Survey Says Americans' Morals Decaying; Evangelicals Ruin the Curve

Bruce S · Nov 5, 2003

Barna Survey Says Americans' Morals Decaying; Evangelicals Ruin the Curve

By Fred Jackson and Jenni Parker [Partial Quote...]

November 5, 2003

(AgapePress) - A new poll from Christian researcher George Barna shows the majority of Americans have come to regard many kinds of sinful behavior as acceptable. The exception to that trend continues to be evangelical Christians.

The poll conducted by Barna Research Group found that 60% of Americans consider gambling, cohabitation, and sexual fantasizing "morally acceptable." Nearly half of those surveyed feel it is morally acceptable for a person to have an abortion or to have sex with someone other than his or her own spouse. And about a third say they have no moral problem with inappropriate contentography, profanity, homosexual activity, or drunkenness.

But this latest Barna poll indicates that evangelical Christians are the least likely group to condone such behaviors. Faith groups included in the study were adherents of non-Christian faiths, atheists and agnostics, Catholics, and several categories of Protestant Christians.

While atheists and agnostics found nine of the ten behaviors morally legitimate, and half of people of other faiths had no problem with at least seven of them, out of the 10 behaviors evaluated, fewer than 10% of the evangelicals surveyed considered any of the activities legitimate.

According to Barna, "Less than one out of every ten evangelical Christians maintained that adultery, gay sex, inappropriate contentography, profanity, drunkenness, and abortion are morally acceptable. In contrast, every one out of those ten behaviors was deemed 'morally acceptable' by more than one out of ten people from each of the other six faith groups studied."

Evangelicals Exceptional Even Among Christians

Barna notes that people who self-identified as Christian but not evangelical had a higher level of acceptance of the immoral behaviors. The researcher defines an evangelical as someone who says he or she has been "born again" and that their salvation is by grace alone, not by works. Other defined conditions include belief in a literal Satan and belief that the Bible is the Word of God....

Full Story > Click Here

Bruce S · Nov 5, 2003

Again, as in many of these cross denominational polls, we find ONLY the Evangelicals as leaning against what many consider destructive elements of society....

And the Evangelical's are the one area of religion with tremendous growth curves, increasing membership, as older, mainline denominations self destruct and die out with squabbling over politically correct liberal theology.

Interesting.

Marvel · Nov 5, 2003

Man, this is horrible..the end times are definately extremely close now..

Goldstein · Nov 5, 2003

Bruce S said:
Again, as in many of these cross denominational polls, we find ONLY the Evangelicals as leaning against what many consider destructive elements of society....

How can "many" consider these things destructive when "only the evangelicals" are opposed to them?? Despite their claims to the contrary, evangelicals do not have a monopoly on morality.

Firscherscherling · Nov 5, 2003

Oh man. Not the ent times thing again. How many thousands of years does that have to be repeated before the little lightbulb goes off over folks head?

Anyway, I think the problem you are experiencing is one of judgement vs non-judgement. Victimless acts vs acts with victims.

If you were to conduct the poll again and ask the question a different way, I think you would get different results. For example, take drunkenness. If you ask me whether drunkenness is a good thing, Ill tell you that no, I dont think it is and pretty much every person polled will say the same. However, I do not consider a person who sits on the couch and has a few beers to be immoral (ie sinful). I dont believe in the concept of sin. Daily drunkenness, extreme drunkenness and such where there is no victim is not very smart, it isnt very healthy and it shows a general lack of character. It also is a good sign of addiction.

Drunkenness where there are potential victims is all of the above with the addition of being unethical and criminal.

I think most people just see things as relative. Evangelicals see them as black/white.

Changing the moral questions would also change the results. Seeing women as subservient is something I consider immoral but evangelicals wouldnt. Hatred of people based on sexual orientation is immoral, but evangelicals would disagree (dont give me the love sinner hate the sin BS). Beating a child is immoral, but an evangelical would say spare the rod, spoil the child.

So, I guess the poll is just so much bunk.

Havoc · Nov 5, 2003

Bruce S said:
Again, as in many of these cross denominational polls, we find ONLY the Evangelicals as leaning against what many consider destructive elements of society....

And the Evangelical's are the one area of religion with tremendous growth curves, increasing membership, as older, mainline denominations self destruct and die out with squabbling over politically correct liberal theology.

Interesting.

I keep hearing about this phenomenal, almost legendary, growth of Evangelicals. Funny that the Statistics from places like BARNA et al have completely missed it. According to the experts there has been no significant growth in the last decade for Evangelicals, and a fairly consistent decline over the last century.

Perhaps you should call them and let them know their mistake.

revolutio · Nov 5, 2003

I wasn't aware moral decline was something that could be determined quantatively. I always thought it was an unscientific inference that was highly subjective.

Mac6yver · Nov 5, 2003

You would think, but when you are trying to force your morals on everyone else it is easy to quantify apparently.

The only thing I find immoral out of that entire list is sleeping with someone other then your spouse. Some others, like drunkeness are fine in moderation and as long as you do not put yourself in a situation wher eyou could hurt other people.

ThePhoenix · Nov 5, 2003

I have no real problem with profanity (If words offend you don't listen) commited homosexual relationships and drunkeness. But half say that sleeping around when you're married is ok? WHAT?!?

crazyfingers · Nov 5, 2003

Goldstein said:
How can "many" consider these things destructive when "only the evangelicals" are opposed to them?? Despite their claims to the contrary, evangelicals do not have a monopoly on morality.

The way evangelicals want to control others, they are the least moral of all groups in my opinion.

crazyfingers · Nov 5, 2003

By the morality that I live by, the Golden Rule and empathy for others, evangelicals are the absolute lowest on the morality chart for their willingness to try to control others when no one else is harmed.

Philosoft · Nov 5, 2003

Goldstein said:
How can "many" consider these things destructive when "only the evangelicals" are opposed to them??

This was the first thing that came to my mind.

The second thing: BARNA selects specific behaviors that roughly correspond to Scriptural moral precepts, then divides their survey groups along lines that represent degrees of Biblical literalism?? Talk about ensuring results... I sincerely hope they don't expect anyone to be surprised at their findings.

Bruce S · Nov 5, 2003

Firscherscherling said:
I think most people just see things as relative. Evangelicals see them as black/white.

Yep, they do. So did God, go ask him. HE didn't mince a lot of words, he just smote them all, did that a LOT, from what I read in that silly dusty old "out of date" non-relativatistic Bible.

Gene Robinson would not be one that Evangelicals would take much glee in.

Bruce S · Nov 5, 2003

Havoc said:
I keep hearing about this phenomenal, almost legendary, growth of Evangelicals. Funny that the Statistics from places like BARNA et al have completely missed it. According to the experts there has been no significant growth in the last decade for Evangelicals, and a fairly consistent decline over the last century.

Perhaps you should call them and let them know their mistake.

Don't be MYOPIC. The entire world isn't the USA you know.

Assembly of God, the most EVANGELICAL of all the USA denominations.

USA membership 2.5 million. Worldwide 48 million.

Same with the other Evangelicals, exploding overseas, Africa and Asia.

No gods · Nov 5, 2003

And remember, Barna is the group that showed that Evangelicals have the 2nd highest divorce rate in the US(second only to the biblical god's chosen people). So maybe they are ruining the curve... just not in the way stated in the OP.

crazyfingers · Nov 6, 2003

No gods said:
And remember, Barna is the group that showed that Evangelicals have the 2nd highest divorce rate in the US(second only to the biblical god's chosen people). So maybe they are ruining the curve... just not in the way stated in the OP.

That's them. Atheists was lowest in terms of divorce rate. I also recall that liberals has a higher divorce rate and conservatives in the bible belt had the highest.

But of course, there is not necessarily anything immoral about divorce. Just more attempts by some christians to impose their arbitrary morality onto others.

that one guy · Nov 6, 2003

I hate to say one denomination is better than the other, but as a non-denominational Chrisitian, I have to say that my evangelical best friend is quite a moral man.

I don't know how good of a thermometer that is for an entire denomination though.

lunachick · Nov 6, 2003

They caught the Green River Killer. He was an evangelical Christian. Ridding the world of evil prostitutes, apparently. He was not a very moral man, at all.

that one guy · Nov 6, 2003

Oh yeah, he was obviously living strictly by biblical principals.

Then again, so was David Karesh...

It's common for psycotics to use the Bible as justification. There's a big difference between being a Christian and re-writing the scriptures to justify your own evil actions.

Havoc · Nov 6, 2003

Bruce S said:
Yep, they do. So did God, go ask him. HE didn't mince a lot of words, he just smote them all, did that a LOT, from what I read in that silly dusty old "out of date" non-relativatistic Bible.

Yes he did didn't he. Smote whole cities... including children and infants... slaughtered whole races for nothing more than a few of their women seduced some Isrealite men (who weren't slaughtered with them). Commanded the Isrealites to take 32,000 of the Virgin Girls captive to be forced into marriage, which is rape by any reasonable definition.

And we're worried about OUR morals?

Survey Says Americans' Morals Decaying; Evangelicals Ruin the Curve

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Gatherer.Of.Data

Liberal Filthy Hairless Pig-Monkey

Celtic Witch

Apatheist Extraordinaire

Senior Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Orthogonal, Tangential, Tenuously Related

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Buttercup Atheist

Well-Known Member

that one guy

Guest

Well-Known Member

that one guy

Guest

Celtic Witch

Similar threads