The numbers are what one might expect in a presidential favorability poll
Contact: Jackie Monaghan, Sr. Media Advisor, 615-646-5990, morningstarpr@comcast.net
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 10, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- According to its Summer 2013 OmniPoll, a well-respected faith and culture research company in Ventura, CA, found that 41% of all U.S. adults, 54% of Protestants and 77% of Evangelicals believe the world is now living in the biblical end times.
When asked: "do you, personally, believe that the world is currently living in the 'end times' as described by prophecies in the Bible, or not?" a startling 41% of participants said yes.
The number was even higher for Protestants with a figure representing just over one in two protestant adults. The highest number registered was by Evangelicals with three out of four evangelical Christians in America believing the world is living in the end times.
Catholics were at the other end of the spectrum, however, with 73% saying no; though practicing Catholics registered quite a bit higher at nearly 45% saying yes to now living in the end times.
To reach their surprising findings, the Barna Group conducted 1,000 online surveys among a representative sample of adults, ages 18 and older in the United States from July 29, 2013 through August 1, 2013. The margin of error was +/-3.2 percentage points, at the 95% confidence level.
The unusual OmniPoll question was commissioned by James F. Fitzgerald, producer of The WatchWORD Bible® NEW TESTAMENT, in concert with the release of his new book, The 9/11 Prophecy -- Startling Evidence the Endtimes have Begun (WND Books), for the 12th anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2001. Fitzgerald said to his knowledge there had not been a poll like it before on the question of the end times.
"Even I was surprised by the findings. I thought the numbers could possibly be as low as 10% for the overall population and maybe 30% for Christians in general, or less. I had no way to know before the survey. But the response of the overall population was higher than what I expected from Christians, and the Evangelical's response was nearly twice what I thought.
"As it was, I almost decided not to follow through with the research. I wasn't sure the findings would prove helpful or newsworthy. But this response is totally newsworthy and I also know there may be more openness to my book's message than I imagined. It took seven years to write, and I'm not sure that same openness would have been there when I started."
The OmniPoll even found an interesting racial gap regarding belief that we are living in the end times. Fully 54% of Blacks said yes and so did 48% of Hispanics, about one out of two in both cases. Whites were at 39%, slightly below the national average as a whole, but still significant.
The survey also revealed that married adults were more likely to believe we are living in the end times (46%), compared to the national average. The same was true with families that had children living at home -- at 47%, representing nearly one out of two parents with children.
"When I tell people about my book or have talked with those who have read it, one of the first things they invariably express is how concerned they are for their children in light of where we are in the world today. I would also think this might cause them to bury their head in the sand, but seeing the numbers tells me they're not," Fitzgerald said.
In commissioning the OmniPoll question, Fitzgerald made sure it stated, "the 'end times' as described by prophecies in the Bible." He didn't want any confusion about the term.
"The Barna poll shows how many Americans and Christians believe the world is living in the end times. My book will give them lots of evidence to back up what they are already thinking and sensing intuitively. I demonstrate that the biblical end times began on 9/11 at a particular point in history. As I explain, Jesus himself taught we would recognize this time from its beginning which is what I believe is happening now."
WorldNetDaily was so enamored by Fitzgerald's story and his production of the New Testament on video that they also contracted for the worldwide distribution rights for The WatchWORD Bible® (10 DVDs/26 hrs) and The Book of Revelation (DVD/110 min). More than 700,000 DVDs and VHS have been sold over the years, including through a nationally-aired infomercial produced by CBN. WND now wants to spread the product further, something that pleases Fitzgerald.
"My vision for producing the Bible on video was to help increase biblical literacy. I saw it as an innovative way for people to read the Bible in a media age, a 'videobook' that you could watch, read, and hear all at once. I thought if people don't read the Bible how can they know what it really says about life and about God? I wanted them to know enough to begin to think biblically, and not just be absorbed with their own opinions.
"As I tell in The 9/11 Prophecy, that's where I once was in my own life. But reading God's word changed my life and my whole way of thinking. That's why I've written this book and commissioned the question about the end times."
About the Author
James F. Fitzgerald founded WatchWORD Productions in Pittsburgh, PA in 1993 to produce THE WATCHWORD BIBLE. The project took more than a decade to complete from its inception and is the only complete professional production of the New Testament ever made (www.WatchwordBible.com). In addition to DVDs, the 27 books of the New Testament are available online at www.TheBibleChannel.com through a streaming video subscription service based in England. The WATCHWORD VIDEO BIBLE is also available as an app in the iPhone App Store (itunes.apple.com/us/app/watchword-video-bible/id406971158?mt=8).
About Barna Group and OmniPollsm
"OmniPoll" is a registered service mark and represents a shared-cost research study conducted by Barna Research (a division of Barna Group) on a pay-per-item basis. Founded by George Barna in 1984, the Barna Group works with many of the nation's largest faith-based organizations to do market research focused in the area of faith and culture. David Kinnaman is president and majority owner. Some of the Barna Group's notable clients have included the Salvation Army, World Vision, Compassion, the American Bible Society, and Habitat for Humanity. It has also served organizations like SONY, Walden Media, Easter Seals, CARE, the ONE Campaign, the Humane Society, the Gates Foundation, and NBC Universal. Its public opinion research is frequently quoted in major media outlets, such as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, Dallas Morning News, and The Los Angeles Times.
For interviews with author:
Jackie Monaghan,
Sr. Media Advisor
(615) 646-5990—Direct
morningstarpr@comcast.net
