A new national survey shows that biblical clarity about family and the sanctity of life is fading, even among regular churchgoers.
The survey, conducted in July 2025, updates a comparable 2023 study and identifies significant changes in how believers define family and view moral issues such as abortion. It was conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University in partnership with the Family Research Council, and surveyed 1,003 adults who attend Christian worship at least once a month, either in person or online.
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George Barna, director of Research at the Cultural Research Center and senior research fellow for FRC’s Center for Biblical Worldview, said the results show the effect of widespread cultural pressure on churchgoers.
“The media bombardment favoring a new moral standard is clearly having a transformative effect on Americans,” Barna said. “Perhaps the best way to combat the decline in biblical moral perspectives is for Bible-believing Christians to be more candid and bolder in engaging friends and family in dialogue about critical moral issues. We cannot let unbiblical views go unchallenged. Christ-followers must not only know what they believe and why, but must be actively seeking to challenge points of view that are biblically indefensible.”
The survey found that churchgoers were divided when asked to define family. No single definition received majority support.
The most common choice, selected by 46% of respondents, defined family as “a group of people united by God’s design — a man and woman married to each other, plus their children and relatives.”
About 22% said the definition of family “changes over time and differs across cultures,” while 20% said family is “any group of people who care for each other.” Six percent described family as any group of people living together, and another 6% said none of the options fit.
No spiritual or demographic segment reached even six in ten choosing the biblical definition. The highest support came from “theologically-defined born-again Christians (59%), Pentecostal churchgoers (56%), and Asians (55%).” The groups least likely to affirm the biblical model were “self-identified political liberals (29%), churchgoing LGBTQ adults (34%), upscale individuals (34%), and members of Gen Z (34%).”
Despite the lack of consensus, most churchgoers still affirmed several related beliefs.
- 79% agreed there are only two genders: male and female.
- 70% said it is important for society to facilitate families with a father, a mother, and children living together.
- 68% said a legitimate marriage is only between one man and one woman.
Generationally
Generationally, churchgoing members of Gen Z (people aged between 18 and 22) were consistently less likely to accept biblical teaching. Only 34% of Gen Z adults agreed that family is best defined as a married mother and father living with their children, 44% said it is important for society to facilitate such families, and 49% affirmed that marriage is only between one man and one woman.
On the question of gender, belief in the traditional view declines sharply among younger adults. While 81% of both Gen X and Boomers and 76% of Millennials said there are only two genders, that number falls to just 60% among Gen Z churchgoers.
The survey also revealed widespread inconsistency in churchgoers’ beliefs about abortion.
According to the report, “three out of every four churchgoers (73%) hold inconsistent opinions related to this subject.” About one in 10 admitted they do not know enough to hold a firm position.
Only half (51%) said the Bible is clear and decisive on the morality of abortion. One in five (21%) said the Bible is unclear or ambiguous, 17% said it does not address abortion, and 11% said they do not know.
Among those who believe the Bible is clear, just over half (53%) described themselves as pro-life, while 30% identified as pro-choice.
According to the report, how people identify themselves has shifted significantly over the past two years. “Currently, just 43% described themselves as pro-life, down from 63% in 2023. More than one-third said they are pro-choice (35%, up from 22%),” Barna’s report noted.
The decline in pro-life identification was driven mainly by evangelicals (down 33 points), political liberals (down 30), adults under 50 (down 26), and those without education beyond high school (down 29).
“It’s deeply discouraging to see the share of churchgoers identifying as pro-life drop so dramatically,” said David Closson, director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at FRC. “For decades, Christians have led the way in defending the dignity of unborn life, but these findings reveal just how much cultural confusion has seeped into the church.”
Closson continued, “When the people of God lose moral clarity on an issue as fundamental as the sanctity of life, it signals a serious discipleship crisis. Scripture could not be clearer that every human life is made in the image of God and therefore possesses immeasurable worth (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139). The decline in pro-life conviction among those who regularly attend church should drive pastors and Christian leaders back to the pulpit with renewed urgency to teach what the Bible says about life.”
Signs of hope
While confusion was widespread, the report also included signs of hope.
“Even amid these concerning trends, there are encouraging signs,” Closson said. “The vast majority of churchgoers still affirm that every person is made in God’s image and that life originates from Him alone. Those are profoundly important starting points for rebuilding a biblical worldview on issues like abortion and family. The fact that many still affirm these truths shows the foundation is not lost—it simply needs to be reinforced through faithful preaching and intentional discipleship.”
Closson emphasized that the root problem is not political but spiritual. “The next generation is being catechized daily by social media, entertainment, and academia, often far more effectively than by the local church,” he said.
He added, “Pastors and Christian educators must reclaim their calling to ‘equip the saints’ (Eph. 4:12) by teaching a full-orbed biblical worldview. This is not the time for silence or vagueness.”
FRC President Tony Perkins said the findings highlight both the challenge and the opportunity before today’s church leader.
“This research shows the great need for biblical teaching on the great issues of our day, like the sanctity of life, the family, and human sexuality,” Perkins said. “The good news is that Christians are looking to church leaders for guidance. … This report reminds us that there is much work to do — the church must continue to teach, live, and defend a biblical worldview with conviction and hope.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Henry Durand and originally published by the Christian Index.
