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According to a study by the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University, 6 % of Americans hold to a biblical worldview.

An increasingly secular America insists that life has purpose and meaning, terms commonly associated with the historic Christian faith and biblical understanding, but doggedly refuses to include God as a possible route to finding either.

A new study from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University found that a whopping majority of 86% Americans (six out of seven adults) believe there is a universal, shared purpose of human life, and two out of every three (66%) believe they have “unique, God-given calling or purpose.” Yet few make any reference to God or the Christian faith in defining what these terms mean. Even among the 71% of Americans who consider themselves to be Christians, fewer than 20% adopt the biblical view that our purpose is to know, love and serve God.

“The disconnect is staggering,” said Dr. George Barna, CRC Director of Research and author of the report.

As a nation we yearn for purpose and calling, ideas deeply rooted within our nation’s historical Christian faith and biblical understanding of God. Americans hold on to these basic biblical ideas of what makes human existence meaningful, yet, at the same time, we refuse to recognize reliance on God or His existence when talking about human success or purpose.

Other key findings from the report, which follows below:

  • The survey finds little consensus in how Americans define the purpose of life. The most widespread view, held by nearly one-quarter of adults (23%), identified “experiencing happiness and fulfillment” as the ultimate reason for living. Followed by “evolving to our full potential physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually” (18%); “knowing, loving, and serving God” (18%); “furthering the development of humanity” (10%) or “living a long, healthy life” (10%).
  • The top definition of success was “living a healthy, productive, and safe life” (25%). One out of five adults selected either “being a good person” (22%) or “consistent obedience to God” (21%); 18% said “experiencing personal happiness or freedom.”
  • Whether God is included as part of one’s life purpose differs sharply by age and political views. The older a person, the more likely they are to adopt a biblical view of life’s Conversely, the youngest (18 to 29) are least likely to include God. Political conservatives are three times as likely as political liberals to identify God as giving purpose to life.

Among churchgoing adults, no Christian church affiliation claimed a majority who believed that success involved “consistent obedience to God.” Evangelicals came closest (47%), followed by those attending Pentecostal churches (42%), but only 23% attending mainline Protestant church and just 16% of Catholics include obedience to God in the definition of success.

What should we do? 

  • Understand and personally adhere to a biblical worldview.
  • Speak the truth about the good news of Jesus.
  • Make disciples who follow the commands of Jesus.

The research is led by George Barna. George Barna is the founder of The Barna Group, a market research firm specializing in studying the religious beliefs and behavior of Americans, and the intersection of faith and culture.

Here is the research: Research – Arizona Christian University