A new book from Christian researcher George Barna shows that uncommitted Christians are causing a "catastrophic decline in biblical worldview in America" because they do not know how to pass on biblical values to their children.
Barna’s book, Raising Spiritual Champions: Nurturing Your Child’s Heart, Mind, and Soul, was released on Sept. 5. It analyzes research from seven original studies from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University and the Family Research Council, The Christian Post reports.
The book explores the idea that Christian parents often feel “ill-equipped” and begin “outsourcing their responsibilities.”
"During the research, parents often shared doubts about their own parenting ability, even expressing that although they are doing the best they can, they don't feel that they are very good parents," Barna, the director of research at the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, explains in a summary of the research highlighted in the book.
"But because they love their children and want them to have the best experiences and outcomes, parents look to find people who they believe can do the job in various dimensions of their child's lives."
Barna says that parents have “stepped back” and allowed worldview development to come from others.
“Our worldview is the decision-making filter that informs every decision we make — intellectual, moral, emotional, and spiritual,” he said. To have a biblical worldview "is to think like Jesus, so that you can act like Jesus."
The book found that:
- 2 percent of parents with children under the age of 13 said they had a biblical worldview
- 94 percent said they had a “hodge-podge mixture” of worldviews
- 8 percent of parents of preteens said they had a biblical worldview
- 1 percent of preteens in America have a biblical worldview
"Most parents, even born-again parents, do not really think the spiritual component of their child's life is a big deal — at least not as big a deal as doing well in school, sports, or relationships. And even if they are focused on building their child's biblical worldview, very few parents today — only 2 percent — possess a biblical worldview," Barna said. "They can't give what they don't have — and this creates a gaping spiritual vacuum as today's parents are raising their children."
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Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
