The survey was given to two groups of people, those above the age of 50 and to those between the age of 21-30. Those who were 50 & above, responded to the questions with their strict interpretation of the Bible. They responded that they base their choices based on Biblical teachings, whereas those who were in the age group of 21-30 said they were influenced by all their family, peers, Bible and even the media. In their responses, though they knew the teachings in the Bible, they took on a more personal, holistic view.
When asked how strong are you in your faith, almost all of the respondents stated that they “have a strong sense of faith” except for one who stated that he had faith, but it does not have part in his daily life. This was a slightly shocking response coming from the participant who later mentioned in a follow up question that he has received the Holy Ghost, “an anointing that comes upon one when one is filled with Christ or the power of God comes upon him or her, allowing one to speak in tongues,” though this was assumed to be the case of the younger generation in faith. When asked what the view was on marriage and divorce, those between the age of 21-30 indicated mostly a 3 on the likert scale: “I believe a couple should stay together unless they really cannot work anything out together anymore” and had their own explanation and justification to their choice. On the other hand, those above the age of 50 and above indicated a 4 on the likert scale: “I believe a couple should stay married.” One of the more senior participants stated: “I believe God has planned exactly one other person for each of us.” And another said: “I don’t believe in divorce.”
To the question whether one believes homosexuality is morally acceptable, most stated “no”, except for one participant from the 21-30 age group. This indicated some influence into the the individual from surroundings. The individual who answered yes to the question stated: “I don’t care who you love. It’s love.” This response stems from a more personal view. This individual also responded that they are most influenced by interactions with family. This became the only person to not include Biblical passages as an influence. Individuals above the age of 50 specifically stated that they are most influenced by the Bible, even though interactions with peers, family, etc. may also come into play.
I did not want to assume any concrete outcomes for this research question in order to avoid a personal bias when analyzing the results. However, I did suspect that the influence of secular culture on individuals may have contributed in the individuals taking on a more personal, liberal view on the matters of marriage and divorce. The results of this survey is related to the Social Cognitive Theory, and it is evident that individuals are influenced by social context because they responded with their own thoughts concerning about the questions, often indicating the fact that the individual is taking into account other social factors, rather than just following what they hear at church or from family and friends.
The responses the adults had often differed from what the younger group gave to the same questions. Still, at times it matched up with each other. One of the adults was an individual who had been divorced once. In her responses, it seemed as if stemmed from a place of personal experiences. She seemed more holistic in her approach and seemed to have a different outlook on the subject than one who has never been divorced. Still, majority of the people who were 50 or older had an approach to divorce that had been shaped by Biblical teachings since his or her childhood and by interactions with peers, family or even the media. Yet, majority stated in their explanations that the Bible is the most influential source in their lives. As mentioned above, Social Contract Theory suggests that individuals acquire new behaviors or knowledge by simply observing a model. For a Fundamentalist Christian, a model has already been shown to the individual through church or through parental teachings: the Bible and its teachings. In fact, the individual is brought up in the strict interpretation of the Bible. So, growing up, the learner is exposed to the knowledge, in this case, the subject of marriage and divorce, observed through parents and probably the weekly attending of church. The results, especially among the 21-30 age group, show the idea of reinforcement. Though these individuals seemed to continue to heed to Biblical instructions as it is taught by the church since his or her childhood, some chose not to interpret it as it is (displaying the idea of reinforcement). Instead, the individual seemed to think more openly concerning such matters of divorce and often stated that it is personal to the couples in the marriage. Here, the response the individual gave showed the influence by his or her interactions with family, peers, etc.