What is a Christian?
21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name? 23 And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]. Matthew 7:21-23 Amplified Version.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate because the gate and road that lead to destruction are wide. Many enter through the wide gate. 14 But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate. Matthew 7:13-14 God's Word Translation.
ChatGPT:
Here's a summary of the recent findings regarding the percentage of Christians in the U.S. from various polls:
Gallup Poll (2023): A Gallup poll from 2023 found that 47% of Americans describe themselves as religious, and 33% as spiritual but not religious. It also noted that 82% of Americans have some type of spiritual belief system, which represents a decline from previous years
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Gallup Poll (2021): According to an average of all 2021 Gallup polling, about three in four Americans (75%) identified with a specific religious faith, with the largest proportion (69%) identifying with a Christian religion. This includes 35% who are Protestant, 22% Catholic, and 12% identifying with another Christian denomination or simply as "Christian"
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Gallup Poll on Religious Affiliation by State: This Gallup data shows that more than 8 in 10 Americans are affiliated with a Christian religion, with some individual states exceeding this level. The data indicate that more than 9 in 10 residents of states like Mississippi, North Dakota, and Louisiana identify their beliefs as Christian
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Gallup Poll (2014): A Gallup poll from 2014 found that about three-quarters of Americans identified as Christian, including 50% who are Protestants or another non-Catholic Christian religion, and 24% who are Catholic
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Gallup Poll (2012): In 2012, Gallup reported that 77% of U.S. adults identified as Christian
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Pew Research Center (2021): The Pew Research Center's 2021 survey indicated a growing trend of religious unaffiliation in the U.S. with a notable decrease in daily prayer and the importance of religion in individuals' lives
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These surveys show a general trend of a decline in formal religious practice and a growing number of individuals who do not affiliate with any religion. However, a significant portion of the U.S. population still identifies as Christian.
A survey conducted in early 2023, "The State of the Bible", by Research of American Bible Society, found that 31% of respondents replied that a solid, intimate, or most important relationship in their life was with Jesus Christ. While 14% said I’ve definitely made a decision to commit to having a relationship with Jesus Christ. 29% responded I consider myself a Christian, though my faith is not a significant part of my life or I believe in God, but I’ve not yet made a decision to commit to having a relationship with Jesus Christ.
These studies, as well as the ones shown on the section, 'The State of the Church,' indicate that nearly 4 out of 5 American adults believe in God, but to pinpoint the percentage of actual "Christians," is considerably more difficult.