Survey: Most U.S. Christians Say Sin Is Real — But Many Won’t Call Themselves Sinners

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – A new installment of Arizona Christian University’s American Worldview Inventory finds broad agreement that sin exists — yet far less willingness among Americans, including many Christians, to personally identify as sinners. Research director George Barna calls the trend a “body blow” tied to churches’ reluctance to teach on sin.

According to Report #8 of the 2025 Inventory, based on a nationally representative survey of 2,000 U.S. adults fielded in May, 84% of respondents said “sin exists” and “is real.” That conviction was strongest among theologically identified born-again Christians (99%), Protestants (97%), self-identified Christians (95%), and Catholics (94%). Even most non-Christians (61%) agreed.

The agreement faded when the question turned personal: only 52% of all adults accepted the label “I am a sinner,” including 74% of theologically identified born-again Christians, 66% of Protestants, 60% of self-identified Christians, and 50% of Catholics; just 36% of non-Christians said the same. Similarly, while 52% of adults affirmed that “everyone has sinned,” the figure ranged from 85% among born-again Christians to 57% among Catholics and 23% among non-Christians.

Barna linked the attitudinal gap to the pulpit. Citing a 2019 Pew Research analysis of sermon content, he said only 3% of sermons even mentioned sin — a silence he argues has starved congregations of basic biblical teaching. “Students will remain ignorant when their teachers fail to inform them of critical information and consequences,” Barna said, calling the omission “a devastating body blow to the Church.”

(Pew’s original study analyzed tens of thousands of online sermons but did not center its report on the “3%” statistic; Barna’s figure is presented in ACU’s release.) 

‘Basically Good at Heart’?

Among respondents who believe sin is real, 70% nonetheless agreed that “people are basically good at heart” — a view Barna labels a “culturally comfortable dismissal of sin.” That sentiment was most common among Catholics who believe in sin (82%), followed by self-identified Christians (72%), born-again Christians (70%), Protestants (66%) and non-Christians (65%).

Only 1 in 7 Self-Described Christians Holds Biblically Consistent View of Sin

The report concludes that about 14% of self-described Christians hold a core theology of sin consistent with historic Christian teaching (that sin is real, everyone sins, “I am a sinner,” and no one is “good at heart”). Barna urged parents, pastors, and Christian influencers to restore clear instruction on sin, its consequences, and the remedy offered in Jesus Christ.

Why it matters

Barna argues the softening around sin helps explain broader shifts documented across the 2025 Inventory — from declining Christian affiliation to confusion over moral truth — and risks dulling evangelism, repentance, and discipleship within churches.

Methodology

The 2025 AWVI Report #8 surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults (age 18+) in May 2025. The report notes an estimated maximum sampling error of ±2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level and details panel construction and fieldwork partners. Full crosstabs and analysis are available via ACU’s Cultural Research Center.

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