The United States has continued its slide away from the truth of God’s Word, and this shift is directly responsible for the decline of American culture.
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A new report from Lifeway Research conducted for Ligonier Ministries shows a widening gap between biblical truth and public opinion, with nearly half of U.S. adults rejecting the Bible as literally true, as reported by The Christian Post.
The Ligonier State of Theology 2025 survey, which polled 3,001 American adults between Jan. 6-15, found a mix of syncretic and contradictory beliefs about God, Scripture and morality.
Bible as Myth vs. Literal Truth
- “A collective 48% of Americans either strongly agree or somewhat agree that ‘The Bible, like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true.’”
- 43% strongly or somewhat disagreed.
- 8% were not sure.
- Evangelicals, Black Protestants and Southerners were the most likely to reject the Bible as myth.
- Higher-income respondents and residents of large cities were more likely to deny its literal truth.
Accuracy of Scripture
- “Less than half of respondents also said they either strongly agree (31%) or somewhat agree (18%) that ‘The Bible is 100% accurate in all that it teaches.’”
- 44% disagreed, including 28% strongly and 16% somewhat.
- 6% were not sure.
Beliefs About God
- “When presented with the statement, ‘God is a perfect being and cannot make a mistake,’ only 53% of respondents strongly agreed.”
- 13% somewhat agreed.
- 26% disagreed, including 17% strongly.
- 8% were unsure.
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Belief in the Trinity
- “When asked to respond to the statement, ‘There is one true God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,’ only 55% of respondents strongly agreed.”
- 16% somewhat agreed.
- 20% disagreed, including 15% strongly.
- 10% were unsure.
Religious Inclusivity
- “A majority of U.S. adults also believe that ‘God accepts the worship of all religions.’”
- 44% strongly agreed.
- 20% somewhat agreed.
- 23% disagreed, including 16% strongly.
- 12% were unsure.
Beliefs About Jesus
- “Some 48% of American adults in the study also agree that ‘Jesus was a great teacher, but He was not God.’”
- 40% disagreed.
- 11% were unsure.
Marriage and Sexual Ethics
- “Only 51% of respondents strongly agree that ‘God created marriage to be between one man and one woman,’ while 14% somewhat agree.”
- 29% disagreed, including 22% strongly.
- “Some 52% of Americans agree that ‘Sex outside of traditional marriage is a sin.’”
- 44% disagreed.
Gender and Sexuality
- “When asked for their position on the statement, ‘People should be able to choose their gender regardless of their biological sex,’ some 38% expressed some level of agreement.”
- 54% disagreed, including 42% strongly.
- 9% were not sure.
- “More than 40% of U.S. adults also expressed some level of agreement that ‘The Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn’t apply today.’”
- 46% disagreed.
- 14% were undecided.
Authority of the Bible
- According to The Christian Post, “The findings of the survey also show that despite the varied responses to the Bible, half of Americans still believe it can be used as a manual for life.”
- 28% strongly agreed and 22% somewhat agreed that “The Bible has the authority to tell us what we must do.”
- 44% disagreed.
- 5% were not sure.
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The results of the study reflect a profound cultural shift in the nation. The Bible tells us how bad things will become in the last days, yet Christians are not called to despair. Even as society drifts further from the truth, the church must remain steadfast in fulfilling the Great Commission until Christ returns.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
