George Barna (WWW.Barna.Org), of the American Culture and Faith Institute, released a survey back in May that describes the diversity of doctrinal belief in the born-again community in the American church. Born-again believers largely, but certainly not totally, come under the banner of Evangelical Christians. Pentecostals are included under the Evangelical umbrella.
The United States has a population of about 321 million people and one-third of them confess to belong to the family of born-again believers, according to Barna. This translates in round numbers to about 100 million people in America.
Barna’s findings leap out at us as evangelists, pastors and teachers, identifying great themes of the faith needing special attention. These themes probably do not fit us as Pentecostals to the same degree as some other families of faith, but at a minimum Barna’s conclusions should motivate us to be willing to evaluate to what extent we are living up to our heritage and declaring the Full Gospel.
In this summary, I have chosen ten of these often neglected topics.
1. “When you die, you will go to Heaven because you have confessed your sins and have accepted Jesus as your Savior.” Only 30% of the adults in the survey agreed with the statement. This translates that 70%, or 70,000,000+ people in the “born again family” believe people will go to heaven for such other reasons as “they are a good person,” or “God loves all people and will not let you perish,” or because “you have tried to obey the Ten Commandments.” While that figure is troubling, the alarm continues to grow when we realize the study shows 2 out of 5 born-again believers (40%), or some 40,000,000+ do not even believe “Satan is alive.” Wow!
2. “Do you known what will happen after you die?” The survey revealed that of the 100,000,000 born-again believers in the U.S., 25%, or 25,000,000 people do not have a clue “what will happen after they die.” To make this worse, 4% of born-again-ers, or about 4,000,000 people do not believe “Heaven is real,” nor “is Hell,” and that there “is no life after death, physically or spiritually.”
3. “Absolute moral truth is contained in the Bible.” This statement was agreed to by 47% of the born-again-ers questioned in the survey. This translates to about 47,000,000 people. But we should find it very upsetting that 53% said they did not believe the Bible is the only source of moral truth. That represents 53,000,000 people who also look for moral truth in places other than the Bible. This finding guarantees that moral relativity is alive and well in the pews of the born-again community of faith in America, and that we should be addressing it.
4. God is alive and active in peoples’ lives these days.” (82% - four out of five agree). This means some 18,000,000 people in the born again family of faith do not agree that “God is alive and active in peoples’ lives these days.”
5. “All people are sinners,” say 79% of born-again believers. This translates as 79,000,000 people who make the confession. While 79% is an encouraging number, it also indicates some 21,000,000 born-again-ers do not believe “all people are sinners.”
6. “Same-sex marriage is inappropriate,” according to 78% of those questioned. Born-again-ers are largely united on this subject. But Barna also found that one out of five, or some 22,000,000 people in the born again family think same-sex marriage is acceptable.
7. “The Bible is the Word of God and has no errors.” Three-quarters of born-again believers (76%) concur. But this finding shows 24,000,000 believe the Bible does have errors; hence, for them, the Bible cannot be the error free word of God.
8. “God created the universe, as described in the Book of Genesis. This was agreed to by 66% of born again believers in the survey. This represents about two out of every three born-again-ers in America. But this also means 36,000,000 people in the born again family of faith do not believe the creation story in the Bible.
9. “While in the earth, Jesus Christ lived a sinless life.” Fifty-two per cent of the “born-again-ers” interviewed agree with the statement, representing 52,000,000 people. But the conclusion leaps out that 48%, or about 48,000,000 do not agree that Jesus lived a sinless life. This indicates the born again community is split almost 50-50 on this very foundational Biblical teaching.
10. “The Holy Spirit is alive, not just a symbol of God’s presence.” A total of 43% of the born again believers interviewed held to this teaching (43,000,000 people). But 57% disagreed with the statement, representing 57,000,000 people. Surely Pentecostal believers as a faith community would rate better than this finding regarding the person and work of the Holy Spirit; we know the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the earth today. But, based on Barna’s research, I find it frightening the numbers of people in the born again family who reject the cornerstone Trinitarian doctrine of the Deity of the Holy Spirit, taught so clearly by Jesus and His Apostles.
These ten certainly identify key areas of the Gospel message that portray diversity on this topic beyond my imagination in the born-again community of faith. They also challenge us in the Pentecostal community to rethink these themes in our preaching and teaching.
The United States has a population of about 321 million people and one-third of them confess to belong to the family of born-again believers, according to Barna. This translates in round numbers to about 100 million people in America.
Barna’s findings leap out at us as evangelists, pastors and teachers, identifying great themes of the faith needing special attention. These themes probably do not fit us as Pentecostals to the same degree as some other families of faith, but at a minimum Barna’s conclusions should motivate us to be willing to evaluate to what extent we are living up to our heritage and declaring the Full Gospel.
In this summary, I have chosen ten of these often neglected topics.
1. “When you die, you will go to Heaven because you have confessed your sins and have accepted Jesus as your Savior.” Only 30% of the adults in the survey agreed with the statement. This translates that 70%, or 70,000,000+ people in the “born again family” believe people will go to heaven for such other reasons as “they are a good person,” or “God loves all people and will not let you perish,” or because “you have tried to obey the Ten Commandments.” While that figure is troubling, the alarm continues to grow when we realize the study shows 2 out of 5 born-again believers (40%), or some 40,000,000+ do not even believe “Satan is alive.” Wow!
2. “Do you known what will happen after you die?” The survey revealed that of the 100,000,000 born-again believers in the U.S., 25%, or 25,000,000 people do not have a clue “what will happen after they die.” To make this worse, 4% of born-again-ers, or about 4,000,000 people do not believe “Heaven is real,” nor “is Hell,” and that there “is no life after death, physically or spiritually.”
3. “Absolute moral truth is contained in the Bible.” This statement was agreed to by 47% of the born-again-ers questioned in the survey. This translates to about 47,000,000 people. But we should find it very upsetting that 53% said they did not believe the Bible is the only source of moral truth. That represents 53,000,000 people who also look for moral truth in places other than the Bible. This finding guarantees that moral relativity is alive and well in the pews of the born-again community of faith in America, and that we should be addressing it.
4. God is alive and active in peoples’ lives these days.” (82% - four out of five agree). This means some 18,000,000 people in the born again family of faith do not agree that “God is alive and active in peoples’ lives these days.”
5. “All people are sinners,” say 79% of born-again believers. This translates as 79,000,000 people who make the confession. While 79% is an encouraging number, it also indicates some 21,000,000 born-again-ers do not believe “all people are sinners.”
6. “Same-sex marriage is inappropriate,” according to 78% of those questioned. Born-again-ers are largely united on this subject. But Barna also found that one out of five, or some 22,000,000 people in the born again family think same-sex marriage is acceptable.
7. “The Bible is the Word of God and has no errors.” Three-quarters of born-again believers (76%) concur. But this finding shows 24,000,000 believe the Bible does have errors; hence, for them, the Bible cannot be the error free word of God.
8. “God created the universe, as described in the Book of Genesis. This was agreed to by 66% of born again believers in the survey. This represents about two out of every three born-again-ers in America. But this also means 36,000,000 people in the born again family of faith do not believe the creation story in the Bible.
9. “While in the earth, Jesus Christ lived a sinless life.” Fifty-two per cent of the “born-again-ers” interviewed agree with the statement, representing 52,000,000 people. But the conclusion leaps out that 48%, or about 48,000,000 do not agree that Jesus lived a sinless life. This indicates the born again community is split almost 50-50 on this very foundational Biblical teaching.
10. “The Holy Spirit is alive, not just a symbol of God’s presence.” A total of 43% of the born again believers interviewed held to this teaching (43,000,000 people). But 57% disagreed with the statement, representing 57,000,000 people. Surely Pentecostal believers as a faith community would rate better than this finding regarding the person and work of the Holy Spirit; we know the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the earth today. But, based on Barna’s research, I find it frightening the numbers of people in the born again family who reject the cornerstone Trinitarian doctrine of the Deity of the Holy Spirit, taught so clearly by Jesus and His Apostles.
These ten certainly identify key areas of the Gospel message that portray diversity on this topic beyond my imagination in the born-again community of faith. They also challenge us in the Pentecostal community to rethink these themes in our preaching and teaching.