“Sadly, the research confirms that very few parents even have the worldview development of their children on their radar,” says Barna. “Shockingly few parents intentionally speak to their children about beliefs and behavior based upon a biblical worldview. Perhaps the most powerful worldview lesson parents provide is through their own behavior, yet our studies consistently indicate that parental choices generally do not reflect biblical principles or an intentionally Christian approach to life.”
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Churches should take note of these findings. “The research shows that most preteen parents not only claim the Christian faith but also identify a church connection,” says the report. “The substantive gap between their faith self-identification and what Christian churches claim to teach and foster is significant. Those contradictions raise questions for churches regarding the content being taught; the presence of accountability processes; how churches measure their worldview impact; and the nature of discipleship in today’s churches.”
The report raises the “chilling” question of whether the biblical worldview might go extinct in the U.S.—but Barna does not believe this will happen. He says, “To expect the biblical worldview to disappear in America essentially posits that God has given up on America and that there is not a tribe of devoted followers whom he can rely upon to usher in an era of spiritual renewal.”
Barna continues, “The reality is that culture-changing movements can transform a nation with as little as two percent of the population on-board. Turning around the paucity of commitment to the biblical worldview cannot happen overnight, in the United States, but it can happen.”
