By Diana Chandler - Posted at Baptist Press:
Published October 15, 2025
“It’s true that nearly one in five Americans think the Bible was written to control and manipulate, but twice that many trust the Bible as ‘totally accurate in all the principles it presents. The numbers show a nation grappling with Scripture — and its meaning for our lives.”PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (BP) — Nearly a quarter of U.S. adults think the Bible is “just another book of teachings written by people,” the American Bible Society (ABS) said in its latest release from the 2025 State of the Bible.
More people are skeptical of the Bible’s teachings than those who think the Bible is “totally accurate in all the principles it presents,” ABS said Oct. 14 in releasing the study’s seventh chapter focused on trust.
“A half-century ago, Americans generally trusted the Bible. Attitudes are more complex these days,” John Plake, ABS chief innovation officer and State of the Bible editor-in-chief, said of the findings. “Our latest survey finds a mixture of belief and questioning in the American public.”
Specifically:
— 24 percent think the Bible is just another book of instruction
— 18 percent think the Bible was written to control and manipulate people
— 36 percent agree the Bible is totally accurate
— 39 percent disagree that the Bible is totally accurate