Christianity Is No Longer Americans’ Default Faith

The Barna Group ^ | January 12, 2009

[Sopater]

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Christianity Is No Longer Americans’ Default Faith

January 12, 2009

(Ventura, California) - For much of America’s history, the assumption was that if you were born in America, you would affiliate with the Christian faith. A new nationwide survey by The Barna Group, however, indicates that people’s views have changed. The study discovered that half of all adults now contend that Christianity is just one of many options that Americans choose from and that a huge majority of adults pick and choose what they believe rather than adopt a church or denomination’s slate of beliefs. Still, most people say their faith is becoming increasingly important as a source of personal moral guidance.

Choosing a Faith

The survey shows half of Americans believe the Christian faith no longer has a lock on people’s hearts. Overall, 50% of the adults interviewed agreed that Christianity is no longer the faith that Americans automatically accept as their personal faith, while just 44% disagreed and 6% were not sure.

Two-thirds of evangelical Christians (64%) and three out of every five Hispanics (60%) embraced that position, making them the groups most convinced of the shift in America’s default faith. The study also showed that residents of the Northeast and West were much more likely than those from the South and Midwest to assert that Christianity has lost its place as the first faith option people consider. People who said they are politically conservative, however, saw things differently than did the rest of the country: a slight majority of conservatives claimed that Christianity remains the natural choice of most Americans.

Faith and Moral Guidance

By an overwhelming margin - 74% to 23% - adults agreed that their religious faith was becoming even more important to them than it used to be as a source of objective and reliable moral guidance.

This perspective was championed by born again Christians: 91% concurred with the survey statement. In contrast, just two-thirds of the people who consider themselves to be Christian but are not born again (67%) embraced this view, and only four out of every ten Americans (39%) who do not affiliate with Christianity also said their faith has increasing influence on their moral judgments.

A sizeable majority of almost every subgroup of the population accepted this perspective as an accurate representation of their personal experience. African Americans were the ethnic group most supportive of the notion (84%). Conservatives (84%) were far more likely than either political moderates (70%) or liberals (65%) to agree - although comfortable majorities of those segments adopted the same view as conservatives.

Choosing Specific Beliefs

The United States has well over 200 different Christian denominations, a testimony to the historic importance people have attached to doctrinal accuracy. But things have changed dramatically in recent decades. The Barna survey underscored the fact that people no longer look to denominations or churches to offer a slate of theological views that the individual adopts in its entirety.

By a three to one margin (71% to 26%) adults noted that they are personally more likely to develop their own set of religious beliefs than to accept a comprehensive set of beliefs taught by a particular church. Although born again Christians were among the segments least likely to adopt the a la carte approach to beliefs, a considerable majority even of born again adults (61%) has taken that route. Leading the charge in the move to customize one’s package of beliefs are people under the age of 25, among whom more than four out of five (82%) said they develop their own combination of beliefs rather than adopt a set proposed by a church.

Evidence of people’s willingness to part with church teaching was shown in other data from the survey regarding what people believe. Among individuals who describe themselves as Christian, for instance, close to half believe that Satan does not exist, one-third contend that Jesus sinned while He was on earth, two-fifths say they do not have a responsibility to share the Christian faith with others, and one-quarter dismiss the idea that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches.

Implications of the Research

Asked to describe what the research means for American society today, researcher George Barna offered several insights.

1. The Christian faith is less of a life perspective that challenges the supremacy of individualism as it is a faith being defined through individualism. Americans are increasingly comfortable picking and choosing what they deem to be helpful and accurate theological views and have become comfortable discarding the rest of the teachings in the Bible.

2. Growing numbers of people now serve as their own theologian-in-residence. One consequence is that Americans are embracing an unpredictable and contradictory body of beliefs. Barna pointed out, as examples, that millions of people who consider themselves to be Christian now believe that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the lessons it teaches at the same time that they believe Jesus Christ sinned. Millions also contend that they will experience eternal salvation because they confessed their sins and accepted Christ as their savior, but also believe that a person can do enough good works to earn eternal salvation.

3. In the past, when most people determined their theological and moral points of view, the alternatives from which they chose were exclusively of Christian options - e.g., the Methodist point of view, the Baptist perspective, Catholic teaching, and so forth. Today, Americans are more likely to pit a variety of non-Christian options against various Christian-based views. This has resulted in an abundance of unique worldviews based on personal combinations of theology drawn from a smattering of world religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam as well as secularism.

4. Faith, of whatever variety, is increasingly viral rather than pedagogical. With people spending less time reading the Bible, and becoming less engaged in activities that deepen their biblical literacy, faith views are more often adopted on the basis of dialogue, self-reflection, and observation than teaching. Feelings and emotions now play a significant role in the development of people’s faith views - in many cases, much more significant than information-based exercises such as listening to preaching and participating in Bible study.

Related Resources

Tyndale House Publishers has just released a new book by George Barna and Bill Dallas, entitled Lessons from San Quentin . This book describes the journey taken by Dallas, a young, aggressive entrepreneur who quickly built a highly successful career - and just as quickly wound up in prison because of his illegal financial dealings. As his self-indulgent, no-holds-barred lifestyle came to a crashing end, so did his self-reliance and moral certainty. Lessons from San Quentin describes not only Dallas’s rise from rags to riches and then his crash and burn phases, but also his restoration through his exploration of Christianity and the tutelage of a group of men sentenced to life imprisonment in San Quentin. During those years, Dallas discovered, experimented with and ultimately embraced a body of biblical principles that have served him well ever since, particularly in his current role as founder and president of Church Communication Network (CCN), the largest satellite-based church training network in North America.

About the Research

This report is based upon telephone interviews conducted by The Barna Group with a random sample of 1,004 adults selected from across the continental United States, age 18 and older, in August 2008. The maximum margin of sampling error associated with the aggregate sample is ±3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Minimal statistical weighting was used to calibrate the aggregate sample to known population percentages in relation to several key demographic variables.

“Born again Christians"{ were defined as people who said they had made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that was still important in their life today and who also indicated they believed that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Respondents were not asked to describe themselves as "born again."

“Evangelicals" meet the born again criteria (described above) plus seven other conditions. Those include saying their faith is very important in their life today; believing they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians; believing that Satan exists; believing that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works; believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; asserting that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches; and describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today. Being classified as an evangelical is not dependent upon church attendance or the denominational affiliation of the church attended. Respondents were not asked to describe themselves as "evangelical."

The Barna Group, Ltd. (which includes its research division, The Barna Research Group) is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization that conducts primary research, produces resources pertaining to cultural change and spiritual development, and facilitates the healthy spiritual growth of leaders, children, families and Christian ministries. Located in Ventura, California, Barna has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984. If you would like to receive free e-mail notification of the release of each new, bi-monthly update on the latest research findings from The Barna Group, you may subscribe to this free service at the Barna website www.barna.org. Additional research-based resources, both free and at discounted prices, are also available through that website.

© The Barna Group, Ltd, 2009.

Copyright Disclaimer: All the information contained on the barna.org website is copyrighted by The Barna Group, Ltd., 1957 Eastman Ave. Ste B, Ventura, California 93003. No portion of this website (articles, graphs, charts, reviews, pictures, video clips, quotes, statistics, etc.) may be reproduced, retransmitted, disseminated, sold, distributed, published, edited, altered, changed, broadcast, circulated, or commercially exploited without the prior written permission from The Barna Group, Ltd.

[TheOldLady]

God does not micromanage us. We manage that quite handily ourselves. For fifty years, we have given our children over to the enemy. Is it any wonder that they now wish to be like them? Is this God’s punishment or the result of our own actions? Both?

Sins are sins because they’re destructive to the sinner, not because pious people are afraid someone, somewhere is having a good time.

[stuartcr]

While God may not micromanage us, I believe that He created a pre-determined path for each of us to follow. Since God can neither be denied nor wrong, we have no choice but to follow the path He created for each of us.

[TheOldLady]

"While God may not micromanage us, I believe that He created a pre-determined path for each of us to follow. Since God can neither be denied nor wrong, we have no choice but to follow the path He created for each of us."

Sorry, I don't buy predestination. We have free will, and though God knows what we're going to do with it, he does not destroy it by preordaining what we do. Otherwise, why Heaven and Hell? If God already created everyone's destiny, why bother with the messy life-on-earth thingy? Just go straight to sorting everyone out, up or down.

[Sopater]

Many have died for their beliefs, even non-Christians

Sure, many have died for what they believed to be true, but how many have died for something that they knew to be untrue? The apostles knew whether or not their claim that Jesus was resurrected from the dead was true or not. They went to their deaths defending their assertion that He was the Son of God.

[HungarianGypsy]

When I was a kid we had Choose Your Own Adventure books. You would read the book and make choices on the way that led to a different story ending. I think that’s how God works with us. A case of if you go this way this will happen. That way, this will happen. He just knows all the scenarios.

[stuartcr]

Well, it’s a good thing I’m not selling it. It just happens to be what I believe.

Why heaven and hell? I don’t believe in hell, and I hope there’s a heaven.

You’ll have to ask God about the why...I’m guessing you get a different answer than I did.

[stuartcr]

I can’t give you the names, but I’m willing to bet, that lots of people have died for what they knew wasn’t true or at least didn’t know for sure.

[Star Traveler]

You said — “Seems that since God knows whats going to happen, He could have saved a lot of lives, by just not letting us develop religions.”

Well..., one way would be to have God *directly control* how people choose things like religions for themselves (and whether they want to choose what the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has provided for salvation through the Messiah of Israel) — versus — choosing whatever they want on their own free accord, even if it results in their own pain and suffering and killing and murders, and ending finally in eternal separation from God, in the lake of fire.

Our Creator God, the God of Abraham, Isacc and Jacob, has given the “choice” to people to choose God’s offer of salvation, freely (on their own) through Jesus, the Messiah of Israel — or — to choose their own way, their own “religion” (which is what it is), even if they are misguided and deceived and are hell-bent on their own self-destruction.

God’s plan was to give “choice” in the matter so that those who are “with God” eternally, in the end, are those who wish to be with God and have accepted that salvation that He has offered through His Son, the Messiah of Israel.

The problem goes a lot further than simply a few false religions and people hell-bent on destroying themselves. It goes way back to the beginning pages of the Bible where sin first entered into God’s perfect creation (as He knew it would, and thus, He had already provided the “way of salvation” even before He created the entirety of creation.

Jesus said that one should not worry about one’s death. That’s not the problem. He said the real thing to worry about is the “second death” which results in the lake of fire and eternal separation from God. So, all these people who are dying, are actually part of the “first death” — which comes to all of mankind, regardless of whether they have accepted God’s plan of salvation through His Son, Jesus, the Messiah of Israel — or — they have decided to go their own way of a false religion.

The “key” is the “second death” (after judgement) and whether one will be eternally with God, or forever separated from God in the lake of fire. God had already pronounced the judgement of “death” (i.e., the “first death”) upon mankind, back in the beginning. It’s the “second death” which is determined by the individual themselves.

This is the “plan” that God is following to rid the world of all sin and pain and death and suffering, by allowing Satan and his evil angels to carry through their lies (in the form of false religions) and death and destruction, to bring out, to the fullest, the results of what is accomplished by Satan’s lies. Then God brings His full judgement, during that 7-year Tribulation time, which He says He has *saved up* from the beginning, all the way until that time. All the judgement that God has not deservedly given out, throughout human history is going to be *fully dispensed* at this particular time. That’s a lot of judgement and will be a fearsome time, to be sure.

It’s at the end, and when all things have been accomplished, as God has already told us ahead of time, in the Bible, that all living and all of creation will be brought back to the perfection and sinlessness of the beginning of creation. There will be no more death, pain, destruction and/or sin in the world, in all of creation — any more — after that time (that time of full completion).

So, God allows the sin which started in the beginning to have its *full fruition* — at which time God puts a complete and total end to it, people having seen (for themselves) over the course of human history that all things that they have tried, apart from God, has utterly failed. When all has been tried and all has finally failed — God steps in and puts an end to it all. Those who have chosen to reject God will be eternally separated from Him and those who have chosen to be with God (according to how He has provided) will be with Him in eternal life and joy and happiness in a world that is without sin, pain, death or suffering...

[Sopater]

I’m willing to bet, that lots of people have died for what they knew wasn’t true or at least didn’t know for sure.

Didn't know for sure? Absolutely, that's faith.

Knew to be a lie or untrue? Only if they felt that they were protecting someone I'd imagine. However, for all of the apostles (except John) to be martyred without renouncing makes it very near impossible for me to believe that they knew it not to be true.

[stuartcr]

Thanks. Personally, I don’t know enough to be able to definitively say ‘this is what God wants...’, like you do.

[stuartcr]

Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to second-guess a saint.

[XenaLee]

I think you’re right. And it can’t happen soon enough for me.

[XenaLee]

Rut roh! The “vast majority” of Americans just voted overwhelmingly for that immoral and wicked ‘change’. With a ghoul now in charge that favors infanticide, and who is best buds: with racist, pretenda preachers that spew anti-Whitey and anti-American hatred; Christian killers in Africa (Odinga), American killers in the USA (Ayers); and is the hero of every socialist/leftist/communist ahole on the planet....our only REAL hope is to start praying and to keep praying.

We’re in deep stuff now.

[XenaLee]

You miss the point of this whole exper....er...endeavor completely. What would be the point for God to create a bunch of mind-numbed robots that followed God explicitly and blindly... sort of like the Obamazombies have done and are doing?

Giving mankind free will is the ONLY way that humans could hope to rise above our own sinfullness and could redeem ourselves after the fall in Eden.

So, when someone kiddingly tells you that the hard times or bad day you’re having is “all just a test”.....

trust me. It really is!

It’s God’s test.

[XenaLee]

“Sins are sins because they’re destructive to the sinner, not because pious people are afraid someone, somewhere is having a good time.”

Exactly! Just look at the Ten Commandments. Not following them can and will only bring disaster to yourself. Take adultery, for intance. How many times has adultery caused or turned into even worse sins, including murder?

God the Father knows what causes human tragedy and God knows us to a perfect “T”. It’s obvious that he only wants what is best for us, his children..... ergo his commandments.

[stuartcr]

I do not even begin to try to figure out God’s point in things. Why do we have wars, pestilence, catastrophes, etc? What is the point in a child having cancer? Giving man the concept, or the belief in/of free will, makes it possible to form societies and create laws. Since we are God’s creations, and He knows exactly what we will do and when, leads me to believe that there is not really any sinfullness for us to rise up over or a need for redemption. What we may think of as a test, is really just life. While you may see it as a test, I see it as the way God made us.

[XenaLee]

It’s really not necessary for you TO figure out God’s “point”. To do that would probably be impossible anyway. All that IS necessary for you to be saved is for you to love God and follow his commandments and accept his son, Jesus Christ, as your savior. It’s really just that simple.

Your belief that there is no need for redemption could well cause your eternal damnation.... or as another poster put it “the second death”. I suggest that you read the Bible and do some research on God’s word. For your own sake.

I know I need to continue reading and researching the Bible and God’s word, myself. So no, I am not advocating anything that I am not doing or willing to do myself. One difference between me and most Christians is that I don’t believe you have to attend a church or organized religion. You can pray just as well in the privacy of your own home, car, etc. That’s the way I was brought up and that is the way I chose to believe.

[stuartcr]

Yes, I realise that, I just don’t believe that salvation is necessary. I don’t choose any particular way to believe, it’s just something inside me. I can’t imagine choosing to believe something, that doesn’t make sense to me, although I guess I could say I believe something, but that wouldn’t really be a belief, would it?