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 Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 5:55 pm
Or is it already fallen? Barna is the best Christian survey group in America, and their statistics for the number of people who hold a biblical worldview are really sad. And the definition they provided for "Biblical" was only "believing that absolute moral truths exist; that such truth is defined by the Bible; and firm belief in six specific religious views. Those views were that 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; and the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings"!!!
The stats are here: http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/131-a-biblical-worldview-has-a-radical-effect-on-a-persons-life?q=biblical+believe
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Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 8:42 am
I've never heard of Barna, so I'm inclined to wonder just who's definition of "best Christian survey group" you're using here.
Also, I'd be inclined to wonder about some of these "six specific religious views". I mean, "the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings", sure, but I question the teachings that humans pull from the Bible and manufacture on their own (cross-reference Christian Science, for example).
The fact that if we question one of these things automatically causes us to be considered "no" in all of them (see, I know how statisticians and pollsters work) makes me angry, since this evidence is presented so ... poorly on the website (it honestly looks like some of the statistics reports I had to do in college -- yeah, that same level of amateurishness). And only 2000 to represent the entire nation -- wait, this data's from seven years ago?
Oh, I don't question that Christianity isn't as popular as it once was -- even five years ago, it was more popular than today (it comes and goes). I'm just saying that these Barna people ... well, if they're the best "Christian survey group in America", then we're in worse shape than we thought.
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Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 10:33 am
IMHO
Yes, in many ways I believe that Christianity is falling from the standing it once had in this country, and I don't need a poll to tell me so.
Prayer has been removed from schools, graduations and sporting events.
"Religious monuments" such as crosses and the 10 Commanments are being removed from both public and private land. And the list goes on.
In my Grandmother's day it was the norm for businesses to close down on Sunday, and people to go to church two times on that day, and again on Wed. Now those people are described as religious zealots, God freaks and addicted to religion. Some of them even being threatened with the loss of custody of their children because of "active" participation in church. (personal experience)
The Bible used to be used as a reading primer in schools, and now school books delete any mention of Christianity or its founding roots in this country, instead teaching Islamic tolerance, and other world religious views such as Bhudism and even witchcraft. (I have looked at the school books)
We as a country have lost our "Moral Compass" in things like movies, TV, reading material, human sexuality and just plain common descency and courtesy. We teach sex-ed to kindergarteners and alternative lifestyles to first graders and think it is right for goodness sake.
It has become clear in more ways than I have mentioned the "In God We Trust" is no longer our motto, and the rest of the world as well as God knows it.
I think a more important question than "if we have fallen" is when are we as Christians going to actually stand up and do something about it?
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 12:27 pm
Dragonbait I've never heard of Barna, so I'm inclined to wonder just who's definition of "best Christian survey group" you're using here. They're actually a well-known survey group that asks questions relating to/regarding Christianity. Occasionally preachers will use the Barna website and mention about how many youth who were raised in church, will stop following Christ once they've reached a certain age or will quote some other poll that he has put up. (I have sat in services where the pastor will quote from the website. I personally do not find anything wrong with doing it, since it's probably semi-accurate, as many teenagers who stop attending church were going because their parents wanted them to go.)
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