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unChristian Biblical Worldview Part 1

10/23/2010

10 Comments

 
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It seems that nothing is hotter these days than the faith and religious practices of youth and young adults, and maybe the 20-somethings in general.  Young adults leaving church is occasionally front page news.  Major studies have been published by sociologists Christian Smith and Robert Wuthnow, as well as Christian publisher Lifeway, and books about young adult ministry methodology abound (by ministers of all ages, and various locations in Christian tradition). The Barna Group has been at this longer than most.  In 2007, Barna research commissioned by Gabe Lyons confirmed what most Americans already know; that non-Christians think that Christians are pretty unchristian (which resulted in the book by that title). 

Another Barna research project has involved research into Americans’ adherence to “The Biblical Worldview” (BWV hereafter) and resulted in George Barna’s book Think Like Jesus.  A 2003 article called A Biblical Worldview Has A Radical Affect On A Person’s Life, reported on some of the results of this research, which included levels of adherence to BWV (about 4% of the population in 2003, 9% in a 2009 article) as well as the implications for certain standards of behavioral compliance.  Not surprisingly, Americans with a BWV were much more likely to adhere to the standards of morality affirmed by people with a BWV (which largely consists of disapproval of certain sexual behaviors, drunkenness and gambling).  While it is highly unlikely that any American would possess a BWV under the Barna framework, it is much more likely if one is a White married Protestant, over 30 years of age who lives in Texas or North Carolina. Hm.
At this point, I suspect you’re wondering: What IS the BWV?  I’ll tell you (although iterations vary from the 2003 to the 2009 article).

The Barna Group measures adherence to the BWV according to belief-agreement with 8 items:

Absolute moral truth exists;  34/46

-       Such truth is defined by the Bible

The Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches.  50/79

Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic.  27/40

A person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or do good works.  28/47

Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth.  40/62

God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today. 70/93

Christians have an obligation to share their faith with others.

So
, what does this mean and why is it important? What does it have to do with young adults?
And what are those numbers about
? 
I’ll tell you what I think in my next post.


10 Comments
Matt Knope
10/27/2010 09:48:16 am

Dogma is being obliterated by information technology. Religion, especially in the west, has to adapt to the new knowlege base held by the general population. Organized religion is antiquated and needs to be updated. This, of course, is antithetical to the entire idea and purpose of organized relgion, which makes it almost impossible to do...

it is a catch-22

Reply
Matt
10/27/2010 12:47:22 pm

What is "the" purpose of "organized religion" that prevents "updating"?
Fortunately or unfortunately, most religious people in America aren't Amish.
Lots of churches in America have high-tech facilities, fairly unimpressive and democratic structures of behavioral control (historically speaking), and relatively minimal "requirements" of belief.

Reply
Matt Knope
10/28/2010 06:10:44 am

The purpose was probably a bad word. It is about the "story." It is antiquated and literally UNbelievable. The more educated that people become, the less likely that they are going to take the Bible as fact. The stories are outrageous and would be more factual to 5th century rural farmers than 21st century info tech. teens who look at the world the way it is right now. I do projects with my students about Ancient Greece and Rome and we all laugh at their UNbelievable belief systems, which only took place two thousand years before Christianity started...

that is the way of the world. the story needs to be updated into somethign that an educated 25 year old can believe in.... the outrageous fairy tale stuff that was spread as gospel 1,500 years ago is just no longer going to fly in todays age..

I gotta run... maybe I will finish later

Reply
Matt Knope
10/28/2010 06:14:06 am

I am not rasing my child with religion, but if I did, what would I tell her.

"Now listen, Lilly, yes it seems ridicuous, but the only two places that something like that would happen would be in a fairy tale or the Bible..."

Reply
Matt
10/28/2010 07:16:21 am

Matt -
Now you're speaking my language. I think the future you predict is still unlikely, but I agree that it is about "story."
Did you read my other 2 posts in this category?
peace,
Matt

Reply
Bob G
10/28/2010 01:42:08 pm

Do we change things simply because they're old and don't comply with this weeks trend? Does education do much at all in the way of morality?

Oh...here we are, 2010, and we know it all. We know so much.

I'm not even sure there's much value in "measuring" what the Barna Group is trying to measure.

Reply
Matt Knope
10/29/2010 08:51:12 am

Morality is for fools.

I have no morals. I refuse to follow the "rights and wrongs" layed out by mass public opinion. I follow their laws because I don't want negative consequence.... but all right and wrong is filtered through my own intellect in rigorous fashion, as I way as many factors and variables as humanly possible

No other person or group of people is ever going to tell me what is right or what is wrong. What is hurtful or what is helpful. I am the judge of that. Myself and my own brain.

Any other mode of thinking or adherence to morality is thinly-veiled SLAVERY

As Nietzche said, "morality is herd instinct in the individual."

I would rather let my own mind be free

Reply
Matt Knope
10/29/2010 08:57:09 am

No Matt I have not read anything else on this site except for this.

Perhaps this weekend I will check them out

Reply
Matt
10/29/2010 02:26:40 pm

Matt
I love our dialogues.
Maybe I'm more of a sociologist than a philosopher, but...
Things you did not choose:
DNA > physiology, biology, brain chemistry, basic pyschic/personality makeup. Your family, community and nation of origin> public school, peers, teachers, early nutrition and geography.
Things you MAY have "chosen" without a TON of critical thinking:
media consumption, going to college

You quote Nietzche. Are you willing to concede that Nietzche and others have influenced your thinking? Shaped your intellectual filter? Only the particular pervasive influence of particular strands of widely disseminated Western philosophy could create a world in which you so highly value "independent thinking," autonomy and individualism.

Even the things we rebel against are in some sense determining the shape of our rebellion.
"No man is an island." John Donne

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5/14/2014 10:45:57 am

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    Matt Hunter, Ph.D

    Multidisciplinary religious scholar and practitioner

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