American values see shift in order

God, family and country” might make for a good country music tune but that’s not really how most Americans see the strongest influences on their personal identity.

The real order is family first (62 percent), followed by “being an American” (52 percent). “Religious faith” lolls way down in third place (38 percent) — if it’s mentioned at all, according to a survey released March 19 by Barna Group.

The California-based Christian research company found another 18 percent of those surveyed said faith had a little to do with the idea of who they are and nearly 20 percent scored it at zero influence.

Christians were the largest self-identified group in the survey. “Practicing” Christians — defined in the survey as self-identified Catholics, Protestants and Mormons — scored faith first, at a rate more than double the national average. But they’re not most Christians. The survey also found only 37 percent of self-identified Christians are “practicing” while 64 percent are nonpracticing. 

Skewed by age

Results also were skewed by age:

• Family first: Millennials (53 percent); Gen X-ers (61 percent); Baby Boomers (64 percent); Elders (76 percent).
• Being an American: Millennials (34 percent); Gen X-ers (37 percent); Baby Boomers (66 percent); Elders (80 percent).
• Religious faith: Millennials (28 percent); Gen X-ers (34 percent); Baby Boomers (45 percent); Elders (46 percent). 
  (RNS)