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?

[Mr. Silverback]

Let me log my objections here: My "Jesus question" would have included the concepts that He died for our sins, that He was resurrected and that he was God. I don't see how you can deny those three things about Christ and still have a biblical worldview. Also, question 2 seems almost designed to exclude Catholics, and conservative Catholics have a much more biblical worldview than a lot of people who would answer "yes" to question 2, like say, Fred Phelps.

All in all though, 9% is pretty sad. No wonder the country is going to Hades on a handrail.

[Mr. Silverback]

Ping! Thought y'all might be interested in this.

[CyberCowboy777]

"If there is one clear portal to the 20th century, it is a passage through the death of God, the collapse of any meaning or reality lying beyond the newly discovered radical immanence of modern man, an immanence dissolving even the memory of the shadow of transcendence." - Thomas Altizer, Gospel of a Christian Atheism

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I agree with you on the Jesus question, but I don't get your point about question 2 at all. Not at all. How does that exclude Catholics?

[freebilly]

Yes to all....

[xzins]

Also, question 2 seems almost designed to exclude Catholics, and conservative Catholics have a much more biblical worldview than a lot of people

I answered all questions "yes."

I can understand your objection.

Consider, however, that the Catholic is not being asked in THIS survey NOT if he/she has a Christian worldview, but if he/she fits a BIBLICAL worldview.

With that in mind it should enable you, with some justification, to answer number 2 in the affirmative.

[jla]

They found that only 4% of Americans and only 9% of self-described "Born-again Christians" answered "Yes" to all of them.

I'd say that these sound to be very much on the low side, especially the latter.
Anyone else find question #5 to be ambiguously worded?

[jpsb]

y,y,y,y,?,y,y,n

[Cicero]

I suppose number 2 is the only one I have reservations about. Absolute truth is that which is real. (God is what is most real, but His creation is also real in a contingent way.) There are many true things that are not touched on by the Bible, one way or the other. So, yes, the Bible is true, but it doesn't pretend to define all of truth. So I guess I say yes to 7 and maybe to the 8th.

I would agree that the question about Jesus is pretty minimal, but it's easy enough to answer.

[Lexinom]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

[Rays_Dad]

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes and yes

[anniegetyourgun]

Neither Catholics nor any Protestant denominations (and non-denominationals) are exempt from housing those who are Christian-in-name-only. Remember, just because one stands in a garage doesn't mean one is a car. The 9% doesn't surprise me at all.

[Rays_Dad]

hey quit copying off of me

[Jemian]

I didn't find it ambiguous. But then again, I'm in the 9%.

[Bonaparte]

Many called, few chosen. But here's the good news: 4% of 282,000,000 people (total population) is still more than 11 million people who are true witnesses for Christ, in whom the power of the Holy Spirit lives.

Did you know, Mr. Silverback, that we won our War of Independence with only an estimated 4% of American colonists actually fighting the British?

[anniegetyourgun]

Thank you for that very inspired response, Bonaparte.

Hey x....seems to me they could have started with their last question - from which all else flows.

[Bonaparte]

"Anyone else find question #5 to be ambiguously worded?"

I thought it was crystal clear. All the saving has already been done on the cross. There is nothing we can do, no "good works," that will make us worthy of that salvation. It is an undeserved gift.

[jla]

I'm in the 9%

Really? I'm curious as to which ones you wouldn't agree with, and why.

[Mr. Silverback]

I agree with you on the Jesus question, but I don't get your point about question 2 at all. Not at all. How does that exclude Catholics?

Catholics may correct me on this, but...Catholics use Church Tradition as a source of input on doctrinal truth. Said Tradition is things like the writings of early church fathers, etc. Note the capital "T"; this is not "we've always done it that way" human stuff, it's teaching they believe is transmitted to the Church by the Holy Spirit. Luther believed that only the Bible should be used as a source of doctrine, and this is one of the things that caused him to split with the Church.

What I meant about excluding Catholics is that a Catholic would have to look at that question and either say "No, not just the Bible" or "Yes, but..." and that seems to me to be excluding people who respect the Bible and hold to its teachings as fiercely as anyone could.

[garbanzo]

Is the Bible accurate in all its teachings?

I'd suspect that most people got tripped up on this one. It is somewhat difficult to reconcile a literal reading of the Bible on some issues (especially some of the events of the Old Testament) to modern sensibilities.