Only 1 in 11 Christians Has a Biblical Worldview

Radio evangelist Chuck Baldwin, WorldNetDaily, and Whistleblower magazine have recently revisited findings by Christian opinion researcher George Barna that only 9% of born-again Christians have a Biblical perspective on life. “The problem with America’s Christianity today is that, for the most part, it doesn’t exist!” Baldwin said, in a June 1 broadcast.

We should revisit these figures too. They first appeared in a Barna Update December 1, 2003: “A Biblical Worldview Has a Radical Effect on a Person’s Life.”[1] Barna defined a Biblical worldview as belief in eight propositions:

Absolute moral truths exist. The Bible defines moral truth. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe, and He rules it today. Salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned. Satan is real. Christians have a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with others. The Bible is accurate in all its teachings. What Does It Mean? “People’s views on morally acceptable behavior are deeply impacted by their worldview,” Barna wrote.

In general, he found, people who do not have a Biblical worldview are much more likely than those who do have a Biblical worldview to condone or engage in immoral behavior: cohabitation, drunkenness, homosexual activity, adultery, profanity, voluntary exposure to pornography, abortion, and gambling. For example, those who held a non-Biblical worldview were 31 times more likely to accept cohabitation than the Biblically faithful.

Nondenominational Protestant churches yielded the highest percentage of persons with a Biblical worldview (13%), with Pentecostal churches next (10%), and Baptists third (8%). Mainline Protestant churches (2%) and Catholics (1%) brought up the rear.

Given the prevalence of the non-Biblical worldview — in a country in which 80% of the people call themselves Christians — is it surprising that our entertainment industry cranks out smut? That our public schools teach moral relativism and hold “workshops” to teach children how to perform aberrant sex acts? That our politicians, judges, and business leaders aren’t much better?

Shocking, maybe. Distressing, to be sure. Thou Shalt Not Panic Let’s not panic. As bad as these statistics are, we who do have a Biblical worldview know that Christ sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father. All power in heaven and earth is given to Him (Matt. 28:18). His enemies shall be made His footstool (Ps. 110:1; Acts 2:34–35). Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess Him Lord (Phil. 2:10–11). That is the end to which God has directed all of history. That is the message of the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

God’s Word is about truth, not self-esteem. Rather than be demoralized by findings like Barna’s, we should take them as indicators of where we are as a nation and where we need to go.

Acquiring a Biblical Worldview If America wanted to be a Godless nation, there would not have been such a decisive “values vote” in the 2004 election. Support for abortion would not be slipping in poll after poll. Eleven out of 11 states would not have amended their constitutions to block “gay marriage.” Mainline denominations would not be losing droves of members to Biblically faithful churches.

These are indications that more Americans would like to adopt a Biblical worldview. Speaking as someone who for much of his adult life did not have a Biblical outlook, my biggest problem was that I didn’t know I had a problem.

Read the Bible every day, making it an indispensable part of your daily routine — like getting dressed. It’s good to read about the Bible, to take a Bible study course, and to listen to Bible teachers, but there’s no substitute for the Bible itself. God will speak to you through His Scriptures — if you listen. Get into the habit of measuring all things by how they stack up against the Scriptures. To be able to do that, you have to acquire the familiarity with the Bible that comes with daily reading. Don’t ask, “What would Jesus do?” You don’t know because you’re not Jesus. Ask instead, “What does the Bible say?” This is the standard used by Jesus Himself and by His apostles (Rom. 4:3; Gal. 4:30). Strengthen your prayer life. Prayer is how you connect with God, person to Person. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10; Ps. 53:3); this means you, and everyone. We need God’s grace in our lives. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). No one else can pick us up when we stumble. No one else can help us to do better. There’s Hope Barna has reported one sign that more Americans are already trying to acquire a Biblical worldview. In an April 11, 2005 Barna Update, he found that 45% of adults in America read the Bible during a typical week — “a significant rise from the 31% measured in 1995,” he reported.[2]

A level of 45% still means there’s 55% left to go, and “during a typical week” can be improved to “every day.” Nevertheless, it’s progress — the kind of progress that, in time, ought to mean changes in the more distressing figures.

Re: "Christians and the lost alike do not like to see themselves in a mirror.It is easier to fall back on theological debates and nitpicking over Baptism or prayer vs. scripture than it is to consider the possibilty that we personnaly don't have a Christian World View."

In part I agree with you in a small way. None of us like to look at ourselves in the (spiritual) mirror, at least with the lights turned up.

But your trust in this survey is misplaced. I saw the survey when it first came out a few months ago, or one very much like it. I saw the questions and could tell the originators where Protestant. You may ask what is wrong with that. Well I will tell you - There was no Catholic Translation.

As a former Episcopalian who grew up with fundamentalist Baptist now Catholic, I can tell you the devout Catholic and the devout Protestant do not speak the same language at all. One time was asked by an Evangelical if I had been "Saved" and "allowed Christ come into my heart". There is nothing wrong with this way of expressing it, but they are often very petty about this is the only way to say it. Words such as these are used in Catholic Baptism and Confirmation but they do not limit it to those exact words. For example a Catholic may talk about the "grace of salvation in Baptism" This way of expressing the same thing totally confounds the evangelical (for the most part). I could give lots of examples but one is enough.

The problem with the survey questions that I saw was just this sort of thing. There were a few that made me think at the time "no true Catholic could answer this question in the way this survey would count as the correct answer for a Biblical world view" The survey had heresies woven in them. I wish I could remember the specific questions but I remember at least a couple. One question would force a Catholic to reject Catholic Tradition which is part of their Biblical world view though I have no doubt an Evangelical would agree. Ergo the root of the problem. No Catholic could get a really good score on such a survey. Of course a Catholic survey in the same vein would result in a much lower score for many of that 13% that was in the top category.

Why not just take the Bible literally instead of creating complex arguments?

An EXCELLENCT admonition!!!!!!!!

Is Peter the 'rock'?

NIV Matthew 4:18-19
18. As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
19. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

NIV Matthew 8:14
14. When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.

NIV Matthew 10:1-2
1. He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

NIV Matthew 14:28-31
28. "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
29. "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
31. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

NIV Matthew 15:13-16
13. He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.
14. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."
15. Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."
16. "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them.

As you can see, Simon was already known as 'Peter'

BEFORE the following verses came along.....

NIV Matthew 16:13-18
13. When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14. They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15. "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16. Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17. Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
18. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

NIV 1 Corinthians 10:4
4. and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

NIV Luke 6:48
48. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

NIV Romans 9:33
33. As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

NIV 1 Peter 2:4-8
4. As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--
5. you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
7. Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, "
8. and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for.

But, since there WAS no NT at the time Christ spoke to Peter, just what DID Peter and the rest of the Disciples know about ROCKS???

NIV Genesis 49:24-25
24. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25. because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb.

NIV Numbers 20:8
8. "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."

NIV Deuteronomy 32:4
4. He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

NIV Deuteronomy 32:15
15. Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior.

NIV Deuteronomy 32:18
18. You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.

NIV Deuteronomy 32:30-31
30. How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
31. For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede.

NIV 1 Samuel 2:2
2. "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

NIV 2 Samuel 22:2-3
2. He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3. my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior-- from violent men you save me.

NIV 2 Samuel 22:32
32. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?

NIV 2 Samuel 22:47
47. "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!

NIV 2 Samuel 23:3-4
3. The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: `When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God,
4. he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.'

NIV Psalms 18:2
2. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

NIV Psalms 18:31
31. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?

NIV Psalms 18:46
46. The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!

NIV Psalms 19:14
14. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

NIV Psalms 28:1

1. To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

NIV Psalms 31:2-3
2. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.
3. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

NIV Psalms 42:9
9. I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"

NIV Psalms 62:2
2. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

NIV Psalms 62:6
6. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

NIV Psalms 62:7
7. My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

NIV Psalms 71:3
3. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

NIV Psalms 78:35
35. They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.

NIV Psalms 89:26
26. He will call out to me, `You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.'

NIV Psalms 92:14-15
14. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,
15. proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

NIV Psalms 95:1
1. Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

NIV Psalms 144:1
1. Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

NIV Isaiah 17:10
10. You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.

NIV Isaiah 26:4
4. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

NIV Isaiah 30:29
29. And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.

NIV Isaiah 44:8
8. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

NIV Habakkuk 1:12
12. O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish.

.....No other rock.............

And now you know the Biblical position!

So much argumentation to get around the plain statements of St.

John 3.5

Mark 16.16

Matthew 28.19

Acts 8.12

1 Peter 3.21

Acts 2.38

Acts 16.33

Acts 18.8

Galatians 3.27

Acts 22.16

Why did you leave out ......

Acts 15

1. Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."
2. This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
3. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad.
4. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
5. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."
6. The apostles and elders met to consider this question.
7. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.
8. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
9. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
10. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?
11. No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
12. The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
13. When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me.
14. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself.
15. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16. "`After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
17. that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things'
18. that have been known for ages.
19. "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
20. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
21. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."
22. Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers.
23. With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.
24. We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.
25. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul--
26. men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.
28. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:
29. You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
30. The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.
31. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.

Where is BAPTISM found here, in the letter from EARLY CHURCH LEADERS???

Baptism of desire is necessary for salvation. Read St. Matthew's Gospel, the last few sentences of the last chapter.

Matthew 28

1. After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.
3. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
4. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
6. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
7. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: `He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
8. So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
9. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
10. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
11. While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.
12. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money,
13. telling them, "You are to say, `His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.'
14. If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."
15. So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
16. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
17. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
18. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20. and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

I'll bet you want us to see the word BAPTIZING in verse 19, don't you?

But first; I want a LIST of EVERYTHING Jesus "COMMANDED" them in verse 20.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.