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One
of the most important lessons I learned from my father was that pastors
(and all Christians, really) have dual “salt and light” ministry
responsibilities that compel us to address often contentious cultural
issues. This requires us to stand on biblical truth and fearlessly
defend our values in the secular arena.
|
For more information about the report, Teens and the Supernatural, |
Witchcraft and Psychic Engagement
Teenagers relish experiences and the supernatural world provides fertile ground for their explorations. In fact, three-quarters of America’s youth (73%) have engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity, beyond mere media exposure or horoscope usage.
The most common types of witchcraft behaviors were using a Ouija board and reading a book about witchcraft or Wicca, each of which had been done by more than one-third of teenagers. More than one-quarter of teens have played a game featuring sorcery or witchcraft elements. One-tenth of teens had participated in a séance and 1 out of 12 had tried to cast a spell or mix a magic potion.
As for psychic activities, more than one-fourth of teens have had their palm read (30%) or their fortune told (27%). Other psychic deeds included being physically present when someone else used psychic powers (14%), visiting a medium or spiritual guide (9%), and consulting a psychic (9%).
Walking the line between entertainment and spiritual experimentation, 4 out of every 5 teens have read their horoscope before - and say they do so "just for fun." The new resource points out that while most teens are not convinced that horoscopes are always accurate, more than one-quarter believes they are always or usually true. Only a minority of teens believes that horoscopes are not at all accurate and should be avoided.
Beyond-the-Senses Experiences
The Barna report also explores many dimensions of teens’ interactions with unexplainable events. It is no wonder most teens believe in the supernatural realm: many have had experiences that could only be described as supernatural or spiritual. For instance, seven million teens have encountered an angel, demon, or some other supernatural being. More than two million teens say they have communicated with a dead person (10%). Nearly two million youth claim they have psychic powers.
David Kinnaman, the author of the report, pointed out that teenagers are members of the Mosaic generation, those Americans currently age three to 21. "The term ‘Mosaic’ is a great way to describe teens’ patchwork of values and lifestyles: they are the ultimate collage artists, pulling ideas and input from a variety of sources that consist of a great diversity of flavors."
The Vice President of The Barna Group explained that, "Teens give the supernatural world the same treatment as any other aspect of their lives. They cut and paste supernatural experiences and perspectives from a variety of sources - from the movies and books they read, from their experiences, from the Internet, from their peers and families, from any place they’re comfortable with. Most of all, they are motivated by their desire to find out what works for them and what feels right. This makes it difficult to minister to them, because most teens today do not process or interpret input in the same way adults do."
The research revealed that many churches fail to address the subject of the supernatural with sufficient frequency or relevance. One of the report’s most sobering findings is that only one-quarter of churched teenagers (28%) recall receiving any teaching at their church in the last year that helped to shape their views on the supernatural world! Teens and the Supernatural takes an in-depth look at what influences teens on the topic of the spiritual world, touching on the roles of peers, families, churches, and media.
Opportunities and Challenges
Certain types of teenagers are more likely to engage in dangerous spiritual experimentation, while other groups are less inclined to do so. Among the most likely to experiment were relationally isolated teenagers and those who were experiencing a significant amount of stress and frustration. Many teens try witchcraft or psychic activities based on a desire to control or influence their circumstances. Teens with few friends or undergoing intense stress were more likely than average to turn to witchcraft or to psychic power to cope with their feelings of vulnerability and insignificance.
On the other hand, possessing an evangelical faith perspective was by far the most significant factor insulating teenagers from unwanted exploration of the supernatural. Evangelical teens were nearly three times less likely than the norm to have engaged in witchcraft or psychic activities. For context, while only 26% of evangelicals had experimented, the next least-likely segment of teens - those who read the Bible at least weekly - showed an engagement rate of 54%.
Evangelicals were also significantly less likely to experiment with supernatural powers and activities than were non-evangelical born again teens (69%) or youth group attenders (66%). Denominationally, Catholics (77%) and mainline Protestants (81%) were slightly more likely to experiment than were Baptists (60%) or non-mainline Protestants (62%).
Beliefs
Teens and the Supernatural includes an analysis of teen beliefs on the supernatural dimension. For instance, although three-quarters believe in the existence of an immaterial, spiritual world, there is little agreement about the shape of that arena: almost half think there are good and evil powers in the supernatural world; one-fifth says there is no such thing as good versus evil; one out of 10 offered some other opinion on the matter; and one-quarter said they have no idea.
Teens’ ideas about the supernatural are soft and unpredictable, as reflected in these highlights from the report:
Most teens embraced the biblical position on life after death: "every person has a soul that will live forever, either God’s presence or absence" (82%). However, a smaller proportion (61%) believes Heaven is a real place or paradise where people go when they die.
Most teenagers - 71% - embrace the orthodox Christian view of God (the all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect creator of the world). A slight majority (58%) say that Satan is a real spiritual being and the enemy of God.
Teens have mixed perspectives on other supernatural beings, such as angels, ghosts, demons, witches and vampires. When pressed on the matter, large proportions of teens say they are not very certain of their views on these subjects - even among the 89% who believe in the existence of angels.
Perspectives
The 47-page report includes a final chapter filled with recommendations and suggestions for parents and youth workers.
"Everyone wants a simple solution," the 32-year-old Kinnaman explained. "Unfortunately, we discovered the answers are quite complex. Teens need help becoming wiser consumers of media, but that takes a long-term, intensive process of coaching. They would also benefit from more integration of Scriptural perspectives into their decision-making - that is, they need to operate on the basis of a biblical worldview. But that takes years to develop, immense effort, and close cooperation between church and home. Youth ministries need to address the supernatural more frequently as well as customize their ministry to each student by providing mentoring and personalized development opportunities, but most youth groups would have to be restructured to accomplish these goals. These types of strategies yield deep, whole-life results. But it is difficult to adopt these alternatives because they take patience, prayer and an intense focus on transformed lives rather than mere program attendance."
The Supernatural report is the first in a series of Barna reports on the Mosaic generation. When Kinnaman was asked to explain the focus on Mosaics, the 11-year Barna Group veteran pointed to unprecedented opportunities among the age group.
"The Mosaic generation is in a state of spiritual turmoil. They long for personal meaning and they are comfortable with incredible technological and media-driven tools that would enable them to accomplish whatever spiritual goals they choose. But millions of teens are precariously close to simply shelving the Christian faith as irrelevant, uninspiring, and ‘just a phase.’ Millions of previously churched Busters ended up rejecting Christian spirituality after high school. Mosaics are in even greater danger of making that leap from faith to doubt."
“The supernatural world represents the epicenter of the spiritual struggle for their hearts and minds," Kinnaman continued. "When teenagers settle for cheap alternatives instead of choosing intimacy with God - and relying upon His care and His power - it can lead to years, even decades, of spiritual entrapment in their lives. But with appropriate choices come spiritual rewards. After Jesus rejected Satan’s temptations, His ministry flourished. If Mosaics reject spiritual deception and stop tinkering with contemptible imitations of God’s power, it could spell the difference between a generation fulfilling its spiritual destiny and one that turns from God during adulthood."
Research Details The data described in this article are based on three national surveys of teenagers (ages 13 to 18). The studies were conducted in 2002 (612 interviews), 2004 (1448 interviews), and 2005 (2280 interviews). The 2002 research was conducted by telephone, while the two recent surveys were completed online. The maximum margin of sampling error associated with the 2002 sample is ±4.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level; the 2004 and 2005 studies have sampling error rates of ±2.6 and ±2.2 percentage points, respectively, at the 95% confidence level. All teenagers in the 48 contiguous states were eligible to be interviewed and the distribution of respondents in the survey sample corresponds to the geographic dispersion of the U.S. teen population. The data were subjected to slight statistical weighting procedures to calibrate the survey base to national demographic proportions.
More about David Kinnaman, the author of the report, can be found at The Barna Group website. Click here for details: http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=AboutDavid
Mark Matlock of WisdomWorks Ministries co-sponsored the project and provided significant input on the research. Information about his ministry can be found at www.planetwisdom.com
The Barna Group, Ltd. (which includes its research division, The Barna Research Group) is a privately held, for-profit corporation that conducts primary research, produces audio, visual and print media, and facilitates the healthy development 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-weekly update on the latest research findings from The Barna Group, you may subscribe to this free service at the Barna web site www.barna.org.
Definitions
Non-evangelical born again Christians are defined as people who said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and who also indicated they believe 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 they attend. Respondents were not asked to describe themselves as "evangelical."
Mainline Protestant denominations include the Episcopal, American Baptist, Presbyterian (USA), Lutheran, United Methodist and United Church of Christ congregations. Teens who attend a church in one of these denominations are labeled as mainline attenders.
Non-mainline denominations include all other Protestant denominations, as well as independent and non-denominational Christian churches. © The Barna Group, Ltd, 2006.
Unchurched population Reaches 100 million in the U.S.
March 19, 2007
(Ventura, CA) - Life in America has changed greatly since 1994, with massive changes in technology, global politics, lifestyle choices and family dynamics. But one constant has been the proportion of adults in the population who are unchurched. During that period there have been noteworthy shifts in religious behavior, but the percentage of adults who have steered clear of churches for at least the past six months has remained stable since 1994.
A new survey released by The Barna Group, which has been tracking America’s religious behavior and beliefs since 1984, reveals that one out of every three adults (33%) is classified as unchurched - meaning they have not attended a religious service of any type during the past six months. While that figure is considerably higher than the one out of five who qualified as unchurched in the early Nineties, it is statistically unchanged since 36% were recorded as having avoided religious services in the company’s 1994 study.
Some Groups Avoid Churches
Some population segments are notorious church avoiders. For instance, 47% of political liberals are unchurched, more than twice the percentage found among political conservatives (19%). African Americans were less likely to be unchurched (25%) than were whites (32%) or Hispanics (34%). Asians, however, doubled the national average: 63% were unchurched! Single adults continued a historic pattern of being more likely than married adults to stay away from religious services (37% versus 29%, respectively).
Residents of the West (42%) and Northeast (39%) remain the most church resistant, while those in the South are the least prone to avoid religious services (26%). Sexual orientation is closely related to church status, too: while about one-third of heterosexuals are unchurched (31%), half of the homosexual public (49%) met the unchurched criteria.
Within the various faith communities residing in the U.S., Christians are the most consistent church goers. A majority of the adults (61%) who are associated with a faith other than Christianity had not attended any type of religious service in the past half-year. In fact, people aligned with a faith other than Christianity are two-and-a-half times as likely as self-designated Christians to be unchurched (61% versus 24%, respectively).
Looking at the distinctions within the Christian population, evangelicals are the most reliable church goers: just 1% is unchurched. Born again Christians who are not evangelical also had a pretty formidable attendance record: only one out of every six (16%) were unchurched. However, adults who call themselves Christian but are not born again were by far the least reliable church goers within the Christian realm (32% were unchurched).
Catholics have traditionally been more consistent in church attendance than Protestants. However, in the mid-nineties that trend reversed course, and Catholics have been more likely than Protestants to earn the unchurched label throughout the past decade. Currently the gap between the two segments of Christians is five percentage points, with a higher percentage among Catholics (25% are unchurched) than Protestants (20% are unchurched).
Within the Protestant community, people who typically attend a mainline church were nearly twice as likely as those who attend non-mainline Protestant congregations to be unchurched (26% versus 16%, respectively). Also, church size was related to attendance patterns: 24% of the people who attend small churches were unchurched, compared to 15% who usually go to a mid-sized congregation, and just 5% of those who affiliate with a large church (defined as attracting 500 or more adults on an average weekend).
Massive Numbers
When these statistics are projected across the aggregate adult population, the numbers are staggering. An estimated 73 million adults are presently unchurched. When teens and children are added, the total swells to roughly 100 million Americans.
To put that figure in context, if the unchurched population of the United States were a nation of its own, that group would be the eleventh most populated nation on earth (trailing only China, India, the churched portion of the United States, Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, Japan and Mexico).
Included among the unchurched is an estimated 13 to 15 million born again adults and children.
Insights from a Unique Project
These results coincide with a unique book released this week by Tyndale House Publishers, entitled Jim and Casper Go to Church. That book describes the experience of a former pastor and an avowed atheist who together visited a dozen significant churches across the nation. Jim Henderson, who has been a pastor of small and large churches, interviewed the atheist (Matt Casper) during and after each church service they attended to gain insights into what it’s like for an outsider to attend such churches. Among the congregations visited were well-known ministries such as Willow Creek (pastored by Bill Hybels), Saddleback (led by Rick Warren), Lakewood (featuring Joel Osteen), and The Potter’s House (home of T.D. Jakes).
Many of the insights drawn from the experiences of "Jim and Casper" parallel the findings of Barna Group studies among the unchurched. Some of the critical discoveries were the relative indifference of most churched Christians to unchurched people; the overt emphasis upon a personal rather than communal faith journey; the tendency of congregations to perform rituals and exercise talents rather than invite and experience the presence of God; the absence of a compelling call to action given to those who attend; and the failure to listen to dissident voices and spiritual guidance to dig deeper in one’s faith.
For more information about the new book, Jim & Casper Go To Church, by Jim Henderson and Matt Casper, or to purchase a copy click here
Research Details
This report is based upon telephone interviews with a nationwide survey by The Barna Group with a random sample of 2006 adults, age 18 and older, conducted in January 2007. The maximum margin of sampling error associated with the aggregate sample is ±2.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The total number of unchurched adults interviewed was 661, which has a maximum sampling error of ±3.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence interval. Statistical weighting was used to calibrate the sample to known population percentages in relation to demographic variables.
"Born again Christians" are defined as people who said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and who also indicated they believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Respondents are not asked to describe themselves as "born again."
"Evangelicals" are people who 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) conducts primary research, produces media resources pertaining to 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,
Parents Television Council 'Religious Content on TV' Study
PTC Study Finds Religious Content on TV Shown Less Frequently and More Negatively
The Parents Television Council revealed in a new study that religious content on television is shown less frequently and more negatively on television. The new study, "Faith in a Box 2005-2006," is a review of how religion is portrayed on prime time broadcast television.
"The results of this study clearly show that the entertainment industry is not reflecting the strong religious beliefs of Americans in its television programming. The industry is in fact hostile to people of faith -- no matter if the person is Christian, Jewish, or Muslim," said L. Brent Bozell, president of the PTC.
"The evidence is clear: On CBS' Two and a Half Men, Charlie Sheen's character uses the melody of 'Joy to the World' to sing 'Joy to the Word, I'm getting laid.' Fox's The Family Guy proved to be especially sacrilegious and vile when it showed God in bed with a woman. These examples, and others, show that Hollywood has a clear distaste for religion."
According to a recent Zogby/American Bible Society poll, 84% of adults are not offended when they hear references to God or the Bible on network television shows, and 51% say entertainment networks should develop shows with positive messages -- and even specifically refer to God and the Bible.
"The irony is that reality shows such as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and The Amazing Race, where real characters freely express themselves, faith and religion are positively portrayed. But in scripted shows, where Hollywood writers express their worldviews, faith and religion become four letter words -- to the tune of 95.5% negative portrayals. This is an industry that is completely out of touch with reality," Bozell continued.
In this seventh PTC study examining the treatment of religious content on television, an entire year of prime-time broadcast programming was analyzed. The PTC examined a total of 2,271.5 hours of programming containing 1,425 treatments of religion.
Major findings:
Religion is shown less than in past years - There were half as many portrayals of religion in 2005-2006 (1,425) as in 2003-2004 (2,344).
Religion is portrayed more negatively - In 2005-2006, there were more negative depictions of religion than positive ones (35% to 34%). Depictions of aspects affiliated with organized religion (clergy, doctrine or laity) were mostly negative.
Reality shows are more positive towards religion - The format of the program was a significant factor in the portrayal which religion received. A majority (57.8%) of the positive portrayals of religion were to be found on reality programs. By contrast, an overwhelming percentage (95.5%) of the negative portrayals of religion came from such Hollywood-scripted drama and comedy programs; only 4.5% of negative portrayals of religion were found on reality shows.
Fox was by far the most anti-religious network - One in every two (49.3%) portrayals of religion on the Fox network was negative. Long-time champion NBC came in second in negative depictions of religion, with well over a third (39.3%) of such portrayals being negative. Among other networks, over a third (35.4%) of depictions of religion on UPN was also negative. ABC registered 30.4% and CBS 29% negative portrayals. The WB network featured the fewest negative depictions of religion (21%).
Later hours of prime time are more negative towards religion - The number of negative portrayals increased steadily with each hour of prime-time. Negative treatments constituted 31.9 % of all treatments in the 8 pm hour, 33.9 % in the 9 pm hour and 44.4% in the 10 pm hour. At no time during prime time, and on no network did the positive portrayal of religion even hit the 50% mark.
Laypersons -- non-clerical individuals who profess religious faith -- were treated most negatively by entertainment programs - Over half (50.8%) of all entertainment television's depictions of laity were negative. Only 26% were positive.
Portrayal of religious institutions were critical - Close behind in negative portrayal were religious institutions (such as particular denominations, specific religious beliefs or direct references to Scripture), nearly half (47.6%) of which were negative. By contrast, only 18% of depictions of religious institutions were positive.
Clergy shown in a negative light - Prime-time television's portrayal of clergy was also heavily weighted, with less than a third (30.4%) of depictions of and references to clergy being positive, and another two-thirds being negative or ambiguous.
Simple religious faith shown positively - Only in depictions of religious faith -- showing individuals making a simple declaration of belief in God or a higher power, or praying -- was television's portrayal of religion largely positive. Over two-thirds (69.6%) of such portrayals were positive, with less than one-sixth (14.7%) being negative.
"This study clearly documents the complete disconnect between Hollywood's attitude toward religion and that of the American public," Bozell concluded.
January 7, 2008 Barna Group
(Ventura, CA) - Pentecostal or charismatic Christianity is viewed by some Americans as an emotional, theologically suspect form of the Christian faith. It is widely thought to be a very vocal and visible, but numerically small slice of the grand religious pie in the United States. Two new surveys from The Barna Group, however, indicate that things are changing dramatically in the religious landscape. Those surveys - one among a national sample of adults and the other among a national sample of Protestant pastors - show that the number of churches and adherents to Pentecostal perspectives and practices has grown significantly in the past two decades.
Growing Numbers of People
A decade ago, three out of ten adults claimed to be charismatic or Pentecostal Christians. Today, 36% of Americans accept that designation. That corresponds to approximately 80 million adults. (For the Barna survey, this included people who said they were a charismatic or Pentecostal Christian, that they had been "filled with the Holy Spirit" and who said they believe that "the charismatic gifts, such as tongues and healing, are still valid and active today.")
Charismatics are found throughout the fabric of American Christianity. Although just 8% of the population is evangelical, half of evangelical adults (49%) fit the charismatic definition. A slight majority of all born again Christians (51%) is charismatic. Nearly half of all adults who attend a Protestant church (46%) are charismatic.
Charismatic Churches
One out of every four Protestant churches in the United States (23%) is a charismatic congregation. While some of the most common charismatic denominations are well-known - such as the Assemblies of God, Foursquare or Churches of God in Christ - non-denominational churches emerged as one of the most common charismatic "denominations." Four out of every ten non-denominational churches are charismatic.
The profile of the typical charismatic congregation is nearly identical to that of evangelical, fundamentalist and mainline Protestant churches. Four out of five (80%) have a full-time, paid pastor in charge of the ministry. The senior pastor is, on average, 52 years old - the same as in other Protestant churches. And the weekly adult attendance is equivalent to that of other Protestant bodies (82 adults at Pentecostal gatherings compared to 85 adults among all Protestant churches).
Myths Exposed
The Barna study found that several widespread assumptions about charismatic churches are inaccurate.
Differences Discovered
The surveys did reveal several significant differences between charismatic and non-charismatic congregations. While the average congregational attendance at each type of church is similar, the non-charismatic churches tend to have larger annual operating budgets: $149,000 compared to slightly more than $136,000 budgeted by the Pentecostal ministries.
In like manner, the compensation of each group's Senior Pastors differs. Those who lead non-charismatic churches receive an average total compensation package of about $47,000 annually. In contrast, charismatic pastors receive a package worth about $42,000.
Pastoral education is another major distinction. A large majority of the Senior Pastors of non-charismatic churches (70%) have graduated from a seminary. Not quite half of the charismatic pastors (49%) have a seminary degree.
Reflections on the Research
The movement toward charismatic Christianity coincides with several cultural shifts, according to author George Barna, who directed the research projects.
"The charismatic orientation is most popular among the non-white population - which is, of course, the sector of the population that is growing most rapidly. Also, the freedom of emotional and spiritual expression typical of charismatic assemblies parallels the cultural trend toward personal expression, accepting diverse emotions and allowing people to interpret their experiences in ways that make sense to them," Barna explained. "It is not surprising that the Pentecostal community in America has been growing - nor do we expect it to stop making headway."
"We are moving toward a future in which the charismatic-fundamentalist split will be an historical footnote rather than a dividing line within the body of believers. Young Christians, in particular, have little energy for the arguments that have traditionally separated charismatics and non-charismatics. Increasing numbers of people are recognizing that there are more significant arenas in which to invest their resources."
About the Research
This report is based upon a nationwide telephone survey conducted by The Barna Group in December 2007 among a random sample of 1005 adults, age 18 and older. The maximum margin of sampling error associated with the aggregate sample is ±3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Statistical weighting was used to calibrate the sample to known population percentages in relation to demographic variables. The report also contains information from a nationwide telephone survey conducted among a random sample 1220 Senior Pastors of Protestant churches. The maximum margin of sampling error associated with the aggregate sample of pastors is ±2.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Being classified as a charismatic or Pentecostal was based on survey respondents saying that they "consider yourself to be a Pentecostal or charismatic Christian, meaning you have been filled by the Holy Spirit and believe that the charismatic gifts, such as tongues and healing, are valid and active today."
"Mainline Protestant" churches were those associated with the American Baptist, United Church of Christ, Episcopal, United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Presbyterian Church in the USA denominations.
"Evangelicals" are people who meet the born again criteria (described below) 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."
"Born again Christians" are defined as people who said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and who also indicated they believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Respondents are not asked to describe themselves as "born again."
The Barna Group, Ltd.
Barna
Survey
Offers a Profile of How Americans
See Themselves
August 14, 2006
(Ventura, CA) – An analysis of how Americans perceive themselves in relation to 33 different descriptions studied in research conducted by The Barna Group, of Ventura, California, reveals that adults generally see themselves as good people, spiritually stable, and living a good and honorable life. Yet, despite the spiritual focus people claim, the study found that people’s lifestyles, attitudes and self-perceptions are more likely to be affected by their life-stage and ethnic culture than by their faith commitments.
Self-Identity
Most adults hold a generally favorable impression of themselves. At least nine out of ten said they are “a good citizen” (97%), “friendly” (94%) and “generous” (90%). At least eight out of ten claimed to “feel at peace” (83%), to be “clear about the meaning and purpose of your life” (81%), and to be “making a positive difference in the world” (80%). Nearly seven out of ten who have children in their home said they are “an effective parent” (69%).
When posed with descriptions that were not flattering, most adults rejected those adjectives. For instance, only 13% said they are “in serious debt” and only one out of every five (21%) are “feeling unfulfilled.” One out of three (34%) admitted to feeling stressed out – the highest level recorded for that descriptor in the past five years. And four out of every ten adults (40%) admitted to being overweight.
Views about the World
Americans carry some anxiety about the state of the world. Most of them (81%) say that they are “well-informed about current events,” leading a large majority (86%) to state that they are “concerned about the nation’s moral condition” and nearly two-thirds (63%) to say they are “concerned about terrorist attacks.”
Lifestyle Perspectives
Amazingly, more than eight out of ten Americans (82%) believe that they “live a simple life.” A slight majority claims to be “into new technology” (58%) and to be “active in the community” (53%). Four out of ten adults acknowledge that they are still “trying to find a few good friends” (40%). Roughly one-quarter admit to an aggressiveness in their lifestyle, as 29% described themselves as a “social activist” and 25% said they are “often trying to persuade others to change their views.” One out of every eight (12%) also noted that they are “dealing with an addiction” that personally haunts them.
Attitudes
One of the more surprising – and, perhaps, challenging – points of view reflected in the survey was the three-quarters of adults (75%) who said they are “very open to moral views that differ from yours.” In some ways, that conflicted with the fact that two out of three people (66%) admit that they “like to be in control” and the slight majority (52%) who indicated that they are “very convinced that I am right about things in life.”
Half of all Americans (50%) said they are “turned off by politics” and a mere 6% consider themselves to be rich.
Personal Faith Profile
Often described as “the most religious people on earth,” most Americans “feel accepted by God” (88%), see themselves as “deeply spiritual” (62%) and believe they can be accurately described as “a fulltime servant of God” (59%).
Americans describe their personal faith in various ways. While more than eight out of ten (84%) view themselves as Christian, a lesser but significant majority label themselves as a “committed Christian” (60%). Within that framework, people’s self-identity includes 45% who call themselves a “born again Christian,” 42% who claim to be an “evangelical Christian” and one out of four who adopt the label “charismatic or Pentecostal Christian” (26%).
The survey also highlighted the fact that people who are in the born again constituency (based upon their beliefs, rather than their self-identification) are less likely than atheists to be social activists (42% of atheists claimed that label, compared to just 29% of born again adults and only 20% of evangelicals). Despite their activism, though, atheists emerged as being less clear about their purpose in life and less likely to feel at peace. Not surprisingly, they were also considerably less concerned about the moral condition of the country.
Born Again Distinctives
Individuals whose beliefs (as opposed to their self-description) classify them as born again Christians differed significantly from other adults on all seven of the religious categories evaluated, but were less distinct from the population on the self-perception adjectives (just three distinctions across the 12 measures), related to their views about the world (only one perspective differed among the four tested), and attitudes (two notable differences among the five elements assessed). There were no significant differences between born again and non-born again adults in the seven lifestyle dimensions examined. Overall, then born again adults were similar in their self-descriptions to non-born again individuals in relation to 20 of the 26 dimensions examined, apart from the religious self-descriptions.
In each of its surveys, The Barna Group defines a person as being born again if they indicate they have “made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ” that is important in their life today, and who believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Based on that definition, rather than people calling themselves “born again,” the study found that adults who fit the more detailed definition of born again differed from non-born again adults on various self-perceptions.
Americans' Self-Perceptions
|
Perception |
born again |
non-born again |
|
Deeply Spiritual |
79% |
47% |
|
A fulltime servant of God |
79% |
43% |
|
Born again Christian |
77% |
20% |
|
Committed Christian |
86% |
45% |
|
Evangelical Christian |
68% |
22% |
|
Feel accepted by God |
98% |
79% |
|
An effective parent |
76% |
64% |
|
Clear about the meaning and purpose of their life |
86% |
78% |
|
Making a positive difference in the world |
88% |
75% |
|
Concerned about the nation’s moral condition |
94% |
80% |
|
Very convinced they are right about things in life |
58% |
47% |
(Source:
The Barna Group, Ventura, CA)
An American Profile
Overall, the data were described by George Barna, the survey’s director, as showing that Americans have a generally positive and secure view of themselves. However, he also noted that the information shows some conflicting elements in their self-view (e.g., most people claiming to lead a simple life yet a majority noting that they are either in serious debt, are stressed out or are into the latest technologies).
Barna also pointed out that while most people claim that their faith is one of the fundamental self-defining elements of their life, the data indicate that people’s perspectives are more likely to be influenced by their age and ethnicity than anything else.
The survey also underscored the difference between those who are born again based on their beliefs about salvation and those who simply embrace the label without trusting Jesus Christ for their salvation. In total, one out of every five adults who claims to be “born again” does not believe that their salvation is based on their confession of sins and reliance upon Christ. Barna also pointed out that nearly one-quarter of the people who are born again, based on that criteria, reject the “born again” label.
Research Details
The data in this report are based on interviews drawn from nine national telephone surveys conducted by The Barna Group with random samples of adults, with each survey involving between 1002 and 1015 individuals. Each sample included people 18 years of age and older living within the 48 continental states. The maximum margin of sampling error associated with the aggregate sample of adults within each survey is ±3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The distribution of survey respondents corresponded to the geographic dispersion of the U.S. population. Multiple callbacks were used to increase the probability of including a reliable distribution of qualified individuals. Statistical weighting was used to calibrate the aggregate sample to known population percentages in relation to demographic variables.
“Born again Christians” are defined as people who said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and who also indicated they believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Respondents are 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 privately held, for-profit corporation that conducts primary research, produces media resources pertaining to 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
© The Barna Group, Ltd, 2006.
Moral Issues
|
|
How would you rate the overall state of moral values in this country today -- as excellent, good, only fair, or poor?
|
|
|
|
Only |
|
No opinion |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
| 2006 May 8-11 |
1 |
13 |
43 |
42 |
2 |
| 2005 May 2-5 |
2 |
17 |
40 |
39 |
2 |
| 2004 Nov 19-21 |
4 |
22 |
41 |
32 |
1 |
| 2004 May 2-4 |
1 |