America’s New Moral Code: Self-Fulfillment

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Christianity as the American culture’s moral norm is over according to a Barna Group study.

The Barna Group is an evangelical Christian polling firm based in Ventura, California. They recently published a study about religion, morality, and culture conducted last year. Based on their research, the Barna Group says that in America, there is a growing concern about the moral condition of the nation.

America’s New Moral Code: Self-Fulfillment[/tweetthis]

As per the report, about 80 percent of American adults are concerned about the nation's moral condition right now. Breaking it down, about 90 percent of practicing Christians, 67 percent of adults with no faith, and 72 percent of people belonging to faiths other than Christianity agree that they are concerned about the moral condition of the country. This shows the widespread moral concern across the demographic board.

The next segment of the study has been about consensus on morality itself. For instance, the basis of morality, its origin, and how can a person knows what to do while making moral decisions. About 57 percent of adults are of the opinion that knowing right or wrong is a matter of personal experience.

Breaking it down, about 74 percent of millennials (born between 1984 and 2002), 39 percent of elders (born between 1945 or earlier), 47 percent of boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), and 59 percent of gen-Xers (born between 1965 and 1983) agree with that statement. The statistics based on faith showed 41 percent of practicing Christians, 67 percent of people with no faith, and 56 percent of people who belongs to other faith agreeing to the statement.

Barna

About 65 percent of American adults see morality as a matter of cultural consensus. 25 percent of millennials, 16 percent of elders, 14 percent of boomers, and 16 percent of gen-Xers strongly agree to this view.

About 59 percent of American adults believe that the Bible provides absolute moral truths. 83 percent of practicing Christians agrees to this, so does 28 percent of people with no faith and 56 percent of people belonging to other faiths.

44 percent of American adults agree that moral truth is relative to circumstances. About 59 percent of practicing Christians believe that moral truth is absolute.

David Kinnaman, President of Barna, says that, based on the research, it is clear that American adults have pledged their allegiance to the new moral code of self-fulfillment, and have thrown out Christianity as the culture’s moral norm.

What the research means, according to Kinnaman is that for American people, the highest good is finding one's self and living by his/her perception of right. The reason for individualism in today's society is because of the majority of churchgoing Christians embracing corrupt and self-centered theology. The new moral code that the majority of Americans have now embraced can, in fact, lead towards deeper wisdom and greater discernment.

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