EDITORIAL: ‘Biblical worldview’ should prompt Christ-like actions_120803

Posted: 12/05/03

EDITORIAL:
'Biblical worldview' should prompt Christ-like actions

If you think America is flying straight to hell in a satellite dish, George Barna may have just helped you tune in to the reason why.

A new poll by his Barna Research Group reports only 4 percent of U.S. adults base their decisions upon a “biblical worldview.”

“The primary reason that people do not act like Jesus is because they do not think like Jesus,” Barna explains. “Although most people own a Bible and know some of its content, … most Americans have little idea how to integrate core biblical principles to form a unified and meaningful response to challenges and opportunities of life.”

Barna's organization defines a biblical worldview as belief in absolute moral truth as presented by the Bible, as well as affirmation of six religious views: “Jesus Christ lived a sinless life; God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe, and he still rules it today; salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned; Satan is real; a Christian has a responsibility to share faith in Christ with other people; and the Bible is accurate in all its teachings.”

As you might expect, worldview impacts moral behavior, the survey shows. Compared to the rest of the population, Americans who share what Barna calls a biblical worldview are much less likely to condone cohabitation, drunkenness, gay sex, profanity and adultery. They also are far less likely to condone pornography, believe abortion is acceptable or advocate gambling.

Barna's study provides a helpful portrait of American morality. It documents the connection between theological beliefs and selected moral behaviors. It provides empirical evidence for what many people intuitively know: The moral erosion we have seen in society can be attributed, at least in part, to the paltry percentage of Americans who affirm divine absolutes.

However, the discussion started by the Barna survey should lead us to three gaps in its methodology. They are interrelated but crucial:

First, this definition of biblical worldview is rational rather than relational, and it can lead to a stifling legalism. The criteria are theologically broad and can be affirmed mentally. But they are practically narrow and do not necessarily lead to biblically based decision-making in all phases of life.

For example, the leaders of Enron and WorldCom were visible evangelical Christians and active in their churches. Very likely, they could and would have affirmed all the theological tenets set forth as a biblical worldview by Barna. Yet their moral failure was monumental. Similar cases could be made for other conservative Christians whose theological beliefs correspond to these affirmations but whose actions created scandal.

Second, the list of moral failures focuses primarily on sins of the flesh–internal or personal behaviors–rather than a more comprehensive range of ethical issues. This is a rather common evangelical blind spot. For generations, Baptists and like-minded conservative Christians have been known for what they're against, and these sins revolve around individual moral shortcomings. Barna's list even includes two of the big three–drinkin', dancin' and gamblin'. And, of course, sex.

Baptists and Barna should be commended for demanding high standards of personal morality. However, obsession with sins of commission, particularly regarding sex, alcohol and gambling, causes people to miss sins of omission. We also sin when we fail to do what we should, and a too-narrow worldview will cause us to overlook those failures.

For example, Jesus preached much more about care for the poor and disenfranchised than he did about sex. Not that he would condone sexual failure, but Jesus emphasized the vital importance of justice, fairness and mercy. A biblical worldview, at the very least, ought to lead a Christian to care about what caused Jesus concern.

Third, Barna's emphasis fails to address what we might call applied Christianity or everyday ethics. Most Baptists aren't challenged so much by sexual deviance, drunkenness or debauchery as by the ordinary decisions of their lives. Sins of harsh speech in their homes, over-consumption induced by greed, gluttony in restaurants and vindictive responses to annoying neighbors and coworkers plague their lives more than illicit sex. They're more challenged by how to steward their resources and what to watch on TV than by drinking or betting.

Still, whether we agree on the range of his focus, Barna has provided a great service by documenting the marginalization of a biblical worldview, even within the church. So, what are we to do?

First, we need to receive more of God's word. American Christians enjoy the Psalms, some of the Gospels and selected passages from Paul. We also need to study and hear sermons from the prophets, whose hearts broke because the people acted as if they didn't need God; the Gospel of Luke, which emphasizes Jesus' concern for the poor and disadvantaged; and James, which tells us our faith is nothing if we don't use it in the world.

Second, we need to ask, “So what?” Every sermon and every Sunday School lesson ought to turn a biblical mirror toward our faces. They ought to prompt us to ask, “What does this passage of Scripture say about how I should live?” They must teach us to confront all the experiences of our lives with divine truth, so that we may live like Jesus lived. Otherwise, our blindness overwhelms our faith and negates our testimony that a Christian worldview matters at all.

–Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com