{"id":198605,"date":"2025-02-26T06:09:14","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T11:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?p=198605"},"modified":"2025-10-28T14:49:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T18:49:19","slug":"importance-of-religion-and-the-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/importance-of-religion-and-the-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"7. Importance of religion and the Bible"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The percentage of Americans who say religion is very <\/em>important in their lives has been relatively stable in recent years, though it appears to be lower than it was in the 2007 and 2014 Religious Landscape Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, about four-in-ten Americans say religion is very important to them. That\u2019s what we\u2019ve found both in the 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS) and in other surveys we have conducted since 2021.[47. numoffset=”47″ The gap between the 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS) and the results from each National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS) may be due to \u201ccontext effects.\u201d The order of questions in the RLS effectively prompts respondents to think about their religious identity, beliefs and practices before asking them how important religion is in their lives. NPORS contains fewer questions about religious beliefs and practices, and therefore may elicit a different response about the importance of religion in a respondent\u2019s life.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Line<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, more than half of U.S. adults said religion was very important in their lives in 2007 (56%) and 2014 (53%). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of this decline reflects the growth of religiously unaffiliated Americans: Adults who identify as atheist, agnostic or \u201cnothing in particular\u201d rarely say religion is very important to them personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decline also may be partly due to a \u201cmode effect,\u201d as Pew Research Center has changed the way it conducts surveys. Unlike the 2007 and 2014 landscape studies, which were conducted by telephone, the new RLS was administered primarily online and on paper. The Center\u2019s National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS), repeated annually since 2020, also is conducted online and by paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A companion study conducted alongside the new RLS<\/a> suggests that people are somewhat more inclined to say religion is very important in their lives when speaking to a live interviewer over the telephone than when reading questions by themselves and responding online or on paper. This aligns with social scientists\u2019 findings that people taking surveys sometimes give more socially desirable answers when talking with another person, perhaps unconsciously leaning toward the answers they think the other person expects or wants to hear. The size and direction of this \u201cmode effect\u201d can vary, depending on the question.[48. Additional details about the implications of the change in survey mode are provided in Appendix A<\/a>.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bar<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, the percentage of Americans who say religion is very important in their lives was already slipping before we transitioned to online and paper surveys, and the mode effect on this question does not appear to be big enough to account for the entire decline since 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2023-24 RLS also asked respondents about the importance of the Bible in their lives. While most Christians say the Bible is either extremely<\/em> important or very<\/em> important, most adults in other U.S. religious groups say the Bible is not too <\/em>important or not at all<\/em> important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on for more details about how specific groups answer questions about the <\/strong>importance of religion<\/strong><\/a> and the <\/strong>importance of the Bible<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Religion\u2019s importance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults say religion is very important or somewhat important in their lives. But there are sharp differences across religious groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Table<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (widely known as Mormons), members of historically Black Protestant denominations, and evangelical Protestants, roughly seven-in-ten say religion is very important to them personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fewer than half of mainline Protestants and Catholics say religion is very important to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most U.S. Muslims (60%) say religion is very important in their lives, while Buddhists and Hindus are more likely to say religion is somewhat<\/em> important than to say it is very<\/em> important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jewish Americans are among the most likely of the religiously affiliated groups studied to say religion is not too important or not at all important in their lives \u2013 though 27% say it is very important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people who are religiously unaffiliated say religion is not important in their lives, including 98% of atheists who say it is not too important or not at all important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bible\u2019s importance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Overall, 44% of U.S. adults say the Bible is extremely important or very important in their lives, while 19% say the Bible is somewhat important, and 37% say the Bible is not too important or not at all important.[49. The \u201cextremely important\u201d response option is offered on this question but not on the question of religion\u2019s importance.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Table<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A majority of U.S. Christians say the Bible is extremely important or very important in their lives, but there are large differences across Christian subgroups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vast majority of members of historically Black Protestant denominations, evangelical Protestants, and Latter-day Saints say the Bible is extremely or very important in their lives. Fewer than half of mainline Protestants and Catholics say this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most Americans who identify with non-Christian religions say the Bible is not too important or not at all important to them personally, though roughly one-quarter of Jews (22%) and Muslims (25%) say the Bible is extremely or very important in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relatively few religiously unaffiliated adults (10%) say the Bible is extremely or very important in their lives. This modest share comes almost exclusively from people who say their religion is \u201cnothing in particular,\u201d rather than from atheists or agnostics.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This question was not asked in previous RLS surveys, so we are not able to show trends over time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

About four-in-ten U.S. adults say religion is very important. Most Christians see the Bible as important to them. 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Religious intermarriage","slug":"religious-intermarriage","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religious-intermarriage\/","is_active":false,"page_num":6},{"id":198594,"title":"5. Religious upbringing and childhood education","slug":"religious-upbringing-and-childhood-education","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religious-upbringing-and-childhood-education\/","is_active":false,"page_num":7},{"id":198600,"title":"6. Religion, fertility and child-rearing","slug":"religion-fertility-and-child-rearing","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religion-fertility-and-child-rearing\/","is_active":false,"page_num":8},{"id":198605,"title":"7. Importance of religion and the Bible","slug":"importance-of-religion-and-the-bible","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/importance-of-religion-and-the-bible\/","is_active":true,"page_num":9},{"id":198610,"title":"8. Religious attendance and congregational involvement","slug":"religious-attendance-and-congregational-involvement","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religious-attendance-and-congregational-involvement\/","is_active":false,"page_num":10},{"id":198615,"title":"9. Race and ethnicity in religious congregations","slug":"race-and-ethnicity-in-religious-congregations","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/race-and-ethnicity-in-religious-congregations\/","is_active":false,"page_num":11},{"id":198620,"title":"10. Prayer and other religious practices","slug":"prayer-and-other-religious-practices","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/prayer-and-other-religious-practices\/","is_active":false,"page_num":12},{"id":198624,"title":"11. Religious and spiritual beliefs","slug":"religious-and-spiritual-beliefs","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religious-and-spiritual-beliefs\/","is_active":false,"page_num":13},{"id":198630,"title":"12. Spiritual experiences","slug":"religious-landscape-study-spiritual-experiences","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religious-landscape-study-spiritual-experiences\/","is_active":false,"page_num":14},{"id":198635,"title":"13. Spiritual activities","slug":"spiritual-activities","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/spiritual-activities\/","is_active":false,"page_num":15},{"id":198640,"title":"14. Spiritual and religious self-descriptions","slug":"spiritual-and-religious-self-descriptions","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/spiritual-and-religious-self-descriptions\/","is_active":false,"page_num":16},{"id":198645,"title":"15. Religion, partisanship and ideology","slug":"religion-partisanship-and-ideology","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religion-partisanship-and-ideology\/","is_active":false,"page_num":17},{"id":198650,"title":"16. Religion and views on LGBTQ issues and abortion","slug":"religion-and-views-on-lgbtq-issues-and-abortion","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religion-and-views-on-lgbtq-issues-and-abortion\/","is_active":false,"page_num":18},{"id":198654,"title":"17. Religion and views on gender, parenting and workforce participation","slug":"religion-and-views-on-gender-parenting-and-workforce-participation","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religion-and-views-on-gender-parenting-and-workforce-participation\/","is_active":false,"page_num":19},{"id":198659,"title":"18. Religion and views on immigration and diversity","slug":"religion-and-views-on-immigration-and-diversity","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religion-and-views-on-immigration-and-diversity\/","is_active":false,"page_num":20},{"id":198664,"title":"19. Religion and views on the environment","slug":"religion-and-views-on-the-environment","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religion-and-views-on-the-environment\/","is_active":false,"page_num":21},{"id":198669,"title":"20. Religion and views on the role of government","slug":"religion-and-views-on-the-role-of-government","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religion-and-views-on-the-role-of-government\/","is_active":false,"page_num":22},{"id":198691,"title":"21. Religion and views of right and wrong","slug":"religion-and-views-of-right-and-wrong","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religion-and-views-of-right-and-wrong\/","is_active":false,"page_num":23},{"id":198696,"title":"22. Religion\u2019s role in public life","slug":"religious-landscape-study-religions-role-in-public-life","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religious-landscape-study-religions-role-in-public-life\/","is_active":false,"page_num":24},{"id":198702,"title":"23. Religion and views of science","slug":"religion-and-views-of-science","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religion-and-views-of-science\/","is_active":false,"page_num":25},{"id":198707,"title":"24. Age, race, education and other demographic traits of U.S. religious groups","slug":"age-race-education-and-other-demographic-traits-of-us-religious-groups","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/age-race-education-and-other-demographic-traits-of-us-religious-groups\/","is_active":false,"page_num":26},{"id":199980,"title":"Acknowledgments","slug":"religious-landscape-study-acknowledgments","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religious-landscape-study-acknowledgments\/","is_active":false,"page_num":27},{"id":198712,"title":"Methodology","slug":"religious-landscape-study-methodology","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/religious-landscape-study-methodology\/","is_active":false,"page_num":28},{"id":198570,"title":"Appendix A: Comparing results across Religious Landscape Studies","slug":"appendix-a-comparing-results-across-religious-landscape-studies","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/appendix-a-comparing-results-across-religious-landscape-studies\/","is_active":false,"page_num":29},{"id":199047,"title":"Appendix B: Classification of Protestant denominations","slug":"appendix-b-classification-of-protestant-denominations","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/appendix-b-classification-of-protestant-denominations\/","is_active":false,"page_num":30},{"id":199014,"title":"Appendix C: Comparing the Center\u2019s religion trends with those of other major surveys","slug":"appendix-c-comparing-the-centers-religion-trends-with-those-of-other-major-surveys","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/appendix-c-comparing-the-centers-religion-trends-with-those-of-other-major-surveys\/","is_active":false,"page_num":31}]},"parent_info":{"parent_title":"Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off","parent_id":198882},"materialsOrdered":[],"chaptersOrdered":[],"partsOrdered":[],"partsEnabled":false,"datacite_doi":"Smith, Gregory, Alan Cooperman, Becka Alper, Besheer Mohamed, Chip Rotolo, Patricia Tevington, Justin Nortey, Asta Kallo, Jeff Diamant and Dalia Fahmy. 2025. \"Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off.\" Pew Research Center. doi: 10.58094\/4kqq-3112.","prc_seo_data":{"title":"How important the Bible & religion are in Americans' lives","description":"About four-in-ten U.S. adults say religion is very important. 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