Showing posts with label LifeWay Research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LifeWay Research. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

New Research Finds Surprising Trend Among Young Evangelicals - LIFEWAY RESEARCH CHARISMA NEWS

Four in 10 younger evangelicals (41 percent) have no strong views about Israel. (Unsplash/Omar Lopez)
Older American evangelicals love Israel—but many younger evangelicals simply don't care, according to a new survey from Nashville-based LifeWay Research.
Three-quarters (77 percent) of evangelicals 65 and older say they support the existence, security and prosperity of Israel. That drops to 58 percent among younger evangelicals, those 18 to 34.
Four in 10 younger evangelicals (41 percent) have no strong views about Israel.
Fewer younger evangelicals (58 percent) have an overall positive perception of Israel than older evangelicals (76 percent).
And they are less sure Israel's rebirth in 1948 was a good thing.
"For the most part, younger evangelicals are indifferent about Israel," said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research.
Most Evangelicals Support Israel
LifeWay Research asked 2,002 Americans with evangelical beliefs about a wide range of issues involving Israel—from its place in the Bible to its treatment of Palestinians. The survey focused on Americans with evangelical beliefs rather than self-identified evangelicals.
Overall, this group was supportive of Israel.
Sixty-seven percent have a positive view of that nation. Nine percent have a negative view. Twenty-four percent are not sure.
One-fourth (24 percent) support the existence, security and prosperity of Israel, no matter what Israel does. Forty-two percent support Israel, but not everything Israel does. One percent do not support Israel. Thirty-two percent have no strong views about Israel.
Few (14 percent) agree when asked whether Israel's rebirth was an injustice to Arabs in the Middle East. Fifty percent disagree. Thirty-six percent are not sure.
About a quarter (22 percent) say modern Israel has been unfair to Palestinians. Forty-one percent disagree. Thirty-seven percent are not sure.
Younger evangelicals (19 percent) are more likely to see the rebirth of Israel as an injustice. Only 34 percent disagree. Forty-seven percent are not sure.
Among older evangelicals, 9 percent see the rebirth of Israel as an injustice, while 62 percent disagree. Twenty-eight percent are not certain.
Older evangelicals (49 percent) are more likely to disagree that Israel has been unfair to Palestinians. Young evangelicals (32 percent) are less likely.
Mitch Glaser, president of Chosen People Ministries, which helped underwrite the survey, said he was glad to see that most evangelicals support Israel.
Still, he found the decline of support among younger evangelical believers worrisome.
"I am concerned for the obvious decline in support for Israel among millennial followers of Jesus, who either do not know what they believe or do not seem to care," he said.
Darrell L. Bock, a board member for Chosen People Ministries and director of cultural engagement at Dallas Theological Seminary, wonders if Israel is on the back burner for many younger evangelicals.
When they think about the Middle East, they're more likely to think about Iraq or Iran or the impact of terrorism in the world, he said.
"The terror attacks on 9/11 changed the Middle East equation, and young people just aren't sure where Israel is supposed to fit," he said.
The Bible Plays a Big Role
Most evangelical believers in the LifeWay Research survey say faith shapes their views on Israel.
Three-quarters (76 percent) say Christians should support the right of the Jewish people to live in the sovereign State of Israel. Five percent disagree. Twenty percent are not sure.
Sixty-nine percent say the Jewish people have a historic right to the land of Israel. Six percent disagree. Twenty-five percent are not sure.
Only 19 percent say Palestinians have a historic right to Israel. Forty-six percent disagree. Thirty-four percent are not sure.
Forty-one percent say Jewish people have a "biblical right" to Israel but have to share it.
Twenty-eight percent disagree. Thirty-one percent are not sure.
African-Americans with evangelical beliefs are least likely (54 percent) to say Jewish people have a "biblical right" to the land of Israel. They are also least likely (50 percent) to have a positive view of Israel.
Among other findings:
  • Forty-five percent say the Bible has had the biggest influence on their views of Israel.
  • Sixty-three percent say they support Israel primarily because "God gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people."
  • Twenty-two percent are not sure if biblical promises about the land of Israel are still in force.
  • Eighty percent say God promised the land of Israel to Abraham and his descendants for all time.
  • Eighty percent say the rebirth of Israel in 1948 was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
Author Joel C. Rosenberg, who also helped underwrite the survey, said most evangelicals see a connection between the Bible and the modern nation of Israel. But he said he's worried that's not the case for younger evangelicals, which could cause evangelical support for Israel to drop in the future.
"Unless the church gives younger believers a healthy, balanced, solidly biblical understanding of God's love and plan for Israel, overall evangelical support for the Jewish state could very well plummet over the next decade as millennials represent an ever-larger percentage of the overall church body," Rosenberg said.
Israel and Palestinians
Evangelical believers are uncertain how to resolve differences between Israelis and Palestinians. A quarter (23 percent) say Israel should sign a treaty allowing Palestinians to have a sovereign state in the West Bank and Gaza. Thirty-one percent disagree. Forty-six percent are unsure.
Six in 10 (59 percent) say Christians should do more to love and care for Palestinians. Sixteen percent disagree. Twenty-five percent are not sure.
Among younger evangelicals, two-thirds say Christians need to do more to care for Palestinians. That drops to 54 percent among those 65 and older.
Most evangelical believers (73 percent) agree they are concerned for the safety of Christians in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority. Five percent disagree. Twenty-two percent are not certain.
Evangelicals are certain God wants the state of Israel to exist, said McConnell. But they think Christian love should include Palestinian people.
"They believe God wants Israel to be there," he said, "but they also think God cares how the nation of Israel acts."
For more information, visit LifeWayResearch.com or view the complete survey report PDF.
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Thursday, November 5, 2015

Bible vs. Quran: Which Is Better for America? CBN NEWS CHARISMA NEWS

Lifeway Research interviewed 1,000 Americans to learn their opinions about the Bible and the Quran.

Lifeway Research interviewed 1,000 Americans to learn their opinions about the Bible and the Quran. (Flickr/Creative Commons)


Bible vs. Quran: Which Is Better for America?


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A majority of Americans believe the country would be better off if people followed the teachings of the Bible over the Quran, the Muslim holy book.
Lifeway Research interviewed 1,000 Americans to learn their opinions about the Bible and Quran.
The results are a bit shocking.
Questioners asked interviewees if they considered the text of each book to be dangerous, and if it would be helpful, or harmful for American society to follow the teachings of each.
Twenty-four percent of Americans considered the Quran to be a dangerous book, and only 9 percent felt that way about the Bible. Eighty percent said the Bible is good for American society.
But the most shocking response came when 28 percent of respondents said they think following the Quran would be good for the country, and 25 percent said they didn't know if the Quran is dangerous, or good.
How could this be, when only slightly more than one half of one percent of the total U.S. population is Muslim?
According to the 2010 U.S. Religion Census2.6-million Americans are Muslim. That figure has grown by 1.6 million since 2000.
Are these informed and educated opinions about the Quran, or views based on feelings?
Those polled were not asked if they had read the Quran, or if they were familiar with Islamic teachings.
The Lifeway survey also found that 14 percent of respondents felt that following the Bible's teachings would be harmful to American society, while 33 percent felt the same about the Quran.
Also, Lifeway Research found significant differences of opinion based on region and age.
While 30 percent of Southerners agreed that the Quran is a dangerous book, only 17 percent of Northeasterners felt the same way. Younger people are less likely than older Americans to agree with the danger assessment of the Quran. Only 14 percent of those age 18-24 said the Quran is a dangerous book, while more than one third of those 65+ (34 percent) felt the same way.
And Southerners (7 percent) are less likely than Westerners (12 percent) to believe that the Bible is a dangerous book.
The full Lifeway Research Survey on American Views on Sacred Texts and Society can be viewed here: Lifeway Survey.

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Monday, July 27, 2015

Study: American Evangelicals Stand Behind Israel

Study: American Evangelicals Stand Behind Israel




A recent LifeWay Research study shows, as a whole, American Evangelicals stand behind Israel.
A recent LifeWay Research study shows, as a whole, American Evangelicals stand behind Israel. (iStock photo )
Standing With Israel
A recent LifeWay Research study shows that American evangelicals remain among the strongest supporters of the nation of Israel.
Most believe God has plans for that nation, both now and in the future. And many of America's preachers say Christians need to support Israel.
Those are among the findings of a LifeWay study of American attitudes toward Israel and the Bible. As part of the study, researchers conducted two separate surveys of 1,000 Americans, along with a survey of 1,000 senior pastors of Protestant churches.
"No piece of literature has had more impact on American culture than the Bible," said Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research. "No country is more intertwined with the ancient biblical narrative than Israel, and evangelical Americans see a contemporary connection with the nation."
Researchers found evangelicals see a close tie between God and Israel.
About 7 in 10 (69 percent) say the modern nation of Israel was formed as result of biblical prophecy. A similar number (70 percent) say God has a special relationship with the modern nation of Israel. And nearly three-fourths of evangelicals (73 percent) say events in Israel are part of the prophecies in the Book of Revelation.
While evangelicals remain convinced about a tie between Israel and God's plans, Americans generally are less certain.
Less than half (46 percent) believe the formation of modern Israel is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. More than a third (36 percent) disagree, while 17 percent aren't sure.
Americans are split down the middle over whether Jews are God's chosen people as referenced in the Bible, with just under half (46 percent) saying they agree. A similar number (44 percent) disagree, while 10 percent are not sure.
And some Americans think God was closer to ancient Israel than to the modern-day nation.
About two-thirds (64 percent) of Americans say God had a "special relationship with ancient Israel." About 1 in 4 (27 percent) disagrees, while 9 percent are not sure.
In contrast, only 48 percent of Americans say God has a special relationship with modern Israel—fewer than the 53 percent of Americans who believe God has a special relationship with the United States, according to previously released LifeWay research.
About 4 in 10 (39 percent) disagree that God has a special relationship with modern Israel, while 13 percent are not sure.
Evangelicals (70 percent) are much more likely to agree than Americans who don't identify as evangelicals (38 percent).
Overall, nearly half (47 percent) of Americans believe events in Israel are tied to the Book of Revelation. Forty percent disagree, and 13 percent are unsure.
Younger Americans, those 18-24, are less likely (36 percent) to see a tie between Israel and the Book of Revelation than those 45 and older (52 percent).
Women (52 percent) are more likely to agree than men (42 percent). Those with graduate degrees (24 percent) are much less likely to agree events in Israel are part of the prophecies in Revelation than those with a high school degree or less (55 percent).
Support for Israel
Schooling and prophecy both play a role in how Americans view Israel. When asked whether they support Israel's statehood, 42 percent agree, while 35 percent disagree. One in four (23 percent) is not sure.
Higher levels of education correlate to higher levels of support for Israeli statehood. Those with a graduate degree are most likely to be supporters at 61 percent, followed by those with a bachelor's degree (56 percent), those with some college (43 percent), and those with a high school diploma or less (31 percent).
Slightly more than half of men (51 percent) say they support Israeli statehood, compared to a third (33 percent) of women. Support is also significantly higher among evangelicals (50 percent) than others (39 percent).
Supporters are split on the reasons they back Israel. Sixteen percent say the Bible tells them to, and 9 percent say it's because Israel is important for biblical prophecy.
Some (13 percent) say they support Israel primarily because Israel is America's best friend in the Middle East. Others say it's because Jews needed a refuge after the Holocaust (11 percent) or because Israel is the one and only Jewish homeland (15 percent).
Though the term Zionist is synonymous with believing Jews should have their own state, only eight percent of Americans claim this label. A third (32 percent) of Americans are not sure whether they are Zionist.
Among the most ardent of Israel's supporters are senior pastors of Protestant churches. Most (80 percent) agree "Christians should support Israel." About one in 7 (14 percent) disagrees.
Even though they support Israel, some pastors have their doubts about Israel's military actions. About 4 in 10 (41 percent) agree with the statement, "It is hard to defend Israel's military tactics." Fifty percent disagree, while 9 percent are not sure.
McConnell noted, "It is surprising that evangelicals, who have such a fascination with Israel's biblical connections, are no more likely to have an opinion about Israel's statehood than other Americans."
Bob Smietana is former senior writer for Facts & Trends magazine.
Methodology
The first phone survey of Americans was conducted September 19-28, 2014. The second phone survey of Americans was conducted September 26-October 5, 2014. The calling utilized Random Digit Dialing. Sixty percent of completes were among landlines and 40 percent among cell phones. Maximum quotas and slight weights were used for gender, region, age, ethnicity, and education to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 1,000 surveys. The sample provides 95% confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.5 percent. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Those labeled evangelicals consider themselves "a born again, evangelical, or fundamentalist Christian."
The phone survey of Protestant pastors was conducted September 11-18, 2014. The calling list was a stratified random sample drawn from a list of all Protestant churches. Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister, or priest of the church called. Responses were weighted by region to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 1,000 surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.1 percent. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.
LifeWay Research is a Nashville-based, evangelical research firm that specializes in surveys about faith in culture and matters that affect the church.
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Monday, November 3, 2014

Survey Shows Evangelicals Confused Theologically - CBN News

Dr. Stephen Nichols

Survey Shows Evangelicals Confused Theologically

new poll from Lifeway Research reveals that evangelicals have a significant level of theological confusion.
The survey, commissioned by Ligonier Ministries, shows a lack of orthodox views about God, salvation, and the Holy Spirit.
The good news is that nearly all evangelicals, about 96 percent, believe that Jesus rose from the dead. And 92 percent believe that salvation comes from Him alone.
Also, close to 90 percent believe that God is sovereign over all people and that the Bible is the word of God.
What are some of the most concerning heretical views some evangelicals hold? For more on this, CBN News spoke with Dr. Stephen Nichols, president of Reformation Bible College and a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow.
Watch CBN News Video: Survey
Love For His People Editor's Note: My most recent NOW THINK ON THIS message asked the question, "No More Retraints?" As has been found in the survey above, American Christians in particular no longer know/believe what is black and white and Scripturally based, and thus cannot stand for what is right and wrong. Read below. 

Steve Martin
Love For His People, Inc.
President



No More Restraints?
- Now Think On This
by Steve Martin


“And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.” 2 Thess. 2:6-8 NASU


The walls are falling down. Many of the restraints we formerly could count on, which have been holding back the onslaught of the evil one as they had been in place over the centuries, are no longer there.

Almost anything is allowed now, as people and governments are using all excuses to serve their own purposes. Often it is heard, “We must be sensitive to others”, or “stop pushing your own agenda or beliefs on us.” It would seem that all situations are ok, as there is no longer any fear of paying a price for sin, no matter how large or small. After all, some would think, no longer is there a need for accountability to anyone or anything having rules, regulations or set guidelines. We are “free to let it all go and do our own thing.”


According to many, there are no longer any restraints that would or should guide us anymore. The concept of sin went out the door decades ago. With a common misconception that one can be called a Christian by just saying you are one, the thought of a God who would judge people is labeled as old school. Why therefore need we adhere to the Ten Commandments or any Scripture? We took those down off the court room walls decades ago, after all.


There used to be a time when at least you could hear, even in mainline churches, good, solid teaching on standards, as they held the ground on what was permissible and what wasn’t. Now, due to the fear of political correctness or attacks from the other side, speaking Bible truth has been so watered down that young kids have no idea what really is right or wrong. The standards have been so lowered that what we once upheld and stood strong on have now been tossed aside, replaced by ungodly standards and immoral judgments. Deception abounds.


Even certain nationally observed days, with foundations from evil origins themselves, have become some of the most celebrated in our countries. Indeed, the ever increasing temperature rise in the frog’s captive water has gone up so high, whereby the “frog” is now being boiled alive, not even realizing the impending result. But death will actually result.


Parents raising kids are confronted daily with sound waves of how all the others are doing it, how it will be alright to give in a little, and why not to be so tough on allowing your kids to explore and try new ways. Weariness takes its toll on those attempting to hold the line, while struggling to stop the onslaught from coming into the home daily from every which way.


So what do we do? Give up and give in? Tell ourselves that the world is going to hell anyway, so just let it happen?


In speaking to those of us who are of the current parental generation, we are called upon by our Lord to stand, even as others around us would give in. We are the ones who must be the lighthouse to those who have lost their way. We must be the “Bible” to those who have never been instructed in the Way, or shown the Truth, or heard of the Life in Jesus Christ.


“Refuse to follow the devil. Stand strong in your faith. You know that your brothers and sisters all over the world are having the same sufferings that you have. 1 Peter 5:9


“So, brothers and sisters, stand strong and continue to believe the teachings we gave you when we were there and by letter.” 2 Thess. 2:15


I know I grow weary at times, with the frequent temptations, the short term victories of the ungodly, and the continuing battle to keep my mind on the Lord and His ways. But I know for the sake of my family, my grandkids, and others who are watching and listening, I, along with you, must hold the line. We must stand for truth, righteousness and accountability.


Be encouraged in the Lord’s strength. Spend the time daily to be uplifted by His Word, His answers to prayers, and His light that does shine in the darkness. Our promised reward awaits us in the end.


Now think on this,


Steve Martin
Love For His People. Inc.




Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

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Now Think On This #163 - “No More Restraints?” by Steve Martin
Date: In the year of our Lord 2014 (10.29.14) Wednesday at 5:30 pm in Charlotte, NC


All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on our newest website: Now Think On This

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Is the Church Dying or Are Christians Just Falling Away?

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Is the Church Dying 

or Are Christians Just 

Falling Away?

JENNIFER LECLAIRE, Charismanews

doctor
Is the Great Physician unable to heal rifts in His church? (Stock.xchng)


Is the church dying? 
Apparently, that depends on whom you ask. Indeed, the life or 
death of the church of Jesus Christ that was founded more than 
2,000 years ago on the Day of Pentecost is a topic of debate in
 some evangelical circles.

Ed Stetzer, the president of LifeWay Research, author, speaker, 
pastor, church planter and missiologist, recently penned an article
clear where he stands. There’s no tip toeing around the issue or 
trying to avoid offending anyone who disagrees.

He says, in five words: “The church is not dying.”

“Yes, the church in the West—the United States included—is in 
transition right now. But transitioning is not the same as dying, 
particularly if you hold the belief that Christianity is represented
 by people who live for Christ, not check ‘Christian’ on a survey
 form,” Stetzer writes.

“While I believe we need to understand reality inside our ranks,
 I don’t believe the situation is quite as dire as many are making
 it out to be. Actually, no serious researcher believes Christianity 
in America is dying. Not one.”

Steve McSwain begs to differ. McSwain, who describes himself 
as an award-winning author, speaker, thought leader and spiritual 
teacher, responded to Stetzer’s article with a snarky question: 
“Really? What cartoons have you been watching?”

McSwain then points to information from the Hartford Institute 
Americans “say” they go to church weekly. As it turns out,
 however, he points out, less than 20 percent are actually in 
church. In other words, he notes, more than 80 percent of 
Americans are finding more fulfilling things to do on weekends.

“Furthermore, somewhere between 4,000 and 7,000 churches 
close their doors every year. Southern Baptist researcher, 
 puts the estimate higher. He says between 8,000 and 10,000 
churches will likely close this year,” he continues. “Between the 
years 2010 and 2012, more than half of all churches in America 
added not one new member. Each year, nearly 3 million more 
previous churchgoers enter the ranks of the ‘religiously unaffiliated’.”

OK, so fewer people are going to church. That’s a sign of the 
times, if you ask me. But how does that prove that the church 
is dying? Saying the church is dying—DYING—seems like an 
anti-biblical perspective. I mean, correct me I have misinterpreted
 the holy Scriptures, but wasn’t it Jesus who said, “I will build 
My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it”?
 (Matt. 16:18).

I suppose one could argue that the church that’s dying is not 
the church Christ is building. But, from my perspective, it seems
 like the church that Christ is not building—that false church 
that endorses homosexual lifestyles and refuses to otherwise
 call sin a sin—is thriving in the age of humanism.

There are many reasons why people don’t go to church. 
Pharaoh is working some of them to near death. Others have 
been spiritually abused by pastors and don’t want anything to
 do with the church. Still others are watching televangelists on 
Sunday mornings because they don’t feel like getting gussied 
up and driving across town. Yes, sometimes it’s just that simple.

The reasons why people aren’t going to church—or why people 
are leaving the church—go on and on. But make no mistake. 
The church of Jesus Christ is not dying. Jesus is still building
 His true church. That may mean in these last days that there 
are fewer believers flocking to organized religious buildings, 
but that doesn’t mean the church is dying. It may mean more 
are opting for home church or some other alternate form of 
fellowship in the name of Jesus. And it absolutely means 
we need to get out on the American mission field and
preach the gospel.

“Bad stats and hyperbole do just that—demoralize God's 
people,” Stetzer concluded. “Today, we need a mobilized 
mission force in the midst of this mission field. So, it's time 
to time to work for the sake of the gospel, and to live for 
the cause of the gospel, not run around proclaiming the 
sky is falling.”


What's your take? Sound off in the comment box below.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is
also the author of several books, including 
or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on 

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