Nearly Half of Americans Call the Bible “Ancient Myths”: What This Means for the Church Today
A sobering snapshot of faith in America
A new report from the Ligonier Ministries’ State of Theology 2025 survey, conducted by Lifeway Research, has revealed a dramatic spiritual fault line across American culture: nearly half of U.S. adults say the Bible is not literally true, but rather a book of “ancient myths.”
This survey of 3,001 adults, conducted in January 2025, paints a picture of a nation increasingly uncertain about the authority of God’s Word, the person of Jesus Christ, and the nature of sin and salvation. While evangelicals and churchgoers in the South still affirm biblical truth at higher levels, large swaths of the population are drifting toward skepticism, relativism, and syncretism.
1) The Bible’s authority in question
When asked if “The Bible, like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true,” 48% agreed, while only 43% disagreed. A further 8% were unsure.
Even more striking, less than half (49%) affirmed that the Bible is 100% accurate in all it teaches, while 44% outright disagreed.
This runs directly contrary to the self-testimony of Scripture:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
—2 Timothy 3:16–17 (KJV)
For most of church history, Christians have confessed the Bible as the infallible Word of God. To deny its truthfulness is not merely to question an old book but to challenge the very authority of the One who breathed it out.
For further exploration of how the Bible’s wisdom endures today, see Discover the Bible’s Wisdom: Psalm 119:105 Will Light Your Way.
2) Confusion about God and Christ
The survey also revealed startling gaps in basic theology:
- Perfection of God: Only 66% (strong + somewhat agree) affirmed that “God is a perfect being and cannot make a mistake.” Nearly a quarter denied this outright.
- The Trinity: Just 71% (strong + somewhat agree) confessed “one true God in three persons.” That leaves almost 30% of respondents uncertain or in disagreement about the Trinity—the very heart of Christian orthodoxy.
- The deity of Christ: Nearly half (48%) agreed that “Jesus was a great teacher, but He was not God.”
Jesus Himself made clear that neutrality is impossible:
“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
—Matthew 16:15–16 (KJV)
The denial of Christ’s divinity is not a minor theological disagreement. According to John 8:24 (KJV), Jesus warned:
“If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
3) Morality under cultural pressure
When it comes to moral teachings, Americans are deeply divided:
- Marriage: Only 51% strongly affirm that God designed marriage between one man and one woman.
- Sex outside marriage: 52% agree it is sin, while 44% disagree.
- Homosexuality: Over 40% believe the Bible’s teaching against homosexual behavior “doesn’t apply today.”
- Transgenderism: 38% say people should be able to choose their gender regardless of biology.
Yet Scripture is not ambiguous:
“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife: And they twain shall be one flesh… What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
—Matthew 19:5–6 (KJV)
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind…”
—1 Corinthians 6:9 (KJV)
The pressure of culture does not rewrite God’s design. The Church must lovingly, but firmly, proclaim truth even when unpopular.
For more on how these questions connect to today’s moral debates, see The Beast: Satan’s Chosen Weapon and Every Spiritual Battle Is an Opportunity for Growth.
4) Worship, syncretism, and the rise of “DIY spirituality”
A majority of Americans now believe that worshiping at home can replace attending church. And 64% believe “God accepts the worship of all religions.”
This reflects the growing rise of individualized spirituality detached from the historic church. But the Bible is clear:
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
—Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
—1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV)
God does not accept any worship apart from Christ. Any religion that denies the Son cannot honor the Father (1 John 2:23).
For readers considering the importance of Christian community, see The Power of Christian Community: Galatians 6:2 & 1 Corinthians 16:14.
5) What the Church must do
This survey is not only data—it is a wake-up call. The decline of biblical literacy and orthodoxy shows that catechesis, preaching, and discipleship must be re-centered in local churches. Three action points emerge:
- Reaffirm the authority of Scripture. From pulpits and homes, believers must know that the Bible is not myth but God’s living Word (Hebrews 4:12).
- Confess Christ clearly. Churches must teach the full deity, humanity, and saving work of Jesus (Colossians 1:15–20).
- Disciple families and young believers. Instead of outsourcing formation to culture, parents and congregations must intentionally shape faith across generations (Deuteronomy 6:6–7).
Conclusion: Standing firm in a shifting age
Nearly half of Americans now see the Bible as myth. Nearly half deny Christ’s deity. These are not secondary issues but challenges to the very foundation of Christian faith.
And yet, Scripture promises that God’s truth does not fade:
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
—Isaiah 40:8 (KJV)
The Church must respond not with despair, but with renewed confidence in God’s Word, bold proclamation of the Gospel, and deep discipleship that prepares believers to stand firm in an age of confusion.
