A new survey shows that while many Americans embrace syncretism, only 6% of people who call themselves Christians have a Biblical worldview. The American Worldview Inventory 2024, conducted by the Center for Cultural Studies at Arizona Christian University, found that “the typical American adult is not a worldview purist, but an inherently worldview appropriator; “They incorporate beliefs and behaviors borrowed from nine recognized worldviews into their own worldview.” A blend of personal worldviews. ”
The study considers this finding to be consistent with the fact that “the dominant worldview in America is syncretism, chosen by 92% of American adults as their dominant life philosophy.”
“Syncretism is a term used to describe the customized blend of life philosophies that people combine for their own satisfaction,” the report explains. Syncretism is the result of people relying on their emotions to appropriate elements of different perceived worldviews to produce a singular and personally satisfying understanding of and response to reality. is.”
The Center for Cultural Studies found in a 2021 report that 88% of U.S. adults support syncretism. The report also listed the 10 most common worldview beliefs that are inconsistent with the Biblical worldview.
According to reports christian postThe belief associated with Mormonism that it is possible for couples to be together forever is accepted by 46% of Americans.
Furthermore, 46% of Americans believe that “people are neither good nor bad at birth, but become good or bad through the choices they make in life,” which is called moral therapeutic deism; It is a belief associated with the philosophy of secular humanism and animism.
Meanwhile, 35% of Americans agree with secular humanists, postmodernists, and Satanists that “when it comes to determining what is right and wrong, the people you trust most…are your reason and your emotions.” I agree.
However, in the Biblical worldview, “marriage ends with death on earth” and “all humans are born sinners and sin is condemned by God, but that rejection is based on the fact that Jesus Christ is our You can overcome by the grace extended above.” Repent and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. ” The Biblical worldview also emphasizes that God is the “Source of all truth” who “communicates truth to humanity through the Bible.”
Other non-biblical worldviews highlighted among respondents in the report included the Jewish belief that “a Messiah has been promised” and that “a Messiah will come to earth for the first time to save his people.” (28%), “There may be a higher power, but no one really knows” (26%), “The best indicator of success in life is being a good person.” Moralistic treatment Deists and Mormons believe that “there is” (24%), and secular humanists believe that “the basis of truth is scientific, verifiable evidence” (23%) .
In contrast to those beliefs, the Biblical worldview holds that “Jesus Christ is the Messiah and will save at His Second Coming those who repent of their sins and seek Him as their Savior,” and “Creation itself is the evidence.” ‘is the case.’ “On the Existence of God,” the definition of success is “consistent obedience to God and the principles of life he has set forth in the Bible,” and “There is no truth apart from God, but the nature and words of God.” “God defines truth by.”
According to the Center for Cultural Studies, a Biblical worldview is defined as “a means of experiencing, interpreting, and responding to reality in light of a Biblical perspective.” According to the report, only 4% of Americans and 6% of Christians have a Biblical worldview.
The survey surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults and was conducted in January with a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points.
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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributor to his Crosswalk Headlines and host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast dedicated to sound doctrine and Biblical truth. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Alliance Theological Seminary.
