What Do Americans Believe About God?

In the 2018 State of Theology Study sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, LifeWay Research polled 3,000 Americans and asked them a number of questions about God, Christian ethics and religion in general.

Here are some of the results:

• 6 of 10 Americans say religious belief is a matter of personal opinion.
• 58 percent of Americans say worshiping alone or with one’s family is a valid replacement for regularly attending a church.
• 69 percent of Americans disagree that even the smallest sin deserves eternal damnation.

For most Americans, matters of religion and faith are meant to be individualistic.

• 32 percent of those with evangelical beliefs say their religious beliefs are not objectively true.
• 51 percent of those with evangelical beliefs also believe God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
• 78 percent of those with evangelical beliefs also believe Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.

Many Americans who hold evangelical beliefs about the Bible, salvation and Jesus Christ also hold beliefs that are not keeping with Scripture.

• 44 percent of Americans believe the Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn’t apply today.
• 51 percent of American millennials agree.
• 52 percent of Americans believe abortion is a sin.
• 57 percent of American millennials agree.
• 51 percent of Americans believe sex outside of marriage is a sin.

The sexual revolution has pushed Christian sexual ethics out of the mainstream. How will Christian parents and church leaders respond?

Find out more at LifewayResearch.com.

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Gene Appel: Do Less Ministry; Reach More People

None of the programs at our church were bad in and of themselves. The volume of it just prevented us from being focused on building relationships with those who are far from God. So, we had to do less ministry to reach more people. It sounds funny, but people had to be trained in how to do life with nonbelievers or people spiritually disinterested.

When Familiar Becomes Careless

God wants to be in a relationship with his people that’s not marked by fear but love. Not apprehension, but an appreciation of his great grace and compassion.