A Biblical Worldview Has a Radical Effect on a Person's Life
Any objective social analyst would conclude that the United States faces its fair share of moral and spiritual problems. A new research study from Barna Group suggests that a large share of the nation’s moral and spiritual challenges is directly attributable to the absence of a biblical worldview among Americans. Citing the findings from a just-completed national survey of 2033 adults that showed only 4% of adults have a biblical worldview as the basis of their decision-making, researcher George Barna described the outcome. He noted that the primary reason that people do not act like Jesus is because they do not think like Jesus. Behavior stems from what we think – our attitudes, beliefs, values and opinions.
Defining a Biblical Worldview
For the purposes of the research, a biblical worldview was defined as believing that absolute moral truths exist and that such truth is defined by the Bible. This perspective includes a firm belief in six specific religious views:
- Jesus Christ lived a sinless life;
- God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and He stills rules it today;
- Salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned;
- Satan is real;
- A Christian has a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with other people;
- The Bible is accurate in all of its teachings.
Although most people own a Bible and know some of its content, our research found that most Americans have little idea how to integrate core biblical principles to form a unified and meaningful response to the challenges and opportunities of life.
The Prevalence of the Biblical Worldview
The research indicated that everyone has a worldview, but relatively few people have a biblical worldview – even among devoutly religious people. The following data highlights the proportions of adults with a biblical worldview across various religious classifications:
| Religious Classification | Percentage with a Biblical Worldview |
|---|---|
| Non-denominational Protestant churches | 13% |
| Pentecostal churches | 10% |
| Born again Christians | 9% |
| Baptist churches | 8% |
| Protestants (General) | 7% |
| Mainline Protestant churches | 2% |
| Catholics | Less than 0.5% |
Among the most prevalent alternative worldviews was postmodernism, which seemed to be the dominant perspective among the two youngest generations.
The Impact on Behavior and Morality
One of the most striking insights from the research was the influence of such a way of thinking upon people’s behavior. Adults with a biblical worldview possessed radically different views on morality, held divergent religious beliefs, and demonstrated vastly different lifestyle choices. People’s views on morally acceptable behavior are deeply impacted by their worldview. As George Barna noted, we’re often more concerned with survival amidst chaos than with experiencing truth and significance.