the aggregate sample to known population percentages in relation to several key demographic variables. All interviews were conducted among a sampling of adults in the 48 continental states.

As noted, “born again Christians” were defined as people who said they had made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that was still important in their life today and who also indicated they believed that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Respondents were not asked to describe themselves as “born again.”

Readers are encouraged to realize that the figures described above regarding a biblical worldview are somewhat different than a similar measure reported by The Barna Group in prior years. The earlier measure included an additional component, which had to do with the source of their worldview. When that measure is included, it typically decreases the percentage of people with a biblical worldview by about half.

The Barna Group, Ltd. (which includes its research division, The Barna Research Group) is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization that conducts primary research on a wide range of issues and products, produces resources pertaining to cultural change, leadership and spiritual development, and facilitates the healthy spiritual growth of leaders, children, families and Christian ministries. Located in Ventura, California, Barna has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984. If you would like to receive free e-mail notification of the release of each new, bi-monthly update on the latest research findings from The Barna Group, you may subscribe to this free service at the Barna website (www.barna.org). Additional research-based resources, both free and at discounted prices, are also available through that website.

© The Barna Group, Ltd, 2009.

The following article was taken from Ministry Today. To go to this website click HERE

If the American church were a patient on the operating table, its current vital signs would be cause for serious concern. According to the latest Faith Communities Today 2008 (FACT 2008), which released in part this week, only 35 percent of all congregations in the country reported being spiritually vital and alive. That’s compared to 42 percent in 2005.

In addition, most congregations say they’re in the worst financial shape they’ve been in years, with only 19 percent indicating excellent financial health, compared to 24 percent in 2005 and 31 percent in 2000. In terms of pure numerical growth among worship service attendees, 48 percent of all churches say they’ve grown by at least 2 percent, which marks a full 10 percent decline in only three years.

The massive survey, which includes churches of all types—old line Protestant, evangelical Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox and other world religions—factored in results from more than 2,500 randomly selected congregations.

For leaders, FACT 2008 will reiterate what most already know: The healthiest churches are those who reproduce. Among the congregations surveyed, those whose leadership spent the most time recruiting and training other leaders were the healthiest. Similar results came from leaders who promoted a clear vision and emphasized evangelism. Interestingly enough, the study also revealed no significant correlation between a church’s spiritual vitality and its emphasis on administration or representing the congregation within the community. What it did show, however, was the advantage of standing out as a unique church. Those congregations who identified themselves as “very different” from others in the community showed a high spiritual vitality, whereas those who didn’t see themselves as offering anything particularly unique were less vibrant.

“It is a story of concern, but also a story of hope,” concluded FACT 2008’s authors. “It is the story of an emerging, persistent and broad based downward trend in congregational vitality. But it is also a story of pockets of vitality that are suggestive of the potential for moving forward.” [fact.hartsem.edu, 9/9/09]

Like many other men I have been unemployed for several weeks now and the biblical concept of a 'trial' has once again shifted from theological to applicable in my life. Any time that type of shift occurs it provides both discomfort and opportunity and the metal of our faith is tested.

For me, the first week or so of unemployment was quite interesting. Initially, my core beliefs kicked in and God was quick to remind me that He was in control and would provide for my family's needs. But…within 3 days, the heat and discomfort was turned up even more as our home computer died and our home phone system went out which left us with no communication capability, and then my car died which left me immobilized. Disbelief peeked as I sat in my broken down car just north of Ontario, but with the irony being so thick, I couldn't help but simply laugh. Unfortunately the discomfort didn't end there and after a few days Satan took the opportunity to kick me while I was down again, as he so often does, by throwing darts of self-doubt and self-worth and temptation at me. It was then in the midst of that growing discomfort, as I spent my morning alone time with God, that He reminded me of two things. One, I need to step back and gain right perspective; and two, my trial is providing an opportunity for growth and blessing.

Regardless of how sorry we want to feel for ourselves when we go through both minor and major trials, we must remember life could be worse…it could be much worse…in fact it could be much, much worse. There are millions upon millions of people who are experiencing a life of pain and dread and despair far beyond what we may be facing, both in this lifetime and in the one to come. Furthermore, who are we to question what God is allowing to occur? Do we know more than God? Do we know better than God? We would be wise to quickly gain Job's eventual perspective and realize when we begin questioning God, we speak of things we do not understand, things too wonderful for us to know. We must remember that God is God and we are not. We must believe that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. If this is not our persepective, we must repent in dust and ashes for our unbelief.

And as we gain right perspective, will we see that holy scripture indicates our trials also provide opportunities for growth and blessing? Through Paul, the Holy Spirit encourages us that our troubles open the door for a deeper relationship with the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles, which will allow us to comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. Not only can we experience comfort through Christ, but joy as well. Out of the most severe trial, others have proven to have overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. Is that not a reason to have hope and even rejoice in the midst of our trials?

Through James, the Holy Spirit encourages us to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds, because the testing of our faith develops perseverance, and perseverance must finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. When we persevere under trial, when we have stood the test, we will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. Is that not a reason to have hope and even rejoice in the midst of our trials?

Through Peter, the Holy Spirit encourages us that for a little while we may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials, but we can greatly rejoice because these have come so that our faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Is that not a reason to have hope and even rejoice in the midst of our trials?

And even Jesus encourages us that in this world we will have trouble, but we can take heart because he has overcome the world. The Lord reassures us that his grace is sufficient and his power is made perfect in our weakness, therefore we can delight in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, in trials. Is that not a reason to have hope and even rejoice in the midst of our trials?

May each of us be encouraged as we embrace the opportunity to see God's word prove true and our faith strengthened. May we truly have hope and rejoice even as current trials continue and new trials emerge.