(Ventura, CA) - Social analysts point out that people turn to religion in times of crisis and instability. The terrorist attacks on September 11 certainly shattered the stability and comfort of American's lives, leading to a surge in church attendance and Bible sales immediately after the attacks. But what is the lingering effect of the attack and continued tension on people's religious beliefs and practices? Those questions are answered with startling clarity in a new survey released by the Barna Research Group of Ventura, California. Using 21 indicators of the nation's spiritual climate, the study gives a comprehensive look at how people's faith has changed in the aftermath of the terrorist attack.  

Concern for the Future

Not surprisingly, there has been a significant upturn in people's concern about the future. In August, 73% of adults said they were concerned about the future; by November, that figure had increased to 82%. The population segment that expressed the greatest concern was adults 35 and younger, among whom nearly nine out of ten said they were concerned. The biggest increases in concern were registered among people 55 and older (up 17 points from the pre-attack level) and atheists (also up 17 points).

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Truth Views Radically Altered

The most startling shift has been in people's views about moral truth. Given the nature of the terrorist attack, one might have expected Americans to become more convinced of the presence of good and evil, and that there are absolute moral principles that exist regardless of cultural realities and personal preferences. However, Barna's research showed exactly the opposite outcome.

Prior to the attacks the most recent inquiry concerning truth views was in January 2000, some 20 months prior to the terrorist activity. At that time, people were asked if they believed that "there are moral truths that are absolute, meaning that those moral truths or principles do not change according to the circumstances" or that " moral truth always depends upon the situation, meaning that a person's moral and ethical decisions depend upon the circumstances." At the start of 2000, almost four out of ten adults (38%) said that there are absolute moral truths that do not change according to the circumstances. When the same question was asked in the just-completed survey, the result was that just two out of ten adults (22%) claimed to believe in the existence of absolute moral truth.

The people groups least likely to believe in absolute moral truth were Baby Busters (i.e., those 36 and younger - only 13% embrace absolute truth), Catholics (16%) and adults who are not born again Christians (15%). The groups most likely to endorse the existence of absolute moral truths include Baby Boomers (i.e., people 37 to 55 years of age - 28% of whom embrace absolute truth), adults who attend non-mainline Protestant churches (32%) and born again individuals (32%).

Interestingly, when people were further queried as to the source of the principles or standards on which they base their moral and ethical decisions, the post-attack survey discovered that only one out of eight adults - just 13% - cited the Bible. The most common sources of guidance regarding moral decisions trusted by Americans are feelings (25%) and the lessons and values they remember from their parents (14%).

Religious Activities Explored

Seven religious behaviors were studied to assess the impact of the 9-11 events. The surge in church attendance has been widely reported, and while current levels of adult attendance are higher than before the attack, they are not statistically different than the numbers recorded last November, thus reflecting the usual seasonal increase. It appears that attendance, which nationwide increased by perhaps 25% immediately after the attack, is back at normal levels. The November survey found 48% of adults attending on a typical weekend.

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The two sentiments for which there was minor change concerned people's views of God and Satan - and the change was in the opposite direction of that expected! When asked to describe their idea of God or the nature of God, those who view Him as "the all-powerful, all-knowing perfect Creator of the universe who still rules the world today dropped from 72% to 68%. Although that decline is barely significant from a statistical vantage point, it is quite significant from an emotional standpoint. The types of people most likely to shift away from an orthodox view of God to a more postmodern view included men and Baby Boomers.

The other incredible shift was the decline in people who firmly reject the notion that "Satan, or the devil, is not a living being but is just a symbol of evil." The five-percentage point decline on this measure is not enormous by statistical standards, but it is quite meaningful in terms of people's general perspective on good and evil, and regarding the nature of spiritual conflict. This shift in theology was most common among women, atheists and Catholics.

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Making Sense of the Results

Responding to the disappointment of Christian leaders who have been exposed to these findings, George Barna, who directed the study, explained that, "after the attack, millions of nominally churched or generally irreligious Americans were desperately seeking something that would restore stability and a sense of meaning to life. Fortunately, many of them turned to the church. Unfortunately, few of them experienced anything that was sufficiently life-changing to capture their attention and their allegiance. They tended to appreciate the moments of comfort they received, but were unaware of anything sufficiently unique or beneficial as to redesign their lifestyle to integrate a deeper level of spiritual involvement. Our assessment is that churches succeeded at putting on a friendly face but failed at motivating the vast majority of spiritual explorers to connect with Christ in a more intimate or intense manner."

Barna noted that the post-attack measures emerging from his research are remarkably consistent with the levels recorded each quarter since the beginning of 2000. "Christian churches have had two incredible opportunities to instigate serious transformation in people's this year. Earlier, the faith-based initiative proposal by President Bush afforded a great chance to impact millions of lives, but that opportunity was squandered. The September 11 tragedy was another amazing opportunity to be the healing and transforming presence of God in people's lives, but that, too, has now come and gone, with little to show for it."

Barna stated that he hopes churches can learn some sobering lessons from these events. "These situations, especially the terrorist attacks, bring to mind Jesus' teaching that no one knows the time and day when God will return for His people, so we must always be ready. These two events are a wake up call to church leaders, emphasizing the particular need to enhance their efforts in the areas of outreach and discipleship. We may never again have such grand opportunities to reach the nation for Christ - but then, we may have an even greater opportunity tomorrow. How many churches have leaders and believers who are poised to take advantage of such a pending opportunity?"