A new study by Christian pollster George Barna comparing Americans’ religious beliefs and practices before and after the COVID pandemic finds some stunning departures from biblically faithful Christianity — including a 14 point drop, from 58%-44%, in the percentage of “born-again” Christians who believe Jesus lived a sinless life on Earth.
The survey, released April 20 and conducted by the Cultural Research Center (CRC), based at Arizona Christian University, in Glendale, Arizona, finds a mere 4% of overall Americans polled who possess a “biblical worldview,” down from 6%, while among born-again Christians, “the incidence of biblical worldview among them fell from 19% in 2020 to 13% in 2023.”
In another finding the report, which compares religious beliefs and practices in 2020, before the pandemic, to 2023, found a huge drop among born-again Christians — from 85% to just 50% — who say they are “deeply committed to practicing [their] faith.”
It’s not all bad news, though: the poll found a 14% uptick (from 32%-46%) in the percentage of people polled who agree that, “There are moral absolutes that apply to everyone, all the time.”
More Americans in 2023 (46%, up from 41% in 2020) believe the Bible is the “true and completely accurate word of God,” according to the poll. And born-again Christians registered a leap from 47% to 59% who accept the biblical teaching that sex “between two people who are not married to each other is morally unacceptable.”
The CRC study, “How the Faith of Americans Has Shifted Since the Start of the Pandemic,” released April 20, compares 2,000 U.S. adults in 2000 to the same number in 2023. Of those totals, 671 were considered born-again Christians in the 2020 survey and 650 were considered born-again in the 2023 survey. It is part of CRC’s ongoing to attempt to quantify Americans’ adherence to a biblical worldview since the COVID pandemic began.
The poll’s cross-tabs measure and compare two sets of Americans: a general group of randomly selected respondents, and “born again” Christians who voiced belief in the biblical gospel (“good news”) that they cannot count on their own goodness to get to heaven but rather the saving grace of God through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died to pay the price for their sins.
Here are some other notable findings in the report:
- A 12 percentage drop, from 60% to 14%, in Americans generally who agree with the statement: “You are deeply committed to practicing your religious faith”;
- A 14% drop, from 58-44%, in born-again Christians who believe the “Bible is unambiguous in its teaching about abortion”;
- A whopping 42% drop, from 88%-46% among born-again Christians who agree with the statement: “You have a unique, God-given calling or purpose for your life”;
- A 12-point drop in overall Americans’ religious beliefs, from 39%-29% who believe that “Human life is sacred.”
In a phone interview with WND, Barna ascribed the contradictory results of his survey to Americans’ predominant worldview of “syncretism,” which his report describes as “combining beliefs from a variety of worldviews into an unpredictable, customized blend that satisfies the emotional needs of the individual.”
“The results are confusing and contradictory because people are confused, and that includes many Christians,” Barna told WND. “The leading worldview is syncretism, and syncretism is essentially a confused belief system.”
He said the shocking, 35-point drop in born-again Christians who say they are “deeply committed” to practicing their faith is a reality-check brought on by the COVID pandemic and the government’s extreme, devastating lockdowns.
“Many self-professed Christians are not deeply committed, although they always seem to think they are,” Barna said. “Then the pandemic and the government’s extreme reaction to it came along and many who were hit hard by it said to themselves, ‘My faith really didn’t hold up for me.’”
Barna said American evangelical churches, especially “megachurches,” are “really good at marketing, but they’re not very good at discipling believers, and building up in their members a depth of commitment to Jesus.”
He said this unique, post-COVID era presents an amazing opportunity for faithful Christians to befriend, witness to, and disciple people in crisis, be they spiritually wandering family members, friends, or co-workers. He said many people are asking big questions about life and God in the wake of the pandemic, and the “remnant” of deeply committed followers of Jesus need to share the love and hope of Christ with them.
But beyond that, he said, Christians need to disciple new believers, or old believers, to help ground them in their faith.
“People will not become more committed as believers unless someone gets close to them and disciples them,” he said, adding that there is a “dearth of discipleship” in the larger church.
Biblical worldview?
Regarding the stunning drop of born-again Christians (58% in 2020 to 44% in 2023) who say they do not agree with the fundamental Christian and biblical belief that “Jesus did not commit sins during His time on Earth,” Barna told WND: “Most born-again Christians do not have a biblical worldview,” something he has been saying a very long time.
The CRC report states, “All told, there were 13 statistically significant changes identified among the born-again population — and the magnitude of the shift for two of them is quite astonishing.” The first is the 35-point drop described above among those who say they are “deeply committed” to their faith. The second is a 42-point drop, from 88%-46%, in respondents saying they have a “unique God-given calling or purpose for their life.”
In a previous report released in March, Barna laid out seven “cornerstones” of a biblical worldview:
- An orthodox, biblical understanding of God;
- All human beings are sinful by nature; every choice we make has moral considerations and consequences;
- The consequences of our sin can only be forgiven and eliminated through Jesus Christ. That forgiveness is available only by our personal, sincere acknowledgment and confession of our sins and complete reliance on His grace for the forgiveness of those sins’
- The entire Bible is true, reliable and relevant, making it the best moral guide for every person in all situations;
- Absolute moral truth exists — and those truths are defined by God, describes in the Bible, and are unchanging across time and cultures;
- The ultimate purpose of human life is to know, love, and serve God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul;
- Success on Earth is best understood as consistent obedience to God — in thoughts, words and actions.
“When you put the data in perspective, the biblical worldview is shuffling toward the edge of the cliff,” Barna said in the CRC’s first release of its “Worldview Inventory 2023,” released in February. “As things stand today, biblical theism is much closer to extinction in America than it is to influencing the soul of the nation. The current incidence of adults with the biblical worldview is the lowest since I began measuring it in the early 1990s.”
The veteran evangelical researcher cautioned, “Young people, in particular, are largely isolated from biblical thought in our society and are the most aggressive at rejecting biblical principles in our culture.”
The newest report describes “indefensible shifts in born-again beliefs,” and said “six beliefs of born-again Christians endured significant decline in the past three years.”
Barna told WND the vast majority of Americans, including so many self-identified Christians, lack a biblical worldview because they do not prioritize the study of Scripture, and because they take their cues from “the most powerful influence” in the culture: “arts and entertainment.”
Under the heading, “Declines in Biblical Behavior,” the CRC report states “there was a dramatic drop among born-again adults in being deeply committed to practicing their religious faith. Another decline is in studying or reading the Bible during a typical week, which declined 5 points, from 60% in 2020 to 55% in 2023.”
Barna told WND he hopes America’s spiritual crisis has “bottomed out,” but whether it has or not, the most pressing question for faithful Christians is this: “Will the five percent of ‘remnant’ believers … who are sold out to Him recognize this moment of opportunity” to share their faith and disciple new followers of the Savior?
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Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
