In a new study released this week, the Family Research Council (FRC), working together with the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, found that just 47% of regular church-attenders said the Bible offers “clear & decisive” teachings about whether homosexuality is morally acceptable — a drop from 63% in 2023. On transgenderism, only 40% believed the Bible was clear, compared to 52% two years ago.
By contrast, larger majorities believed the Bible speaks clearly on other issues: 51% said it is clear on abortion (down from 65% in 2023), and 65% said it is clear on the definition of marriage.
FRC President Tony Perkins described the findings as evidence of “a great need for biblical teaching on the great issues of our day”. He added, “Many pastors, many churches are not systematically teaching the word of God … I think people, some pastors are afraid they’re going to offend or lose people by … addressing these controversial issues.”
Perkins noted that as a result of this teaching gap, “the broader culture in the media … is shaping the worldview of many Christians.” He pointed to churches within the Calvary Chapel network as examples of congregations that “systematically teach the word of God, even chronologically … when those issues come up, they teach on them.”