The Christian Post reports that a Gallup poll finds that for the first time, less than half of Americans say religion is very important to them. At the same time, pollster George Barna of Arizona Christian University's Cultural Research Center says that only 4% of Americans overall have a biblical worldview.
Both polls find the loss is more accelerated with younger Americans. The university survey shows that 1% of Gen Z adhere to a biblical worldview, while a senior editor at Gallup says that “younger adults are both less likely to identify with a religion and less likely to attend services.”
Dr. Richard Land of Southern Evangelical Seminary says the results are not a shock to him.
“I don't think anybody who's been living in America is surprised that there are more worldviews out there, including pagan ones, and that fewer and fewer Americans have what we would call a Judeo-Christian worldview,” says Land.
Parents have the first responsibility to build a biblical worldview into their children, but as the numbers diminish, many parents are without one as well. Land wants the church to pick up the slack.
“I think every church ought to have a new member class taught by the pastor, and the pastor teaches those people what the basic tenets of the Christian faith are,” states Land.
The loss of a biblical worldview comes at a time when Islam is trying to make inroads into American culture. Land says sometimes Christians think that their faith is something they put on or take of like a piece of clothing, but is not.
“Christianity is also a handbook for living. I don't know how many Muslims have said to me, ‘well, you don't understand, Islam is a way of life.’ I said so is Christianity,” says Land.
But Land is not despairing. He says don’t forget America is not the only country where the Holy Spirit is at work.
“They are seeing more conversions to Christianity than they've ever seen in Islamic countries. Do you know where the fastest growing church in the world is? In Iran,” informs Land.
