Key Takeaways:
- Substantial majorities of some of the largest church groups reject absolute morality.
- Rejecting absolute morality means rejecting absolute truth.
- Most Americans make moral choices based on emotions.
- There has been a deep cultural shift in America away from biblical principles.
- The Christian churches need to do a better job of teaching biblical truth.
Here are 9 shocking new research results on how Christians and Americans think about absolute truth, relativism and more.
Renown researcher Dr. George Barna just completed a survey that should wake every Christian and disturb every American about the future of our nation. First, let’s take a look at the issue of truth verses relativism.
Check out this conversation:
“There’s no absolute truth.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Absolute truth doesn’t exist.”
You are certain about that?”
“Yes.”
“You just refuted your own argument by stating an absolute truth about truth.”
Those who say that absolute truth doesn’t exist – unless they are willing to believe that they could be wrong – are making a self-refuting argument.
If absolute truth doesn’t exist for anyone, then that fact itself is an absolute truth.
Most people today are not taught how to think logically.
They don’t think about the ramifications of their beliefs.
The Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University conducts an annual survey under the direction of Dr. George Barna.
The study is called The American Worldview Inventory (AWVI).
Here are 9 results of the 2025 AWVI study:
- Most adults in the U.S. don’t believe in moral absolutes.
Two-thirds of American adults reject absolute moral truth.
According to the AWVI:
- 74% of adults trust feelings instead of facts to discern moral truth.
- 69% of Catholics reject absolute morality.
- 61% of adults attending a mainline protestant church reject absolute morality.
Half of all spiritually conservative, theologically-identified as born-again Christians, admit to rejecting absolute moral truth. HALF!
Why do so many churchgoers and born-again Christians reject biblical morality?
- The “proof” that absolute moral truth doesn’t exist.
Nearly half of all adults (45%) believe that the constantly-changing perceptions of people about moral truth is proof that absolute moral truth doesn’t exist.
Ideas about morality change, they say, due to the passage of long periods of time, and due to shifting cultural norms – which cause changes in the human experience.
These factors are proof that moral absolutes don’t exist for:
- 53% of those with non-Christian faiths
- 55%of those with no religious faith
Another popular “proof” that moral absolutes don’t exist is the fact that different religious groups have conflicting views about morality.
This view is embraced by:
- 44% of all American adults
- 54% of atheists and agnostics
- There’s been a deep cultural shift away from biblical principles.
The Cultural Research Center defines an “Integrated Disciple” as a born-again believer who not only expresses belief in biblical principles, but actively integrates their beliefs into their daily lives.
Integrated Disciples an understanding of how biblical principles apply to various aspects of life – including social, political and moral issues.
Even among Integrated Disciples, only 4% hold to a biblical worldview.
One-third of adults believe that the idea of moral truth is merely a social construct – that there is no absolute reality that is unaffected by cultural differences.
- Most Americans make moral choices based on emotional reactions.
Almost three-fourths of all adults (74%) consider only their feelings when making moral choices.
Smaller percentages of adults rely on other guides for moral decisions:
- 44% occasionally consult the Bible
- 41% trust public laws and policies
- 40% rely on scientific claims
- 39% make moral decisions based on cultural norms and traditions
- Most believe open-mindedness is maturity.
Most people believe today that to accept other people, you must accept and celebrate their ideas and their philosophies of life, even if they contradict your own perspectives.
Two-thirds of adults (67%) believe that this way of thinking is mature and sophisticated.
They seem to think that we must not dare disagree with other people’s beliefs or worldview for fear of offending them.
In such a world, every idea and every belief is equally valid – there is no bad idea or wrong answer.
- A majority believes that multiple truths exist.
Astonishingly, a large majority of virtually every religious group believes that contradictory views of moral truth are equally valid.
Here are the percentages:
- 67% of self-identified Christians
- 69% of those with non-Christian faiths
- 69% of those with no religious faith
- 75% of Catholics
Among the general population, 58% of all adults believe that multiple conflicting views of moral truth can all be true.
Even more disturbing are the percentages of committed Christians who subscribe to the all-truth-views-are-right mindset:
- 47% of theologically-identified born-again Christians
- 44% of those who attend evangelical churches
- 23% of Integrated Disciples
Syncretism – the blending of the beliefs and behaviors of competing worldviews – is the dominant worldview of 90% of American adults.
- The role of the church in teaching biblical truth.
Dr. George Barna – the researcher who worked with the Cultural Research Center to conduct the study – said,
“The role of the church is to both display and promote biblical principles, including the central role of moral truth as defined by God… A Christian body that waffles on truth has no credibility and cannot bless the nation as it is called to do.”
“It is impossible to separate America’s core values – such as honesty, respect, service, responsibility, trustworthiness – from beliefs about moral truth.”
Regarding truth, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
And the apostle Paul warned us in his letter to the church at Colossae, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ (Colossians 2:8)
- Demographic factors.
The study revealed that certain demographic groups are most strongly opposed to the belief that absolute moral truth exists. These are:
- People under age 50 – including Gen Z and Millennials
- Non-whites
- Parents of children under the age of 13
- Adults who identify as LGBTQ
- Adults who are recovering addicts
- Adults who say they frequently struggle with depression, anxiety, and fear
- Consequences of moral relativism.
Moral relativism is the alternative to the belief in moral absolutes.
Historically, America has embraced moral absolutes and absolute truth, as evidenced by the absoluteness of the statements in the Declaration of Independence.
Dr.Barna expressed concern about the long-term implications for America of a shifting moral compass:
“Accepting all truths as equally valid cannot help but dig a deep foundation of chaos, confusion, and helplessness. In the absence of strong, consistent, logical, and compassionate opposition to philosophies that reject moral absolutes, cultural gravity will lead to the acceptance of an authoritarian political savior or powerful elitist group as the arbiter of truth for the masses.”
Pray for America.
What do you think? Email me at [email protected].
Action items:
- Pray for America that truth triumphs moral relativism.
- What are your children and grandchildren being taught in school… check it out and take whatever action you need.
- What about your church? What is being taught there to your children or grandchildren?
- Get involved. It’s time to teach moral truth in church, to the kids, to the grandkids, to whoever will listen. If you know the truth, the truth will not only set you free, but you can use the truth to set others free.
- Get my book, “The Great Deception: 10 Shocking Dangers and the Blueprint for Rescuing the American Dream” on issues of relativism, truth and what each individual can do.
Click HERE to get The Great Deception on my website.
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