A new study done by George Barna for the Family Research Council shows that nearly nine in 10 respondents say it’s important for Christians to have a biblical worldview, and large numbers believe it is “clear and decisive” on a number of issues, ranging from marriage to divorce to abortion.
But large numbers say they still would like more training on specific disputes.
The poll, of 1,009 adults, 18 or older, who attend a worship service at a Christian church at least once a month, said 68% believe the church they attend provides a “comprehensive and thorough” worldview training for children up to age 12.
On the question of such teaching for teens, 74% say their churches are doing a good job. And 81% say their worship center does that for adults.
But 89% say more training on social and political responsibility would help them, 71% say the same for training on abortion, and 68% say that for topics of human sexuality.
When asked how “clearly and decisively” the Bible spokes on various topics, a majority said the Bible was clear on seven of eight topics: the definition of marriage, religious liberty, divorce, morality of abortion, homosexuality, knowing gender, and transgenderism.
But only 44% said it was clear on “what types of candidates to vote for.”
Barna reported identifying seven truths without which a person is unlikely to hold a biblical view.
Those are a biblical understanding of God, recognize of humans’ sinfulness, the consequences of sin, the knowledge the Bible is true and reliable, recognition of absolute moral truth, the purpose of a person being to know, love and serve God and obeying God as a route to success on earth.
But the poll said only 68% of respondents said God is “the all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect and just creator of the universe who rules that universe today.” Other responses ranged from everyone is a god to nobody really knows.
And only 41% agreed that “People are born into sin and can only be saved from it consequences by Jesus.” And only a similar number, 47%, said, “When you die you will go to Heaven only because you have confessed your sins and have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior.”
Other responses included working “hard to be a good enough person” and “God loves all people and will not let you perish.”
On the topic of the Bible, one-third said it is the actual, true word of God, while the same percentage said it has no errors, but some verses are symbolic.
Worryingly, 48% said they believe that there are no moral absolutes that apply to everyone, all the time, while 43% disagreed.
Regarding elections, the poll said, “about half of the churchgoers (51%) said they determine how to vote mainly based upon what the Bible teaches about the issues and candidate character.”
Half say they pay a lot or quite a bit of attention to news related to government and politics, and 19% call themselves “consistently conservative,” 19% say they are consistently moderate and 16% say they are consistently liberal.
More than one-third oppose abortion, with exceptions, while more than one-quarter support no abortion, ever.
One-third of respondents want their churches to teach more about the abortion issue, and 58% want their church to do more than it does now to help women with unplanned pregnancies.
A report at the Washington Stand said the fact that only 52% believe life begins at fertilization “simply does not do justice to basic Bible teaching. God new us in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139.13).”
Also, the fact 56.6% say they have a biblical worldview “is not a heartening number.”
This article was originally published by the WND News Center.
This post originally appeared on WND News Center.