July 2017
FOCUS ON MORAL TRUTH, PART 2
Last month, we began a series of comparing Christian radio listeners with Christians nationwide on beliefs and faith attitudes. Using Barna Research’s nationwide survey results on Beliefs and Faith Attitudes, we asked the same questions of Christian radio listeners in multiple markets across the US to see if their beliefs are similar to or different from Christians nationwide. This month, we’re focused on beliefs about Truth. Using the statements below, we asked Christian radio listeners if they Agree or Disagree with these statements. The percentages are the Total of “Completely Agree” and Somewhat Agree.”
| Christian Radio Listeners | Christians Nationwide | ||
| The Bible provides us with moral truths that are the same for all people in all situations, without exception. | 94% | 83% | |
| Every culture must determine what is acceptable morality for its people. | 28% | 47% | |
| Whichever is right for your life or works best for you is the only truth you can know. | 16% | 41% |
The first two statements contradict one another. Yet, many Christians nationwide agreed with both statements! Christian radio listeners are closer to agreeing with one or the other, but even many of them agree with both statements. Even the third statement, a statement that truth is totally relative to the individual’s life experience has significant agreement, especially among Christians nationwide.
Notice how the main difference between the first two statements is that “Bible” is in the first and not in the second. We’re talking to an audience, and potential audience, whose beliefs have been effected by the world to a point that they have not internalized what they learned at church, unless we supply them with the right Biblical answer.
Because so much of life – with the exception of church, Bible study, a strong Christian family and your Christian radio station – doesn’t hand them the right Biblical option, we have a communication challenge. To quote a friend in Christian radio, “we have to kill the assumptions”. We can’t assume that our listener believes that morality is the same for all cultures. 28% of listeners and almost half of Christians, listener or non-listener, believe morality changes over time.
Our goal is helping you point your listener toward taking a step in His direction today. We urge you to discuss with your team what that means for how you communicate the Truth.
