(OPINION) In recent years, a growing number of voices have raised concerns about the spiritual state of the United States, pointing to a notable decline in belief in God as evidence of a deeper cultural shift.
George Barna, a prominent researcher and director of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, has argued that “nothing short of sweeping national repentance and spiritual renewal can save America from itself.”
This sentiment emerges from a striking statistic: fewer than half of Americans now express certainty in God’s existence, a trend that has alarmed some observers while prompting others to question what this means for the nation’s future.
A survey released by the Cultural Research Center in March 2025 found that 60% of Americans do not believe God exists or significantly influences their lives.
This includes nearly half of self-identified Christians (47%) and 40% of theologically defined born-again Christians who share this skepticism.
The General Social Survey (GSS), conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, offers a longer view of this trend.
In 2022, only about 50% of Americans said they “know God exists and have no doubts,” a drop from 60% in 2008 and a peak of 65% in 1993.
Meanwhile, Gallup polls have tracked a decline in broader belief in God, falling from 92% in 2011 to 81% in 2022—the lowest in its decades-long trend.
These figures suggest a significant erosion of traditional religious certainty. Yet, the picture is more complex than a simple rejection of faith.
The GSS also found that while outright atheism remains a minority view (7% in 2022), many Americans still embrace spirituality in some form.
About 14% believe in a “higher power” rather than a specific deity, and 26% identify as “very spiritual,” even as confidence in organized religion has plummeted to just 15% expressing “a great deal of confidence” in 2022, matching an all-time low.
Barna’s call for spiritual renewal hinges on the idea that this decline in belief reflects a broader moral and cultural crisis.
He points to survey findings showing that fewer than one in four Americans who believe in God see Him as a source of identity (24%), and only 19% believe He provides life boundaries.
“The trials and tribulations, as well as the multifaceted demise of the nation,” Barna argues, are tied to this disconnection from a unifying spiritual framework.
He contends that Americans’ optimism in political solutions—such as electing the “right” president—is misplaced without a deeper awakening.
This perspective resonates with some analysts. Writing for The Washington Stand in February 2024, Barna emphasized that “a spiritual awakening that will foster a deeper understanding of self and society” is “the only true hope for America at this point.”
Joseph Backholm, a senior fellow at the Family Research Council, agrees that Christ offers ultimate hope but cautions against abandoning government’s role entirely, suggesting a balanced approach where institutions fulfill their God-given purposes.
However, not all interpretations align with this narrative of decline. Pew Research Center’s 2023 survey on American spirituality reveals that 70% of U.S. adults describe themselves as spiritual in some way, including 22% who are “spiritual but not religious.”
An overwhelming 83% believe people have a soul or spirit beyond their physical body, and 81% sense something spiritual transcends the natural world.
These findings suggest that while traditional belief in the biblical God may be waning, Americans are not forsaking spirituality altogether—they’re redefining it.
For instance, half of Americans believe spirits or energies reside in nature (48%) or memorial sites (50%), and 26% see spiritual power in objects like crystals.
Among the religiously unaffiliated—often called “nones,” now 29% of the population per the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) in 2022—roughly half still believe in some form of higher power.
This shift hints at a broader, more eclectic spiritual landscape rather than a wholesale rejection of the divine.
Historically, America has experienced waves of religious fervor, from the Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th centuries to the evangelical surge of the late 20th century.
David Marcus, writing for Fox News in 2022, expressed optimism that Christianity could rebound, citing the nation’s relatively high belief rates compared to Europe (where Pew found only 26% believe in the biblical God).
Yet, Pew’s 2022 projections paint a sobering picture: if current trends persist, Christians could drop below half the U.S. population by 2070, with “nones” approaching or surpassing them in number.
Younger generations are driving this change. Gallup’s 2022 poll showed only 68% of adults aged 18-29 believe in God, compared to 87% of those 65 and older.
Pew’s 2024 analysis found that 42% of adults under 30 say they’ve become less religious over time, while older Americans are more likely to report growing religiosity.
This generational divide suggests that the call for spiritual renewal may face an uphill battle as cultural priorities shift.
The decline in belief also intersects with politics. Gallup noted stark ideological differences: 92% of Republicans believe in God, compared to 72% of Democrats, with independents at 81%.
Pew’s data shows Republicans are more likely to attend church weekly (44% vs. 29% of Democrats), highlighting how faith remains a fault line in America’s polarized landscape.
Some, like sociologist Ryan Cragun, speculate that the rise of Christian nationalism may even fuel disaffiliation, as a backlash against its rhetoric pushes others away from religion.
Does America need spiritual renewal, as Barna and others assert?
The answer depends on one’s vantage point. For those rooted in traditional Christianity, the data signals a troubling drift from foundational beliefs, necessitating a return to faith.
Yet, for others, the rise of personalized spirituality—untethered from institutional dogma—represents not a crisis but an evolution.
As Ryan Burge, a political scientist at Eastern Illinois University, noted in 2023, “Belief is very stubborn in America today,” even if it’s no longer synonymous with church attendance.
