According to a new study by Arizona Christian University, about one-third of millennials identify as LGBTQ but also report viewing Jesus and the Bible favorably.
The research report, titled New Insights into the Generation of Growing Influence: Millennials In America, was led by Dr. George Barna, the lead researcher at Arizona Christian University's Cultural Research Center.
"For understandable reasons, millions of millennials reject organized religion, or have qualms about religious leaders, and especially about religious people who may prove to be hypocritical. Their experiences, observations and assumptions regarding religion, spiritual beliefs, and faith practices have produced a turbulent spiritual experience," Barna wrote in an analysis of the findings.
The 62-page study, which was released last month, highlights how millennials were seeking answers to their problems while "disengaged from spiritual teaching and practice, resulting in a paucity of knowledge, understanding, experience, and growth in this realm."
When it came to their view of Jesus Christ, about 59 percent of millennials reported viewing Him as at least "a little positive," while some 39 percent said they viewed Him as "very positive." When it came to the millennial respondents' view of the Bible, 29 percent said they had a "very positive" impression. Regarding Christianity as a whole, just half of millennials said it was at least "a little positive."
Most millennials in the study, however, also rejected atheism, with only 25 percent seeing it as a "little positive" and 8 percent viewing it as "very positive."
While most millennials reported viewing Jesus and the Bible favorably and 65 percent said they were professing Christians, many held views contradictory to a biblical worldview, including views on sexuality and the sanctity of life. For instance, 30 percent of the surveyed millennials and nearly 40 percent of the surveyed adults 18-24 identified as LGBTQ.
"The proportion of young adults who identify as LGBTQ is roughly three times the proportion identified among the combined older adults of the nation," Barna explained. "Given the moral and political implications of such an identity, that self-characterization alone raises a range of emotional challenges."
According to The Christian Post, the veteran researcher also suggested that millennials should shift their worldview in order to face life's challenges head-on.
"Given the centrality of worldview to the human experience, there can be no improvements to the life millennials lead without addressing the fundamental role of worldview," Barna asserted. "And because worldview is developed and carried out in the competitive marketplace of beliefs and behaviors, think about the pervasive consequences for millennials of rejecting the biblical worldview in favor of other, more popular alternatives."
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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
