Statistical data from the General Social Survey shows that, contrary to what many think, the overwhelming majority of Americans—a whopping 86%—believe in God at some level. For every American who doesn’t believe in God, there are seven who do. 

Of course, just because four out of five Americans think God exists doesn’t mean they believe in the same God or, for that matter, in the God who actually exists. What we believe about God is a defining aspect of our lives. As A.W. Tozer wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”  

What we believe about God shapes what we believe about the rest of life, including those ultimate, worldview-shaping questions of origin, identity, meaning, morality, and destiny. And the more a group of people is unmoored from the truth about these things together, the more disconnected they are from those essentials of a healthy and functioning society; essentials like justice, human dignity, and the care and protection of children. 

This Point was previously published on June 15, 2023.