The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University asked seven questions about humanity, on matters such as the value of human life, the human condition and life’s purpose, and seven about the supernatural, including the nature of God, the holiness of Christ and the existence of the Holy Spirit and Satan. A majority held the biblical view on just two.
Five key findings:
• Just 30% of adults hold the biblical view that people are born into sin and can only be saved by Jesus Christ. Among Catholics, that figure drops to 24%.
• A majority of Americans (52%) consider abortion morally acceptable. Only 1 in 3 adults (33%) describes themselves as passionately pro-life.
• Only half of U.S. adults (50%) believe God is the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe who rules it today — down from a clear majority at the start of the millennium.
• One in four adults strongly agrees that Jesus Christ sinned while on Earth. Among Notional Christians, roughly half of all churchgoers, more strongly agreed He sinned than strongly disagreed.
• Nine out of 10 American adults hold Syncretism (a fusion of disparate ideologies, beliefs, behaviors, and principles culled from a variety of competing worldviews into a customized blend), not Biblical Theism, as their dominant worldview.
Dr. George Barna, Director of Research at the Cultural Research Center, said the findings point to a deeper confusion within the American church.
“Increasingly, American Christianity is based on feelings rather than biblical truth or knowledge. Stunningly few adults in national survey after national survey qualify as biblically-defined disciples. That relates to the small percentage of adults who have established knowing and imitating Christ as their chief goal in life,” Barna said.
