Kerby Anderson

Christians are surrounded by a supermarket of worldviews, so it is not surprising that many have uncritically accepted many of these false views of reality. The Barna Group, in association with Summit Ministries, conducted a survey of practicing Christians to determine how they were influenced by these worldviews. They found that younger Christians (millennials and generation X) were much more likely to accept unbiblical worldviews than previous generations. They also found that males were more susceptible than females by a 2-to-1 ratio. They found that more than 6 in 10 (61%) of practicing Christians accept some ideas that are rooted in the “New Spirituality.” More than a third (38%) of practicing Christians are sympathetic to some teachings of Islam. Apparently, these practicing Christians do not see how some of their views are illogical. For example, more than a quarter (28%) believe that “all people pray to the same god or spirit.” Praying to Allah, Krishna, or the God of the Bible would obviously be very different, but that does not seem to many of these Christians to be a contradiction. On issues of morality and values, many also differ from orthodox Christianity. Nearly a quarter (23%) of them believe that “what is morally right or wrong depends on what an individual believes.” One in five (20%) believe that “meaning and purpose comes from working hard.” A significant number also accept ideas promoted by socialism. Some (14%) strongly agree with the idea that “the government, rather than individuals, should control as much of the resources as necessary to ensure that everyone gets a fair share.” Others (11%) believe that “private property encourages greed and envy.” This survey is but one more reminder that we need to be teaching sound theology in our churches.