“And you shall know the (biblical) truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32)
I just received the American Worldview Inventory 2023 from George Barna’s[1] Cultural Research Center in Arizona[2]. Barna is a well-known pollster or statistician. Here he lists “Seven Cornerstones of the Biblical Worldview.” [3] The Germans have a very good word for “worldview” – – Weltanschauung – – how one views the world. The following are his criteria:
- An orthodox (established), biblical understanding of God.
- All human beings are sinful by nature; every choice we make has moral considerations and consequences.
- Knowing Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation, through our confession of sin and reliance on His forgiveness.
- The entire Bible is true, reliable, and relevant, making it the best moral guide for every person, in all situations.
- Absolute moral truth exists – – and those truths are defined by God, described in the Bible, and are unchanging across time and cultures.
- The ultimate purpose of human life is to know, love, and serve God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
- Success on Earth is best understood as consistent obedience to God – – in thoughts, words, and actions.
And now, for the stunning statistics:
- Only 50% of American adults embrace the true nature of God.
- 35% believe Jesus is the only way for salvation.
- 27% recognize humans as sinful.
- 46% accept the Bible as true and reliable.
- A slim 25% believe in absolute truth rooted in the Bible.
- 36% see their purpose as serving God.
- Only 23% define success as obedience to God.
No wonder we’re in such deep trouble! Our nation’s biblical worldview has been changed from Truth to neglect and unbelief! Perhaps you better do something about it before God does! “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”(2 Corinthians 6:2b)!
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Footnotes
[1] George Barna is the Director of Research and cofounder of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. He is also an ACU professor, focusing on worldview assessment and development, and cultural transformation. He was the founder and leader of the Barna Group, a research company that has set the standard for understanding trends in American culture. In addition, Barna serves as Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Biblical Worldview at the Family Research Council. He has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level, and has pastored two churches. Barna has written more than 50 books, including numerous award-winners and New York Times bestsellers.
[1] https://www.arizonachristian.edu/culturalresearchcenter/
[2] Barna, CRC Research Identify ‘Seven Cornerstones’ for Restoring Biblical Worldview
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