Although the data show that just 7% of adults are evangelicals, their voice gets an unusually large share of media attention. Further, Barna provided numbers showing how substantially different evangelicals are from the rest of society. “They are by far the most active in evangelism, most likely to read the Bible, to pray, to attend church services, to volunteer at a church, and to engage in a small group during the week, and give away almost three times as much money as do other Americans. They are several times more likely to possess a Biblical worldview as are others, are the only people group among whom a majority consider their faith to be their top priority in life, are more involved in alternative models of church than anyone else, are the most concerned about how their children are raised, and are also the most well-informed among Christians regarding the interaction between their faith in Christ and current public issues.”
Asked why he felt evangelicals became more active in various public and spiritual matters this past year, Barna offered three possibilities. “Certainly the 2004 presidential election, with its heavy emphasis upon evangelicals, gave them platforms for communication and organizing that were not previously available. Second, we also find that increasing numbers of evangelicals are simply fed up with the nonsense that our society is proposing or producing. They have been driven to a deeper relationship with, and reliance upon God, as a result. Third, it appears that a larger share of evangelicals is choosing to exercise their freedom as religious people in America before that freedom is taken away. It’s kind of an example of the ‘use it or lose it’ philosophy.”
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