Most Christians, notional and evangelical alike, desire a personal relationship with God, a new study showed. But evangelicals were the only Christian segment that desired much more in their faith life.
At least 90 percent of Evangelicals, who make up 8 percent of the population, according to The Barna Group, said they wanted a clear purpose for living, one marriage partner for life, good physical health, to live with a high degree of integrity, and to be deeply committed to the Christian faith along with having a personal relationship with God. They were the only group among the dozen Christian segments surveyed by the research group among which at least 90 percent listed as many as six of the 19 future-life possibilities as being "very desirable."
"Evangelicals are intensely driven by their faith: their life is substantially influenced by their beliefs and their lifestyle choices and aspirations reflect the centrality of their spirituality," said George Barna, who directed the study.
Most evangelicals, 84 percent, also said that being personally active in a church was "very desirable" and 75 percent said they desired a life in which they make a difference in the world.
The only thing "very desirable" to at least 90 percent of born-again Christians who are not evangelical in their theological views was a personal relationship with God - listed by 94 percent. Still, 87 percent of born-again Christians said they desire a clear purpose for their life, 86 percent said they desire being deeply committed to the Christian faith, and 68 percent said they want to be personally active in a church.
"Non-evangelical born again adults consider faith to be important but it is not the defining aspect of their existence; it is influential but not the determining factor," said George Barna, who directed the study.
Meanwhile, only 65 percent of notional Christians - who define themselves as Christians but are not born again - said a close personal relationship with God is very desirable. Their biggest desire is to live with a high degree of integrity, listed by 81 percent. Seventy-five percent of notional Christians said they desire one marriage partner for life, 72 percent said they want a clear purpose for life, and 54 percent they desire making a difference in the world.
The only thing they deemed more highly desirable than did the evangelical and born-again segments was owning the latest household technology and equipment, the survey showed.
"Notional Christians treat faith as just one of many dimensions of their life that serves a purpose, but it is not a driving force at all," Barna noted.
Nationally, 59 percent desire being deeply committed to the Christian faith, 56 percent want a life in which they make a difference in the world and 45 percent want to be personally active in a church.
Christians were less likely to desire fame or recognition or a comfortable life compared to the national average. Only 43 percent of evangelicals said they want a comfortable lifestyle compared to a national average of 70 percent.
However, like most in the various Christian segments, Americans overall want a clear purpose for their life, as indicated by the 77 percent national average.
The survey further showed that atheists and agnostics have different goals in life. Among them, 55 percent said they desire to have a clear purpose in life, 58 percent want one marriage partner for life (compared to 80 percent nationally), and 45 percent desire having close relationships and making a difference in the world (compared to 56 percent nationally).
"Skeptics have replaced faith with a passion for healthy longevity and personal pleasure gained through world travel, sexual experiences, and obtaining knowledge," Barna commented. "They are substantially less focused on relationships and legacy than are other groups. They tend to be less concerned about finding or pursuing a purpose in life because a majority of them believe life has no purpose beyond comfort and pleasure."
The survey is based on telephone interviews conducted in May 2008 on a random sample of 1,003 adults age 18 and older.
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Comments
President Bush has certainly done damage to the "label" of "evangelical Christian" with his baby-brain thinking.
Make that "the baby brain with the baby bath water."
jhs, did you say on one post that you went to Baylor?
jhs, most evangelicals I know do not come close to associating themselves with Word of Faith proponents. They may side with them on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage but it is on an issue by issue basis. And yes, many Conservative Evangelicals voted for Bush, but so did you and I. And I know many of those who did who are disappointed by some of the decisions he made and have verbalized that disappointment, but continue to support him in those areas where they believe he is doing a good job. To this point they aren't willing to throw out the baby with the bath water.
believer
For the record, Bush wore Jesus on his sleeve during the 2000 campaign. And it worked for him.
I have high regard for the Grahams, Billy et al, [his nephew officaited my wedding], but the like of Robertson, Hagee, Parsley have just made review my entire faith. I went to a evangelical university, and I know I am hard on evangelicals, but I do have a soft side for all christians, just not the rabid right wing neanderthal hate filled bible thumping crowd that says if you don't agree with them your on the slip and slide to hell. This crowd made their bed with the republican party,[my party til 06] and frankly they are destroying the country. I just finally woke up.
believer
If it were not for evangelicals bush could have never been president, the fact that so many "evangelicals" are not fessing up to it has alot to do with the feeling that bush let them down coupled that with all the teleevangelist Copeland, Hinn, Hagee etc making complete @$$es of themselves has people heading for the exits.
First, it is clearly important that the terms are defined.
I believe Barna uses the term 'evangelical' that reflects people who attend church at least twice a month, call themselves born-again, read their bibles at least 3 times/wk, etc.
That term has taken on such a inflamatory tone; but to spread the Good News, as the term means, and telling Truth always brings persectution.
Peace.
jhs, no one has ever said that Bush was an evangelical, but many felt and still believe he is sensitive to the evangelical point of view on various issues such as abortion. Plus what was the point you were trying to make in your last post?
Evangelicals from what I have seen make up 23%-30% of the Christian population, so either people are too embarased to admit they are after 8 years of one of their own in the White House, or the tele evangelist crowd has people heading for the exits.
"At least 90 percent of Evangelicals, who make up 8 percent of the population,"
They must have a very narrow definition of 'evangelical'. It also depends on where the poll was done. I hate polls for this very reason. If the poll was done here the % of evangelicals would be much higher.
I know what you're saying. Our pastor polks fun at democrats from time to time but being in the upstate of South Carolina another of our pastors will polk fun at the Chickens of Carolina (being a Clemson Tiger fan).
We have plenty of both parties and many free thinkers as well. What our Pastor does do is incourage to find out exactly who we are voting for instead of treating elections like a slot machine....
jhs, if any Southern Baptist pastor in my association tried to tell his people they had to vote Republican or not vote Democrat they would run him off in a heartbeat. Most evangelicals in SE Kentucky are registered and vote Democratic. The same is true in NE Tennessee.
For the record, people confuse republican with evangelicals, when you have preachers telling people that they cannot be a christian and a democrat, it tends to PO people. The problem with evangelicals is that they made their bed with a bunch of country club republicans who used them to get their financial agendas through. Wealthy republican would no sooner spit on most evangelicals than look at them, but they needed them so they put with them.
I suggest you read "Think Like Jesus" by George Barna. It is a sobering account of the delimma faced by born-again evangelicals in America. Our fundamental beliefs are aggressively opposed and demeaned by most of popular culture and much of the popular 'church'. Only 50% of the pastors of BAE churches attempt to live their lives according to the biblical worldview. Worst still, only 9% of members of BAE churches do likewise. John recorded in his and the last book of the Bible how God feels about Christians who become lukewarm in their faith.