A recent report found that only 37 PERCENT of Christian pastors bring a ‘Biblical worldview’ with them to the pulpits. And, for Catholic priests, the numbers are even worse. Glenn breaks down these ‘STUNNING’ statistics which prove that the Christian church in America may be in BIG danger…
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: By the way, there's a couple of things hear. Only half of evangelical pastors hold a Biblical worldview.
Now, this might be a little shocking for people who go to church. A study released Tuesday builds on an other report from American World View inventory 2022, which shows that 37 percent of Christian pastors bring a Biblical worldview with them, to the pulpits.
Now, a Biblical worldview is -- do you -- does every person have a purpose and a calling is this
Do you have a purpose for being here? And can God call you to something? I'm asking you, Stu.
STU: Why are you asking me, without the echo in your voice?
GLENN: Because I don't want you to feel damned, immediately.
STU: Oh, okay.
GLENN: So do you feel the purpose in calling?
STU: Sure.
GLENN: Family and value of life. Those come from God.
STU: Yes.
GLENN: Do you believe in God?
STU: This is a tough one. After the previous two, but yes.
GLENN: Do you believe in creation? I know this is weird. Creation and history?
STU: I believe in history. I just believe in --
GLENN: I believe in creation. Do you? I mean, intelligent design. I don't know how he creates.
STU: Yeah. I don't find that question to be as riveting as some do. I don't really care how he did it, honestly. But it's on him.
GLENN: It's like, oh, we got you there. So you're saying, dinosaurs aren't real?
STU: Yeah. I don't really -- I don't know all the details to it. It wasn't there. I will say, I don't know how an i Phone works exactly. But I'm glad the texts go through.
GLENN: But I don't believe in Steve Jobs. He never existed. That just, all of a sudden appeared on a beach somewhere.
STU: Right.
GLENN: Let's see. Do you believe in sin? Salvation and relationship with God?
Do you believe in behavior and relationships, the Bible, and its truth and morals?
STU: I think.
GLENN: Yeah. I think those are all pretty easy. Only 37 percent of pastors. Believe in that.
STU: Oh.
GLENN: I mean, you might want to put that on the front sign. You know what I mean?
Like, hey, come in. Try our doughnuts. And we don't really believe what you think we believe.
STU: Well, this happened to you. Right? When you were doing your church tour. Back in the day.
GLENN: Oh, back in the day. We went to every church. Every religion. Because my wife wouldn't marry me without a common religion.
And I'm like. I love God and everything. But religion, I --
STU: This is a long time ago. This was not you, at the time though.
You were not. This church tour happened, in what? I don't remember what year it was.
GLENN: '99.
STU: Wow, it was a long time ago.
GLENN: A long time ago.
STU: You were finding your way. Mainly because your wife wouldn't marry you if -- you're forced into it.
GLENN: Right. I was forced into it. And she didn't believe in premarital sex either. And I'm like, okay. Chickaboo. I said, what is it going to take? And she said, God. Here I am. I'm practically a god, look at me. No.
STU: A Greek god.
GLENN: A Greek god. She vomited. And then I went to church. So we tried everything. I mean, we -- I really liked a Jewish synagogue we went to. Except you couldn't eat a lot of good things that I liked. And I don't speak a word of Hebrew. But it was in and out on Saturday, and it was pretty good. I since learned there was more than that.
STU: Yeah.
GLENN: But I went to this church. And it was. What do they call those churches? Congregational, right? The white churches on the greens.
Yeah. I think it's congregational churches. And they're non-denominational. And so I'm sitting there in the pew. And Tania and I were listening.
It's okay. It's church. And during it the sermon. The pastor said, now, you all know that I don't believe in God. But if there is a God, we should serve him.
And I'm like, hey, that doesn't make any sense at all. Okay?
(laughter)
GLENN: And that should be on the front door, someplace. Before you go and sit down, you should just know, our pastor does not believe in God. But if there is a God, maybe we should serve him.
(laughter)
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(music)
GLENN: On only 30 percent of Christian pastors believe and have a Biblical worldview. I mean, if you're not talking about sin and, you know, how to be a better Christ-like person. And how do you -- 37. What are they teaching?
STU: Those are the questions. The specific questions asked. Certainly, there are differences among denominations. And various questions.
But these are pretty basic points.
GLENN: Are these eight categories. Eight categories. Purpose and calling. Family and value of life.
God, creation and history. Faith practices. Sin, salvation, and relationship with God. Human character. And nature. Lifestyle. Behavior and relationships.
Oh, and the Bible. Truth and morals.
STU: Yeah. I know there are obviously disagreements on some of the intricate matters of faith between denominations and pastors.
GLENN: Sure. But 37 percent.
STU: The only thing I would ask, who is the defining Biblical worldview there? And I would assume --
GLENN: The bible.
STU: If you're assuming broad categories like that, that's a stunning number.
GLENN: Stunning. Stunning number.
STU: To the point of, how is it possible?
GLENN: So 57 percent of pastors leading non-denominational and independent churches, held a Biblical worldview, a nationwide study in February. Conducted in February. Nondenominational and independent churches were more likely to subscribe to a Biblical worldview than evangelical churches. Perhaps most surprisingly 48 -- 48 percent of pastors of Baptist churches, widely viewed as the most enthusiastic about embracing the Bible. Held a Biblical worldview, 48 percent.
Pastors of Southern Baptist churches by contrast were far more likely. 78 percent, to have Biblical beliefs. The traditional black Protestant churches and Catholic priests, I'm sorry. Just -- wow. I just had to read this again.
Traditional black Protestant churches and Catholic priests, were found least likely to hold a Biblical view. With the incidence of Biblical worldview, measured in the single dingles. Black churches. 9 percent of pastors and Catholic priests. 6 percent.
STU: I feel like you ask atheists, if you have a Biblical worldview. You would have higher than 9 percent.
GLENN: I think I could give it to Penn Jillette. And he would be like, you know.
STU: At 14 percent. I'm at 14 percent.
GLENN: Yeah. That's crazy. In churches with an average of 100 or fewer within attending weekly services. 41 percent of the pastors had a Biblical worldview. Larger fellowships with 100 to 250 adults fared better, with 45 percent.
However, 14 percent of pastors leading mid-sized churches, between 250 and 600 people. 14 percent.
And 15 percent of pastors with congregations of more than 600 adults. That's crazy.
STU: Yeah. That's hard to understand how that's possible. Why would you be involved in this business, right?
I hate to call it a business. It's your life's work. It's your career. Right?
GLENN: It's like. You know what it means? It's my uncle who is the head of safety at Boeing for years, and he would never fly. He would never get on an airplane. And he would be like, uncle Dave, what is that? And he's like, if you fly, you have to fly a Boeing.
STU: If they can care about it a little.
GLENN: It is my uncle, who is the head of safety at bowing for years. Okay.
STU: Okay.
GLENN: And he would never fly. He would never get on an airplane.
STU: Right.
GLENN: And you would be like, uncle Dave. I don't. What is that? And he's like, if you fly, you have to fly a Boeing. But there's no reason, logically that that thing should be able to take off and fly. I don't know if you're the best for safety, you know.
I think that's -- my uncle Dave should have been a priest maybe.