Some recent George Barna research

[lpetrich]

CRC_AWVI-2020_Release12_Restoring-America-by-Reframing-Its-Worldview.pdf

I notice a total silence about Donald Trump. It's as if he can get away with whatever sins he wants to along as he is on the evangelicals' side.


CRC_FRC-SAGE_ConSurvey_Digital_01_20201029.pdf
President Trump Will Get Overwhelming Support from Conservative Christians in 2020 – But for Different Reasons than in 2016

While there is still considerable frustration with his social media postings, SAGE Cons appreciate the Trump Administration’s progress related to federal court appointments, support for pro-life policies, investments in the military and enforcement of the law, attempts to reduce the federal bureaucracy and the authority of the federal government, strengthening America’s relationship with Israel, and support for the free market economy.

The conservative Christian group also favors the assets Trump brings to the job more than those offered in Biden. The survey revealed that a large majority of SAGE Cons viewed Trump as a hard worker (90%), patriot (89%), strong leader (89%), independent thinker (83%), tough-minded (82%), smart (76%), and knowledgeable (73%).

In contrast, at least three out of every four SAGE Cons felt that Biden is incompetent (85%), dishonest (82%), mentally unstable (75%), and senile (74%). Fewer than one out of every ten SAGE Cons perceived Biden to be compassionate (9%) or a hard worker (3%), to have good character (3%), to be knowledgeable (3%), presidential (2%), smart (2%), an independent thinker (1%), a strong leader (1%), tough-minded (1%), trustworthy (1%), or a unifier (1%).

Another outcome that reflects the distinctive perspective of SAGE Cons from that of less conservative voting blocs is how they view Biden in comparison to Trump. By a gap of more than 30 percentage points they are more likely to consider Biden to be dishonest, sexist, incompetent, mentally unstable, racist, too old, senile, represents tired ideas, and is a political hack.

In other words, they believe Joe Biden to be everything that Trump is. Lazy, impulsive, uncurious, belligerent, obsessed with settling scores, and not very smart.

SAGE = Spiritually Active Governance Engaged = Religious-Right people involved with politics.

 

[lpetrich]

I like AOC's Three Commandments that she stated to schoolchildren in September 2019:

• Be curious
• Be kind
• Be diligent

CRC_FRC-SAGE_ConSurvey_Digital_01_20201124.pdf
Active Conservative Christians Were Huge for Trump
SAGE Con Turnout and Trump Vote Set Records

Donald Trump would have lost by a landslide had a significant slice of the voting populace—conservative Christians who are active both spiritually and politically—not turned out and voted for him in overwhelming numbers. Their perception of the election process and allegations of voting fraud has led a large majority of them (79%) to believe that there have been “numerous instances of abuse” in the election, with a mere 1% believing that the voting process was legally carried out and the votes were accurately counted.

So they fell for Trump's big lie. These are people who supposedly consider truthfulness an important value, yet they fell for a shameless pathological liar.

A survey conducted the week after the election by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University discovered that among SAGE Cons—an acronym for Spiritually Active Governance Engaged Conservative Christians—99% turned out to vote. That nearly universal turnout level dwarfed the estimated national turnout level of 66%, which itself was above-average.

But just as remarkable as their turnout was the solidarity of the segment’s vote: 97% of SAGE Cons cast their ballot for President Trump. To place that unity in context, the national exit polls show the highest levels of solidarity among other population segments to include Democrats (94% voted for Joe Biden), Republicans (94% voted for Donald Trump), black women (90% for Biden), liberals (89% for Biden), blacks (87% for Biden), and conservatives (85% for Trump). However, none of those segments had a turnout level approaching that of SAGE Cons.

SAGE Cons represent 9% of the adult population but their extreme level of turnout enabled them to constitute slightly more than 14% of the voting population. In raw numbers, there were approximately 23 million SAGE Con votes cast. With 97% of those going to Donald Trump, the SAGE Con bloc provided the president with a net margin of more than 21 million votes.

They seem like very loyal apparatchiks, willing to follow the party line no matter what it may be each day.

A lot of them were Never Trumpers, but then they voted for Trump because he was not Hillary Clinton. Now they love Trump, to their everlasting shame.

"The survey revealed that SAGE Cons were not, as some have said, voting for a Pastor-in-Chief but were instead responding to his track record in office."

Survey respondents also identified the issue positions that mean the most to them. Far and away the most significant of those has been Trump’s anti-abortion stances (identified by 60% of SAGE Cons as one of the two issues that most influenced their vote). Other positions of significance were his court nominations and appointments (23%); support for religious freedom (17%); and positions regarding law and order, rule of law, and obeying the U.S. Constitution (12%). An additional three out of ten SAGE Cons (28%) identified the economy as a top issue of influence.

...
At the time they voted, nearly eight out of ten SAGE Cons (78%) expected Donald Trump to win the election.Since the close of the election, there has been widespread disappointment, if not outright anger, among SAGE Cons regarding the election outcome. Eight out of ten (79%) felt that there were “numerous instances of abuse” in the voting process, some of which have changed the outcomes.

Just 1% of SAGE Cons believe that the voting process was legally carried out and the votes were accurately counted.

Looks like they swallowed Trump's sore-loser Big Lie hook, line, and sinker.

 

[lpetrich]

In conclusion,

“Nobody is going to confuse Donald Trump with Jesus Christ, but SAGE Cons believe that the Trump portfolio of policy positions much better reflects the biblical worldview that SAGE Cons seek to implement in all walks of life than do those of Mr. Biden,” Barna explained. “With the American population moving away from the Bible as a source of truth and moral guidance, SAGE Cons have been pleasantly surprised at how the Trump agenda has coincided with many biblical principles on social and economic matters.”

Praise with faint damns.

“In 2016, Donald Trump was put over the top by the 91% of votes he received from an unexpected and largely ignored voter segment,” Barna noted, referring to SAGE Cons. “This year he was expected to carry that segment in a big way, but nobody would have predicted 99% turnout and 97% support from them—or from any large-scale voter segment. It is an astonishing display of consensus and support that, statistically speaking, is not likely to be outdone.”

Party-line loyalty that would make a Communist proud. They didn't support any alternative candidates in the primaries, candidates that they may have liked better, like Mitt Romney or Ted Cruz.

 

[Politesse]

Research by Dr. George Barna at
Cultural Research Center - Arizona Christian University at Arizona Christian University

I like him because he doesn't seem Pollyannaish. He is willing to report what he considers bad news.

Vast Majority of Americans Stitch Together Patchwork Worldview of Conflicting Beliefs, Making “Syncretism” Top Worldview Among U.S. Adults - Arizona Christian University
noting
CRC_AWVI2021_Release01_Digital_01_20210413.pdf

The leading worldviews with respect to American’s beliefs and behaviors are Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (39% of U.S. adults either lean strongly or moderately toward its specific beliefs and behaviors) and the biblical worldview (31% lean strongly or moderately toward its beliefs and behaviors). As for the influence of the other worldviews, the percentage of adults who lean strongly or moderately toward specific beliefs and behaviors include: Secular Humanism (16%); Postmodernism (16%); Nihilism (10%); Eastern Mysticism (10%); Marxism (10%).

Whoa, I'm actually in the majority on an ideological question? That's novel!

I mean, that's a super-insulting and not very accurate description of syncretism, but hey, progress is progess.

 

[lpetrich]

I've read many of the Barna-ACU research-report pages, and I continue to have trouble finding details of most of their worldview identifications: Marxism, Postmodernism, Eastern Mysticism, Secular Humanism, and Nihilism.

But I like the Barna-ACU list of God concepts.

"There are many gods, each with different power and authority" -- that's a good statement of polytheism. Those who defend religion as some supposed human universal ought to consider that polytheism is pretty much universal outside of the Abrahamic religions, and that some Abrahamic sects have a backdoor form of polytheism: cults of saints.

"Everyone is god" and "God refers to the total realization of personal, human potential or a state of higher consciousness that person may reach" seem like New-Age sorts of beliefs.

However, that list of beliefs does not seem to mention pantheism, unless "Everyone is god" counts.

 

[Politesse]

"There are many gods, each with different power and authority" -- that's a good statement of polytheism. Those who defend religion as some supposed human universal ought to consider that polytheism is pretty much universal outside of the Abrahamic religions, and that some Abrahamic sects have a backdoor form of polytheism: cults of saints.

Animistic beliefs were far more common than polytheism worldwide, before the monotheistic hegemony we are most familiar with took form. There is no sharp dividing line between these perspectives, however, more akin to a sort of spectrum of ascribed agency and authority.

 

[Tharmas]

"There are many gods, each with different power and authority" -- that's a good statement of polytheism. Those who defend religion as some supposed human universal ought to consider that polytheism is pretty much universal outside of the Abrahamic religions, and that some Abrahamic sects have a backdoor form of polytheism: cults of saints.

Animistic beliefs were far more common than polytheism worldwide, before the monotheistic hegemony we are most familiar with took form. There is no sharp dividing line between these perspectives, however, more akin to a sort of spectrum of ascribed agency and authority.

"The ancient Poets animated all sensible objects with Gods or Geniuses, calling them by the names and adorning them with the properties of woods, rivers, mountains, lakes, cities, nations, and whatever their enlarged & numerous senses could perceive.
And particularly they studied the genius of each city & country, placing it under its mental deity;
Till a system was formed, which some took advantage of & enslav’d the vulgar by attempting to realize or abstract the mental deities from their objects: thus began Priesthood;
Choosing forms of worship from poetic tales.
And at length they pronounc’d that the Gods had order’d such things.
Thus men forgot that All deities reside in the human breast." - William Blake, from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, 1793

 

[Gnostic Christian Bishop]

Are there really that many agnostics and atheists?

The vast majority of the world does not believe. The majority demonstrably lies.

Even where a country shows 95% religious affiliation, only 5% ever go to church even once a year. That is a Netherland stat if I recall.

Many stay affiliated because of culture and insecurity. As their world modernize, the believe stats have been dropping for some time now.

The tipping point to non-belief was about 10/20 years ago.

Non-believers have won the god wars. Believers just do not recognize their demise yet.

At this rate the vile mainstream god religions will give way to atheist and Gnostic Christian Mystery Schools in the next few years.

It all depends on how quick atheists are at getting their mystery schools going.

Get going you lazy atheist and agnostic bums.

Get to saving the world with more atheist churches.

Regards
DL

 

[lpetrich]

After discovering this,
Christianity is collapsing | Freedom From Religion Foundation - James Haught - July 15, 2021

Now, a brand-new finding by the Barna religious polling service says Christianity is being erased by “Don’ts — people who say they don’t know, don’t care or don’t believe that God exists.” George Barna calls the church wipeout “the most rapid and radical cultural upheaval our nation has ever experienced.”

A June 8 report from Arizona Christian University, where Barna is located, cites his findings this way: “The number of U.S. adults who qualify as ‘Don’ts’ has nearly tripled in the past decade, rising to 34 percent in 2021. Millennials (ages 18 to 36) are driving much of that shift, with 43 percent rejecting the existence of God.”

The report adds: “Belief in the existence of God as the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the universe who still rules the world today: down from 86 percent in 1991 to 46 percent in 2021.”

“Belief that the bible is the accurate and reliable word of God: Seventy percent in 1991; 41 percent in 2021.” I’m impressed by the frankness of Barna and Arizona Christian. Instead of trying to whitewash the ruinous survey results, they admit there’s “a precipitous decline in Christianity, and reduced confidence in religion nationwide.”

I decided to check on ACU again. It has more reports from Barna's researchers.

 

[lpetrich]

But first a detour. James Haught also wrote this: Closet Atheists Abound in America | Freedom From Religion Foundation - August 11, 2021

Two-thirds of Americans say they have negative opinions about disbelievers. More than one-third think atheists shouldn’t be allowed to teach in public schools, or hold office, or even hold rallies (talk about taking away the Constitutional right to peacefully assemble!). Revealing doubt about the supernatural can cause a storm within a family, and maybe jeopardize one’s career. Therefore, atheism is hidden by some.

“A 2016 Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) survey found that more than one-third of atheists reported hiding their religious identity or beliefs from friends or family members out of concerns that they would disapprove,” wrote Dr. Daniel Cox, Research Director of the PRRI. Dr. Cox added:

“There are Catholics, Jews, and Muslims who do not believe in God; their connection to religion is largely cultural or based on their ethnic background.”

Two UK researchers, Will Gervais and Maxine Najle, addressed that issue using  Unmatched count a technique for getting answers that the questioned ones might consider embarrassing or self-incriminating. It consists of asking several innocuous questions and for some of the study subjects, also asking the troublesome questions. The subjects are supposed to report only how many yes or no answers they gave, and not answers to the individual questions. Reporting only counts thus disguises answers to those troublesome questions.

Their result: an estimated 26% of US adults is atheists.

“Obtaining accurate atheist prevalence estimates may help promote trust and tolerance of atheists — potentially 80 million people in the USA and well over a billion worldwide.”

Frankly, I suspect that the rate of American doubters is higher still. Most churchgoers don’t really believe the supernatural dogmas they sing about. Remember the old joke saying that no Christian wants to go to heaven “right now.”

Also, ideas about God are blurry. Some believe in a miracle worker who answers prayers, while others have much-vaguer notions. PRRI Director Dr. Cox wrote: “Does a belief in mystical energy, for example, constitute a belief in a god?”

It would be interesting to see how many of various affiliations believe in what kind of god. Do "spiritual but not religious" people tend to believe in some mystical energy instead of some sentient Universe controller?

How many American atheists are there really? - Vox

Study after study has shown that most people (even other atheists) believe atheists are less moral. “We’ll give participants a little vignette, a story about someone doing something immoral, and probe their intuition about who they think the perpetrator was,” Gervais says. “And time and time again, people intuitively assume whoever is out there doing immoral stuff doesn’t believe in God.”

So it would make sense that when Pew or Gallup calls, people who don’t believe in God may be reluctant to say so. “We shouldn’t expect people to give a stranger over the phone an honest answer to that question,” Gervais says.

 

[lpetrich]

Research - Arizona Christian University
Finds in "The National Religious Realignment: Identifying Dramatic Changes in Long-Term Faith Commitments"

• dramatic changes in the faith of American Hispanics, with a decrease in the number of Hispanic Catholics, accompanied by a sharp increase in Hispanic “Don’ts”—those who don’t believe, don’t know, or don’t care if God exists;
• fast growth in Islamic, as well as Eastern and New Age religions;
• a consistent 30-year decline in both Christianity and confidence in religion;
• a breathtaking drop in four critical spiritual indicators: belief in God, belief in the Bible, recognition of salvation through Jesus Christ, and possession of a biblical worldview;
• and a surprising increase in belief in reincarnation, even among Christians.

Other population segments that have gravitated faster than most toward rejecting the existence of God include political liberals (49%), people who are not registered to vote (40%), and residents of the Northeast (40%) or California (40%). Not surprisingly, people who draw heavily from non-biblical worldviews also qualify as Don’ts—i.e., those who often rely on Marxism (58%), Nihilism (70%), Secular Humanism (85%), and Postmodernism (87%).

They find that Muslims have gone from 0.5% to 3%, and Eastern religions now at 5%. For Islam and Hinduism, this is most likely due to immigration, and that may also be somewhat true of Buddhism.

Indicator	1991	2001	2011	2021
Hold an orthodox, biblical view of God	86	72	67	46
Believe the Bible is the accurate word of God	70	60	62	41
Believe they will go to heaven solely due to confession of sins, acceptance of Jesus Christ as their personal savior	36	41	39	30
Possess a biblical worldview	12	--	--	6

One has to credit the Barna Group with being very honest.

 

[lpetrich]

It seems to me that reincarnation gets their goat.

They finds that 9% of Americans believe that they will get reincarnated, and that 39% consider it possible. That includes some 36% of self-identified Xians and 24% of born-again Xians.

• Our youngest adults, Millennials (51%)
• Our fastest-growing racial group, Hispanics (54%)
• Our parents of young children (47%)
• Residents of our largest states, which have greater influence on the nation (43%)
• LGBTQ adults, who are among the most influence-driven segments (65%)
• Liberals, currently the most politically-potent ideological segment (47%)

“The United States has become one of the largest and most important mission fields in the world,” Barna said. “We are faced with a young-adult population that is breaking the established patterns; they do not embrace many of the core beliefs and behaviors that characterized those who came before them.”

"Mission field" seems very demeaning. It's almost like what a con artist might say.

Barna explained, “This new America we see emerging is radically different—demographically, politically, relationally and spiritually. It is a young, non-white, mobile population. This group is largely indifferent to the United States, and is demonstrably skeptical of the nation’s history, foundations, traditions, and ways of life. They are technologically advanced, sexually unrestrained, emotionally unpredictable, and a spiritual hybrid. Christian ministry as practiced for the last five decades will not be effective with this unique population.”

Great that he's willing to concede great difficulty. But dismissing such people as anti-American is right-wing nastiness.

 

[lpetrich]

"Top 10 Most Seductive Unbiblical Ideas Embraced by Americans"

• the spiritually inclusive idea that “having faith matters more than what faith you have”;
• all faiths are of equal value;
• belief in “karma,” the idea rooted in Eastern religions that “you get what you give”;
• the dismissal of absolute truth;
• commitment to personal, subjective morality;
• the idea that people are “basically good”;
• success is determined by happiness, comfort, goodness, or fulfilled potential;
• sexual relations apart from marriage are morally acceptable;
• rejection of the notion that people are inherently sinful;
• and the conclusion that the purpose of accumulated personal wealth is unrelated to God’s purposes.

About the first one, "Those views were most common among people attending Catholic or mainline Protestant churches, along with those who are affiliated with non-Christian religions. Other segments who embraced these views included Democrats, liberals, and people living in wealthier households"

 

[lpetrich]

Then what people mean when they say that they are "Xian".

As fractions of US adults, self-identified Xians: 69%, self-identified born-again Xians: 35%, self-identified evangelical Xians: 28%, theologically born-again Xians: 28%, Integrated Disciples: 6%. Agreement with Barna Xianity increases as one goes along this list. They also go from being mixed liberal-moderate-conservative on social issues to mostly conservative.

Then one on what many Americans find attractive about Marxism.

"An alarming number of U.S. adults—especially younger Americans—are embracing key tenets of the Marxist worldview, including negative views of private property, individual economic success, and traditional moral values."

"The study found that about a quarter of U.S. adults hold negative views of private property. Specifically, 27% believe that allowing people to own property facilitates economic injustice, and almost as many (23%) believe that individual property ownership is bad for society." -- that seems bizarre, because I don't recall *anyone* having such views of private property.

Barna also connects critical race theory with Marxism, something totally absurd.

Barna calls Marxist the notion that "the primary source of guidance for personal moral decisions should be government laws or direction provided by political leaders." -- that can cover the entire political spectrum. A Trumpie could believe that Donald Trump should be the primary guide for personal moral decisions. It also goes against what Marxists profess to want, the state withering away to leave an anarcho-socialist society.

Then this weird one. "Karl Marx’s dictum that marriage is harmful to society and is a practice that should be eliminated." Where? He may have criticized exploitative forms of marriage, like married women being their husbands' property, but this?

This they also call Marxist: "people were originally good but became corrupted by society."

Also this: "success is best described as living a healthy and productive life, unencumbered by economic oppression." -- believers in capitalism can also believe that.

Also "the personal accumulation of money and other forms of wealth are practices that demonstrate how unfair society can be to those who work hard yet are unable to get ahead." -- that seems to be reality.

Then he claims that the 10 Commandments imply that rich people have an absolute right to their wealth, no matter how they obtained it.

"Marxist ideology denies the existence of God or a living deity in favor of vesting authority in government and social elites." -- hasn't George Barna ever heard of the divine right of kings? According to that theory, rulers are God's provincial governors.

 

[lpetrich]

Then what he calls Marxist views:

Human beings have developed over a long time from less advanced forms of life in a process that occurred naturally, without any supernatural intervention	48%
Either there is no such thing as God; or a higher power may exist, but nobody really knows for certain; or don’t know what to believe about the existence of God or a higher power	34%
The universe came into existence without any type of divine assistance; it is solely a physical phenomenon	34%
History is a human narrative, so it may differ from person to person	24%
Man is a biological machine whose natural goodness is inevitably corrupted by society	23%

Looking at the first three things, those are not specifically Marxist. One can be a super capitalist Randroid and believe all those things. Or anything in between.

As to the fourth one, that applies to people's beliefs, but I think that there exists a reality independent of our beliefs, though that reality can be difficult to discover.

I'm not sure about that last one.

 

[lpetrich]

More of what Barna calls Marxism:

Determining moral truth is up to each individual; there are no moral absolutes that apply to everyone, all the time	54%
Objective moral truth does not exist; all moral truth is personal and subjective	42%
Having sexual relations with someone you love and expect to marry in the future is morally acceptable	68%
Having an abortion because one’s partner has left, and the mother knows she cannot reasonably take care of the child, is morally acceptable	48%
Telling a falsehood of minor consequence in order to protect personal interests or reputation is morally acceptable	43%
Regardless of the motivation, suicide and euthanasia are morally acceptable choices	32%

It's almost as if anything that George Barna doesn't like is Marxist. This is lumping together metaphysical naturalism, conceptual relativism, the legitimacy of abortion and nonmarital sex, and acceptance of dishonesty.

 

[lpetrich]

"Postmodernism and Secular Humanism Increasingly Influence American Adults"

"The postmodern worldview is based on ideas such as the belief that all knowledge, values, and morals are dependent upon and thereby determined by social conditions; there is no absolute moral truth or universal moral boundaries; science and reason are of limited value to progress; and that everything, including personal identity and social roles, are constantly changing."

Barna calls these postmodernist:

• 39% claim that human life has no intrinsic value
• 29% express their commitment to getting even with those who wrong them
• 29% believe there is no way of knowing whether God or a supernatural being exists
• 28% indicate that they treat people based on their current feelings and circumstances
• 24% believe that historical narratives are unreliable because they are subjective human perspectives

Wanting revenge is postmodernist? Recognizing individual circumstances is postmodernist? I never knew.

"Typically, secular humanism includes elements such as the centrality of human reason and scientific inquiry to point the way forward; a desire to develop a more humane and moral society through human effort and capabilities; disbelief in a supernatural deity, an afterlife, absolute moral truth, and religious belief; and a pursuit of fairness, justice, and tolerance."

Xian apologists sometimes maintain that this is a ripoff of Xianity.

• 54% believe the universe had a scientifically explainable beginning; it was not created through any type of supernatural intervention
• 48% contend that human beings are the result of an explicable evolutionary process; the worldview rejects the idea that humans were created by God or are made in His likeness
• 36% identify “success” in life as the various human accomplishments that produce happiness or a sense of fulfillment
• 33% say that their primary guide to morality is human reason
• 24% believe that truth can only be determined through scientific inquiry and proof

Though he notes that only "6% believe there is no such thing as God, a supreme being, or a supernatural being"

Again a big mishmash.

 

[lpetrich]

Then the last report of this year: “Indifference to God, Jesus and the Bible Drives Millennials’ Faith”

• The population segment is generally ambivalent toward religious faith. Religious beliefs and experiences have much less influence on their life choices than those religious elements had in the lives of prior generations.
• The biblical foundations and definitions of Christianity are widely compromised or outright rejected by the younger generation, despite their tendency to refer to themselves as “Christians.”
• Despite a dramatic decline in belief in a transcendent, sovereign God, atheism has not been widely embraced by Millennials to fill that vacuum.
• Millennials place far less importance on church-based religious activity in their lives than previous generations.
• Concern about the afterlife has been replaced by an emphasis on living in the moment and making the most of this present life.
• Truth, a pivotal concept for the Christian faith, is viewed as the product of emotion rather than fact, and is seen as flexible rather than predictable in the eyes of most young adults.

Complains about "Xian" that "that term has taken on the connotation of being a good person, regardless of religious beliefs." -- so one can believe that Jesus Christ was a myth and still be a Xian?

"(59%) hold a positive view of Jesus" and "(16%) of the generation harbors a negative view of Jesus Christ" yet "The survey did reveal that a surprisingly large share of that youngest adult generation—23%—have not yet formed a substantive opinion of Jesus."

"Just half of Millennials have a favorable impression of the Bible (51%) and the Christian faith (50%)."

Barna has this list of beliefs about God or a higher power, from a recent poll of Millennials:

God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect and just creator of the universe who rules that universe today	35%
A higher power may exist, but nobody really knows for certain	25%
God refers to the total realization of personal, human potential or a state of higher consciousness that a person may reach	12%
There are many gods, each with different purposes and authority	8%
Everyone is god	5%
There is no such thing as God	5%
Don’t know	11%

 

[lpetrich]

Turning to the question of an afterlife,

However, many young Americans neither believe that Jesus is the central figure in determining the nature of our eternal destination nor worry about the existence and nature of an afterlife.

Millennials are leading the way in this new spiritual pathway. Only one out of every six Millennials (16%) believes that after they die they will enter Heaven solely because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Among living adults who preceded Millennials, twice that number has embraced Christ as their means to salvation.