Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

July-August 2017 – The dominant voices in American culture today insist that the nation was not founded on Christian moral principles. However, Jesus is still acknowledged as a positive historical figure and a good teacher. A recent study by Barna Group discovered that most Americans not only hold favorable views of Christ, but also maintain a commitment to Jesus that they say is still important in their lives.

The study has shown that, of those who participated in the research, 93% believe that Jesus Christ actually existed. Of these, 8% said Jesus was a great teacher but not divine, 9% said he embodied the best that is possible in humanity, 31% said he was uniquely called to reveal God’s purpose in the world, and 43% said he was God living among humans.

In a separate Barna study, data reveals that the worldview of today’s Christians is influenced by various and even opposing ideas. Of those Christians who responded, 61% agree with ideas rooted in New Spirituality, 54% resonate with postmodernist views, 36% accept ideas associated with Marxism, and 29% believe ideas based on secularism.

The influence on the thinking of individual Christians is not limited to secular worldviews, but extends to other religions as well, with 38% of practicing Christians who responded to the study sympathizing with some Muslim teachings.

“This study reveals how important it is that Christians go back to the Bible as the standard for their worldview,” observed AFA vice president Ed Vitagliano.

barna.com, 4/13/17; barna.com, 5/9/17