Take the worldview test: Are you one of the 9%?

Focus on the Family Magazine (thread written by me from facts in Focus article) | July 04 | Barna group

[Mr. Silverback]

In a recent survey, the Barna Group composed eight questions that defined the basic requirements of a biblical worldview. In other words, those who believed in all eight concepts have what Barna defines as a worldview that is based on the Bible, and those that differed don't. They found that only 4% of Americans and only 9% of self-described "Born-again Christians" answered "Yes" to all of them. How about you?

1. Do you believe absolute moral truths exist?

2. Is absolute truth defined by the Bible?

3. Did Jesus Christ live a sinless life?

4. Is God the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe, and does he still rule it today?

5. Is salvation a gift from God that can't be earned?

6. Is Satan real?

7. Does a Christian have a responsibility to share his or her faith in Christ with other people?

8. Is the Bible accurate in all its teachings?

[GrandEagle]

9% of self-described "Born-again Christians" answered "Yes" to all of them.
Only 9%??? Whay in the world passes for "Christian" today?.

[Sloth]

Now I'm not implying that our sins won't, or can't, be forgiven but the indiviidual also must strive to live a life according to how God intended us or that person will not find salvation.

Certain works are necessary in order to receive forgiveness/salvation but that still isn't the same as "earning" it. It's just a means of accepting the gift. All sinners deserve Hell, but God offers us an escape out of mercy -- not because we have a right to it.

[Sloth]

Yes to all.

[Max Combined]

"5. Is salvation a gift from God that can't be earned?"

Perhaps one cannot earn it, but one can certainly forfeit it.

[joesnuffy]

Add.. Is Jesus God? ...Yes
Is Jesus the ONLY way man may be saved from damnation? Yes
Did God the Father raise Jesus aka God the Son from the dead? Yes

[TSH1]

"In a recent survey, the Barna Group composed eight questions that defined the basic requirements of a biblical worldview. In other words, those who believed in all eight concepts have what Barna defines as a worldview that is based on the Bible, and those that differed don't. They found that only 4% of Americans and only 9% of self-described "Born-again Christians" answered "Yes" to all of them...."

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.


2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,


2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,


2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;


2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.


2Ti 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,


2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.


2Ti 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.


2Ti 3:9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all [men], as theirs also was.


2Ti 3:10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,


2Ti 3:11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of [them] all the Lord delivered me.


2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.


2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.


2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them];


2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.


2Ti 3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:


2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

[Annie03]

bump for late

[FourPeas]

I'm surprised that only 9% of born-again Christians answer "yes" to all of them. They're all pretty obvious.

[Dr. Frank fan]

One could argue that Paul's attitude toward marriage was related to the specific situation of those to whom he wrote; not necessarily for all people and for all time.

I'll go with that.

Of course, that would take the Bible out of the running for possessing or "defining" "absolute truth", IMHO.

Perhaps he was telling people that marriage was likely to bring heartache due to separation and/or death, and that it was better to avoid it at the time, but still, "better to marry than to burn".

Yes, perhaps.

That does not accord with any previous understanding of the historical context of Paul's letters I had had. But, it does not matter. Your explanation could be correct and it would not cause me to change my "no" answers to #2 and #8.

To preempt some future responses I predict: I frankly don't see the point of the exercise of trying to bend over backwards re-defining terms and stretching the meaning of questions #2 and #8 so as to convince me that (according to those definitions, contexts, understandings, etc) "yes" is perhaps a reasonable answer, if I would only just think about the questions in the correct way. I understand those questions at face value, as they are written, and my answers are "No".

Best,

[Awestruck]

Yes to all, whether certain people around here believe it or not.

[Quix]

STRONGLY AGREE AND WITH YOUR QUALIFICATIONS.

9% GADS. WHAT A SLIDE INTO HELL the deterioration has become!

[Rytwyng]

What Christian could not profit from studying Augustine and Aquinas?

Or C.S. Lewis, for that matter.

[VRWCer]

Yes to all. Amen. (and as another rabid, conservative Catholic, I have absolutely no problem with question 2. All Catholic doctrine is Biblical.)

[lainde]

bttt

[Phsstpok]

Having said those things there do remain certain uncertainties even in our best modern translations of the New Testament, and even more so in the Old Testament. And I would agree with you that we are limited in our trust of the physical text that we hold in our hands. Nevertheless I think it has been amply demonstrated that what we read in Scripture today reflects quite well what was intended in its original writing, whether we find that difficult to swallow or not, and that we can still trust the words of Paul to Timothy when he affirmed the usefulness of Scripture for our life.

I don't see anything in conflict between your position and mine.  Given that, my problem with the two points

2. Is absolute truth defined by the Bible?

8. Is the Bible accurate in all its teachings?

Is that these usually are taken to mean that I am expected to accept the "literal, word for word" text of the Bible.  Since what that meaning is is subject to the vagaries of the people that not only wrote it and translated it but also of those who read it and "decide" what is "really" meant.  That's where I have to state that my relationship with God is personal and not subject to someone else's reading of the texts, accurate or not.  In contrast I agree with your position laid out above and in the rest of your reply.

My classic example I use to explain how I came to this position the hard way is a little confrontation I had with a teacher at a fundamentalist bible school (on an abandoned Nike missile base, no less) when I was a teen.  Because she had the Godless heathen (I was a Billy Graham youth counselor that year in the Crusade at Shea Stadium) who was raised in the secular Jewish stronghold of New York she was going to share her wisdom on, of all things, the evils of evolution.  I was a little slow on the uptake when she asked me what I thought of the obvious contradictions between the Truth contained in Genesis and Darwin's Godless writings.  I made the mistake of answering her honestly.  I said that I didn't see any contradictions.  That the sequence in Genesis follows very closely with the sequence in the evolutionary science that had emerged from Darwin's theories.  Any seeming discrepancies were our problem, not God's.  Besides, God couldn't exactly expect a nomadic shepherd 5,000 years ago to follow along if he started dumping things like Plankton and Amoebe's in the middle of His explanation.  He couched the explanation in a form those people could understand and he expected us to fill it out from his outline using the tools he gave us, namely the ability to reason.

That's the point when she brought out the wooden cane and started beating me over the head to get rid of the demons who so obviously possessed me.  My Uncle (by marriage) was the leader of that school and I was there visiting his family.  He was a fundamentalist so extreme that he was kicked out of Bob Jones in the early 60s (too fundamental and too racist).  I have held a healthy skepticism for institutions led by men that claim to speak for God since.

 

[Choose Ye This Day]

No flames here. Sounds very reasonable.

[Modernman]

I only agree with 1, 4 and 7.

[Modernman]

Feel free to disprove the Resurrection at any time.

Feel free to prove it at any time.

[mcg1969]

We do indeed agree in large part. As someone who rejects young-earth creationism (I remain skeptical but open on the subject of evolution), I sympathize with your experience.

Earlier I mentioned the words of Paul to Timothy; I was referring to the verse, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness"... When I read this, I take it in a present-day modern context: that is, I believe that Paul is referring to Scripture's ability to inform the moral and spiritual conduct of my life.

I think that Paul would agree that I need not refer to Scripture to tell me at what point amoebas appeared on the earth, because it is outside of that scope. But of course, there are those, including those you had unfortunate experience with, who would tell me otherwise.

[gal522]

"If all of our sins are absolved and forgiven then why do good?"

First, out of love and joy and obedience, and from gratitude to Christ for saving us. Second, because we will be rewarded in Heaven according to our good works. Store up your treasures in Heaven!