64% of Evangelicals Think We’re Born Innocent (The State of Theology)
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This month, Ligonier Ministries released the 2025 results from The State of Theology survey. Several of this year’s findings reveal significant confusion in the church. For instance:
64% of American evangelicals agree with the statement, “Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God.”
This isn’t just a theological misstep; it’s a denial of a foundational biblical truth. If people don’t understand the reality and seriousness of sin, the importance of the gospel itself comes under threat.
To make matters worse, 53% of evangelicals believe that “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.” View more key findings.
These sobering statistics point to deep confusion in the church about original sin. Yet Scripture is clear: Since Adam’s fall, every person is born guilty, corrupted in nature, and in need of God’s grace for salvation through Christ alone.
Watch as Stephen Nichols and Thomas Brewer respond to these survey findings and emphasize the importance of having a biblical view of sin:
Download the Free Study Guide
Gather a group from your church or community to discuss the significance of these results from the 2025 State of Theology survey with the free digital study guide. Each section includes discussion questions and biblical insights to guide your conversations. Download the free study guide.
More Resources on Sin
R.C. Sproul founded Ligonier Ministries to help Christians know what they believe and why they believe it. Here are several resources from Ligonier addressing the Bible’s teaching on sin.
- Are People Basically Good? booklet by R.C. Sproul
- The Bondage of the Will book by Martin Luther, 500th-anniversary edition
- “Original Sin,” an episode of Ultimately with R.C. Sproul
- What Does the Bible Mean by “the Heart”? article by A. Craig Troxel
- What Is Sin? booklet by R.C. Sproul