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91 Percent of Christians Influenced By Moral Therapeutic Deism Don't Believe People Are Sinful
Milton Quintanilla | Contributor for ChristianHeadlines.com | Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Researched & Comments by Pastor Gary Boyd
Conclusion by Pastor Boyd

Moral Therapeutic Theism, a popular worldview amongst Christian teens about 20 years ago, has become the dominant worldview today in American churches and society at large. In general, Deism refers to what can be called natural religion, the acceptance of a certain body of religious knowledge that is inborn in every person or that can be acquired by the use of reason and the rejection of religious knowledge when it is acquired through either revelation or the teaching of any church. “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” is an accurate reflection of society today for this is the post religion age when the original core teachings of the various religions are being watered down in favor of a superficial moralistic form of religious faith, religions are simplifying the traditional religious beliefs.
In the second release of the American Worldview Inventory 2021, the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University found that 38 percent of adults are more likely to embrace elements of Moral Therapeutic Deism (MTD) than any other popular worldview, including Biblical Theism (or a biblical worldview), Secular Humanism, Postmodernism, Nihilism, Marxism (including Critical Theory) and Eastern Mysticism (also known as “New Age”).
In 2005, Sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton published the book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, where they first named and identified MTD. The book featured national research among teenagers at the turn of the millennium as both authors identified several core beliefs that characterized the thinking and behavior of the group.
The components of MTD include:
- Believing in God despite Him being distant from people’s lives. (Comment by Pastor Boyd: If you are saved and born again you are not distant from God for he is with you always).
- People treating each other with kindness and respect.
- The main purpose of life is to be happy and feel good about yourself.
- There are no absolute moral t***hs. (Pastor Boyd: What then are the Ten commandments for?).
- “Good people” go into Heaven. (Pastor Boyd: You must be saved and born again following the ten commandments to get to heaven).
- People are given very limited demands from God. (Pastor Boyd: Again follow the ten commandments living your life by God’s standards).
Regarding professing Christians, the AWVI 2021 survey revealed that three out of four people (74 percent) have been influenced by MTD, while 16 percent say they are actually born again by their theology. (Pastor Boyd: People in general do not want to be held accountable for their sins thus they turn their back on the ten commandments).
Christians most influenced by MTD hold to beliefs that contradict the bible. For example:
- 91 percent do not believe people are sinful and need salvation through Jesus Christ. When scripture says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
- 88 percent look to sources other than the Bible for moral guidance. In other words they look for a belief system where they will not be held accountable.
- 76 percent believe that good people go to Heaven through good behavior. But was not Ghandi a good person but was not saved and born again was he?
- 71 percent do not believe the Bible is true and reliable communication from God. This is because they are not true believers in Christ or believe that the Bible is the word of God. Are they not pagans then?
The research also found that people under MTD’s influence were more likely to engage in biblical faith practices than they are to hold biblical beliefs. For instance, 13 percent would conduct faith practices such as Bible reading, praying to and worshipping God, confessing personal sins, and seeking God’s will for their life. On the other hand, less than 1 percent were likely to endorse biblical teaching and follow through on those matters.
CRC Research Director Dr. George Barna, who authored the survey, described MTD as “f**e Christianity” that is more centered on self than on God.
“Young adults have grown up with a culturally adulterated version of the Christian faith,” he explained. “They have adopted a softer, twisted version of genuine Christianity. The good news is practitioners of MTD are not anti-religion or anti-Christianity. They just are not willing to surrender themselves to authentic Christianity’s demands—or to believe that a real faith would even make such demands of them.”
AWVI 2021 was conducted in February 2021 among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults.

Conclusion by Pastor Boyd
There is, however, hope for this generation because of the new awakening that is currently sweeping the nation with more and more of this nation's youth giving their lives to Christ. It started out as a ripple but has grown into a tsunami of powerful belief that will not be stilled. These new Christians are confessing their sins, picking up the good book, changing their lives for Christ and supporting God like never before. We are cycling back to the days of true evangelism like in the days of Billy Graham when thousands came to the lord. May you come soon sweet Jesus. Maranatha…………….

Carol Kelly

People are sinful. Period. But they can repent and God forgives over and over. He is a loving God.