GLENDALE, Ariz. (Barna/CRC) — A majority of U.S. adults (52%) consider abortion to be a morally acceptable act, while roughly one in four (27%) believe human life is sacred, according to the latest report from the American Worldview Inventory 2026, released by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. An equal share of adults says human life has no intrinsic value at all.
Key findings from the AWVI 2026 include:
- A majority of Americans (52%) consider abortion morally acceptable.
- Only one in four adults (27%) believes human life is sacred. An equal share says human life has no intrinsic value.
- Just one in three adults (33%) describes themselves as passionately pro-life. Only half as many (18%) strongly reject the label.
- Only 30% hold the biblical view that people are born into sin and can only be saved by Jesus Christ. Among Catholics, that figure drops to 24%.
- Only 57% believe humans are God’s creation, made in His image, fallen and in need of redemption — despite 70% identifying as Christian.
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The findings reveal a wide middle ground. While only 18% strongly reject the pro-life label, roughly half of adults take no firm position on whether they are passionately pro-life. Segments where at least six in 10 deemed abortion morally acceptable included adults under 40, Asians, LGBTQ adults, people of non-Christian faiths and the religiously unaffiliated, along with residents of New York and California. Only a few segments reached a 60% majority calling abortion morally unacceptable: adults with a biblical worldview, biblically-defined disciples and theologically-identified born-again Christians. Notably, parents of young children, Catholics, weekly church attenders and adults who read the Bible daily did not reach that threshold.
George Barna, director of research at the Cultural Research Center, said the numbers reflect a deeper view of human life itself.
“Devoted, biblical Christians won’t like what the most common views about mankind reveal about Americans. An objective spiritual profile of Americans portrays us as narcissistic, unappreciative of the gift of life, and consistently unbiblical in our views and behaviors related to both humanity and the supernatural.”
Barna pointed to confusion within the church as a driver.
“Increasingly, American Christianity is based on feelings rather than biblical truth or knowledge. Stunningly few adults in national survey after national survey qualify as biblically-defined disciples. That relates to the small percentage of adults who have established knowing and imitating Christ as their chief goal in life.”
About the ACU Worldview Assessment
The ACU Worldview Assessment (ACUWorldview.com) is a quick, powerful online tool developed by Dr. George Barna, designed to measure how a person’s beliefs and behaviors align with the biblical worldview. Drawing on 40+ years of research, the ACU Worldview Assessment analyzes worldview across five key categories and in the seven foundational “cornerstones” of a biblical worldview. Available in versions tailored for individuals, students (grades 4, 8, and 12), churches and ministries, and colleges and universities, the 15-minute assessment provides practical insight for worldview development and spiritual growth at every stage of life.
