‘Identifying evangelicals and then developing an understanding of the mind and heart of the group is not a simple task. There is little uniformity to the belief patterns and lifestyle choices of evangelicals. The entire faith matrix of America is frighteningly complex’
By Bob Unruh
In today’s “depraved” America there are “corrupt politicians, dishonest journalists and media outlets, broken social institutions, immoral religious leaders, unconstitutional government programs and policies,” and more, according to a new report on the nation’s beliefs.
“The depth of the depravity is shocking,” explains the American Worldview Inventory No. 4 from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University.
“The deterioration of this once-great nation begs the fundamental question: How did we get here? What happened to so quickly introduce new philosophies of life and ways of living that radically depart from the historical Judeo-Christian moorings and consensus of America?” it notes.
And, according to veteran researcher George Barna, “The indisputable cultural decline is a direct result of the spiritual collapse of Christianity in the nation.”
He’s chief of research at the CRC, and his conclusions align with the oft-cited sermon illustration that when darkness is overtaking a society, the darkness is not to blame; it’s only acting in its nature. The problem is with the absence of light.
The center’s report said research now shows that “much of this steep cultural decline flows from the dramatic transformation in the evangelical community of the United States in the past 30 years. In reality, evangelicals are far fewer in number than typically reported, often are far less biblical in their thinking than one might think, and tend to vote in far fewer numbers than expected.”
In fact, evangelicals choose lifestyles that are largely similar to that of their neighbors, who are not.