A recent survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University has revealed that more than half of Americans either do not believe in God or think that He does not influence their lives.
The findings, part of the American Worldview Inventory 2025, were released on Wednesday and are based on responses from 2,100 U.S. adults collected in January.
The research indicated that overall, 60% of Americans do not believe God exists or that He "affects lives." Alarmingly, nearly half of the respondents who identified as Christians, at 47%, and a slightly smaller percentage of theologically identified born-again Christians, at 40%, shared the same sentiment.
Among those Americans who profess belief in God and acknowledge His influence, a plurality of 38% characterized God as the "most important element" in their lives. Meanwhile, 23% described God as "extremely important," and 18% viewed Him as having a "very important" influence.
Additionally, 14% of believers regarded God as "somewhat important," while 5% considered Him to be either "not too" important or "not at all" important. The remaining 3% categorized their views on God's influence as "it varies."
Only 20% of those who believe in the God of the Bible stated that they maintained “an intimate and interactive spiritual relationship with Him, with constant two-way communication.” In contrast, 45% described their relationship with God as “close,” characterized by frequent prayer and trust in Him to “do what is best and right.”
Additionally, 11% reported their relationship with God as “arms-length,” while 18% affirmed that, although God exists and is capable of all things, they do not engage in a personal, interactive relationship with Him. The remaining 7% expressed uncertainty about whether God interacts with people and were unsure how to describe their relationship with Him.
When it comes to the influence of God in their lives, one-third of believers defined God as having a “total” influence, while another third acknowledged "a lot" of His influence in their lives, which often reflected His guidance. Nineteen percent felt that God had “some” influence, while 6% said He had "not much influence," and 4% claimed He had "no identifiable or conscious influence" on their lives. The remaining 3% indicated that God's influence was "consistent or unknown."
Regarding what they believe God provides them, a majority of those who believe in God cited Him as a source of hope (72%), comfort (71%), peace (65%), guidance (64%), compassion (60%), joy (60%), mercy (58%), and purpose (54%). Smaller percentages viewed God as a source of miracles (47%), opportunities (41%), security (38%), responsibilities (33%), and power (31%). Less than a quarter of believers think God provides identity (24%) and boundaries (19%).
George Barna, the director of research at Arizona Christian University, commented on these findings, stating, “The more time you spend thinking about what this research tells us, the more you are likely to conclude that nothing short of sweeping national repentance and spiritual renewal can save America from itself.”
He further noted, “The fact that more than three out of four people who believe God exists and is influential in their lives nevertheless do not get their identity from their relationship with Him explains a lot.” He added, “The fact that two out of three people who believe in God’s existence and influence do not believe their connection to Him comes with responsibilities, delivers additional insight.”
