Posted on 04/25/2020 7:47:41 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
As part of an ongoing release of research about the worldviews of Americans, new data show that just over half hold a biblically-informed view of God, a 22% drop from 30 years ago.
Longtime researcher George Barna, whose work is now based at the recently-founded Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, released another installment in his findings that reveal the erosion of the Judeo-Christian worldview in the United States. The new report shows that only 51% of Americans consider God to be "all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect and just creator of the universe who still rules the world today.” In 1991, 73% of Americans believed that to be true.
The latest research from the 12-part American Worldview Inventory also documents that 44% of survey respondents agreed with the idea that when Jesus was on the Earth, in the flesh, He was both fully divine and fully human and therefore committed sins like any other person. Only 41% held the biblical perspective that Christ lived a sinless life and was both fully man and fully God.
"Over half of all adults—52%—contend that 'the Holy Spirit is not a living entity, but merely a symbol of God’s power, presence or purity,'" according to the survey and that "most shockingly, most Americans—56%—believe that 'Satan is not merely a symbol of evil but is a real spiritual being and influences human lives.'”
Nearly half of those surveyed who claim to believe in a God who is an influential spiritual being are not fully confident that He even exists.
“The spiritual noise in our culture over the last few decades has confused and misled hundreds of millions of people," Barna said in a statement to The Christian Post. "The message to churches, Christian leaders, and Christian educators is clear: we can no longer assume that people have a solid grasp of even the most basic biblical principles."
Whereas 30 years ago, people spent time thinking and learning about God, today culture has become increasingly self-focused, Barna noted.
"We've transitioned from a people who upheld the existence of absolute moral truth to a nation that rejects moral absolutes. The result has been a seminal shift in our collective focus, from other to self, and from absolute truths to conditional truths. That helps to explain why the ‘doesn’t/don’t know/don’t care’ population, regarding the existence of God, has mushroomed from 8 percent to 32 percent in just 30 years," he said.
"That’s one-third of the nation’s adults who have chosen to dismiss traditional teachings about God, the importance of personally determining whether a powerful, holy, Creator God exists, and the implications of their conclusion for their present and future."
The release of the research was going to coincide with the launch of the Cultural Research Center at ACU in Glendale, Arizona, last month but the center's formal event had to be postponed until the fall due to the coronavirus pandemic.
An adequate explanation for the high proportion of FearBro’s and state worshippers around us.
Society is learning to live in fear, and yet, if one is Baptized in Christ we have died and reborn in Him, In Him there is no fear, only Victory. Death no longer has its sting.
There is nothing in this world that can defeat us, unless we defeat ourselves. Satan and his minions are hard at work putting blinders on the people, and making them fit only for perdition.
It would help if there were no televangelists were con men and the Pope wasn’t a pagan.
this is easy to understand.
the government steals from your neighbor to buy your vote
the church doesn’t give you any money at all
Bingo! Give the man a cigar!
You hit the nail on the head. That's probably the biggest reason I never listen to radio or TV preachers, because they aren't preachers, they are charlatans trying to milk you and me for every cent we got.
Remember that John Denver movie, "Oh God?" What did he call that TV preacher, "Reverend Blabber Mouth" was it? He was spot on!
Indeed, the Pope and televangelists are no different than the scammedia, preying and exploiting the image emotion
Most TV / Randi preachers (large majority) are bad.
here are some that are not.
David Jeremiah
Chuck Swindoll
Billy Graham (now deceased)
John Macarthur
I dont know, maybe if todqy’s preacher did not try to teach about islam or gays so much, they would not be so irrelevant. There already are mosques and gay activist groups for that, so people do not need church for that
On the other hand, those talking about Christ as authorities fail to witness properly because they really never witnessed Him, so they talk about something they do not know and prevent those who can to bring their compelling evidence.
As a result people are not interested in a vague fiction they cannot apply in their daily life to detect sin amongst each other when under a bad spell and in need. Even the best singers need to call and pay for a voice coach.
And it's declining fast.
Charles Stanely, Sr. is legit, imo.
Another great evangelist, long deceased, was Charles Fuller, whose medium was radio. His Old Fashioned Revival Hour broadcasts can still be heard at the Old Fashioned Revival Hour's website.
Christ taught in parables, Matt 25:1-13 (Parable of the Ten Virgins) He tells us of what’s to come.
We have our work cut out for us.
Add Andrew Wommack to the good teacher list. The best.
Too many sin-lovers running churches today.
you forgot a couple of important solid Christian teachers/preachers
Dr Charles Stanley
Adrian Rogers (now deceased- very solid
Christian teacher)
There are a great many m ore truly solid Christian preachers who love the Lord- and don’t beg for offerings, and claim they need multi million dollar personal jets to fly everywhere constantly-
Stanley Jr though is not though- avoid him like the plague- can’t understand how he fell so far from the tree- I’m sure his dad loves him, but he must be praying for God to open his son’s eyes daily-
His son is a scourge....the anti Christ of southern Baptists even though he likes to distance himself he still meddles when he can
I detest him and those like him
They are part of the problem
You have to wonder how he became this way
Franklin Graham is if anything more conservative than his father
Here’s a consideration. In Revelation, the Laodicean church is told, “because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
The Gentile church has been cast out of it’s buildings across the world. Is this a fulfillment of the Revelation prophecy?
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.