Few Christians Hold Biblical View of Sin, Study Finds
Only one in seven self-described Christians has a biblically correct view of sin, new research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University found.
Overall, more than four in five adults agree that there is such a thing as “sin.” The research revealed the population segments that are substantially less likely than the norm to believe in the existence of sin, including members of Gen Z, Asians, members of the LGBTQ community, people with no religious affiliations or who doubt the existence of God, those who do not believe the Bible can be trusted to teach truth and adults who believe in reincarnation or do not believe in any type of existence after death.
The survey also identified intriguing connections between people’s ideas related to sin. For instance, among people who say sin is a reality, four out of every 10 reject the notion that every human is a sinner. Further, a substantial majority of those who believe in the existence of sin agree on how to define sin. Nearly three-quarters of them describe it as disobedience to God. However, a majority of those who believe that sin is a reality also contend that there are no absolute sins, that is, sins that are constant, regardless of the conditions or context.
Only half of all adults believe everyone has sinned. Although the sinfulness of all people is one of foundations of the Christian faith and the basis of every person’s need to accept Jesus Chist as Lord and Savior, just two out of three self-professed Christians contend that everyone sins. Adults who attend Protestant churches are far more likely than those attending Catholic churches to believe that everyone is a sinner (73 percent vs. 57 percent).
“The job of the local church is to educate God’s people about God’s ways,” study director George Barna said. “Yet, a 2019 Pew Research study that analyzed sermon content across the nation determined that just three percent of all sermons preached even mentioned sin. That’s a devastating body blow to the church world.
“Students will remain ignorant when their teachers fail to inform them of critical information and consequences. For an overwhelming majority of Christian churches to suppress the reality of sin, its consequences and its solutions from the people those churches serve is a travesty.”
–Alan Goforth
