Half of younger churchgoers say culture change makes some biblical truths 'obsolete'
Protestant churchgoers in the United States appear increasingly willing to reject some biblical truths, with young adult attendees under 30 most likely to say some of those truths are becoming "obsolete," according to a recent survey from Lifeway Research.
In its report, published Tuesday, Lifeway highlighted the survey of 1,200 U.S. Protestants who attend church at least once a month, conducted Sept. 2 to 7, 2025, with a sampling error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Researchers compared the 2025 results with a survey of 1,002 U.S. Protestant churchgoers that used the same methodology conducted Sept. 20 to 27, 2019.
More than a quarter of respondents (28%) agreed with the statement "that as culture changes, some biblical truths become obsolete," up from 24% in 2019.
About a third of churchgoers (34%) said they "accept some truths from the Bible, but others
do not fit what they believe," up from 30% in 2019.
The younger a churchgoer was, the more likely he or she was to agree that culture change makes some truths in the Bible “obsolete.” Among respondents ages 18 to 29, 54% agreed with the statement, compared with 40% of those ages 30 to 49, 19% of those ages 50 to 64 and 13% of those 65 and older.
Younger adult churchgoers were the most likely to agree that the truth of God’s Word can mean different things to different people (87%) and some biblical truths don’t fit what they believe (56%).
“The concepts in any other book will show signs of age requiring new editions,” Lifeway Research Executive Director Scott McConnell said in the report.
“But the Source of the Bible is not Someone whose truths change. James refers to Him as ‘the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows,’ (James 1:17, CSB). The thought of unchanging truth is an unprecedented concept even for many churchgoers today.”
Overall, 56% of Protestant churchgoers find it challenging to make sense of the Bible when they read it on their own, a figure that hasn't changed much from the 57% who said the same in 2019.
At the same time, 91% agreed that "they can read a passage of the Bible and usually understand how it is relevant to them," matching the 90% figure recorded in 2019.
Last November, Barna Group and Gloo released data from their “State of the Church” initiative showing that while Bible reading among U.S. adults had reached its highest level in 15 years, fewer Americans believe the Bible is 100% accurate. Thirty-six percent of Americans believe the Bible is 100% accurate, down from 43% in 2000.
“It’s very encouraging to see more people, especially young adults, turning to the Bible,” Brad Hill, chief partner success officer at Gloo, said in a statement at the time.
“But this rise in interest also challenges church leaders to go deeper, turning curiosity and engagement into opportunities to help people live what they read. In an age when AI tools are providing answers to life’s big questions, it’s imperative that churches cultivate deep and durable Bible engagement habits.”
