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World News

New data shows most US Christians don't have biblical worldview

by Tola Mbakwe

The study in partnership with Summit Ministries was aimed at discovering how much other beliefs influence Christians in America.

It revealed that most practising Christians adopt beliefs from other worldviews.

Figures showed 61 per cent of Christians agree with ideas rooted in New Spirituality, a little more than half resonate with postmodernist views, 36 per cent accept views associated with Marxism and a third believe ideas based on secularism.

Also, nearly one in four Christians are sympathetic to Muslim teachings.

Brooke Hempell, senior vice president of research for Barna, said: "This research really crystalizes what Barna has been tracking in our country as an ongoing shift away from Christianity as the basis for a shared worldview.

"We have observed and reported on increasing pluralism, relativism and moral decline among Americans and even in the Church.

"Nevertheless, it is striking how pervasive some of these beliefs are among people who are actively engaged in the Christian faith".

Barna Group also delved into how demographics played a part in the findings.

The data showed that Millennials and Gen-Xers, who grew up in a less Christianized context, are," in some cases, up to eight times more likely to accept these views than Boomers and Elders".

Hempell added that she expected the findings to show that Millennial Christians adopt non-biblical worldviews, but she was shocked that the highest increase in support for non-biblical worldviews was in the Boomer generation.

She said: "It's no surprise, then, that the impact we see today in our social fabric is so pervasive, given that these ideas have been taking root for two generations".

Hempell explained the study should encourage the church to help Christians "dissect popular beliefs before allowing them to become their own ideology".

She continued: "The challenge with competing worldviews is that there are fragments of similarities to some Christian teachings, and some may recognize and latch on to these ideas, not realising they are distortions of biblical truths.

"Informed thinking is essential to developing and maintaining a healthy biblical worldview and faith as well as being able to have productive dialogue with those who espouse other beliefs."

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