A survey released by the Cultural Research Center in March 2025 found that 60% of Americans do not believe God exists or significantly influences their lives. This includes nearly half of self-identified Christians (47%) and 40% of theologically defined born-again Christians who share this skepticism. The General Social Survey (GSS), conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, offers a longer view of this trend. In 2022, only about 50% of Americans said they “know God exists and have no doubts,” a drop from 60% in 2008 and a peak of 65% in 1993. Meanwhile, Gallup polls have tracked a decline in broader belief in God, falling from 92% in 2011 to 81% in 2022—the lowest in its decades-long trend. These figures suggest a significant erosion of traditional religious certainty. Yet, the picture is more complex than a simple rejection of faith.
The GSS also found that while outright atheism remains a minority view (7% in 2022), many Americans still embrace spirituality in some form. About 14% believe in a “higher power” rather than a specific deity, and 26% identify as “very spiritual,” even as confidence in organized religion has plummeted to just 15% expressing “a great deal of confidence” in 2022, matching an all-time low. Barna’s call for spiritual renewal hinges on the idea that this decline in belief reflects a broader moral and cultural crisis. He points to survey findings showing that fewer than one in four Americans who believe in God see Him as a source of identity (24%), and only 19% believe He provides life boundaries.