A new survey has revealed a startling trend among American Christians: most believe that simply doing good deeds is enough to earn a place in Heaven. The findings, released by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, suggest that millions of self-identified Christians are drifting from what researchers call a biblical understanding of salvation.

The study, part of the American Worldview Inventory 2025, surveyed 2,000 American adults in March to explore their views on eternity and salvation. While most Christians still believe that everyone will one day be judged personally by God, the majority no longer see faith in Christ as the only path to eternal life.

According to the report, 53% of self-identified Christians said that “a person who is generally good, or does enough good things for others, will earn a place in Heaven.” That number jumps to 73% among Catholics. Less than half of Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Protestants, and non-denominational believers agreed with the statement — but even within those groups, researchers say the trend reflects growing confusion about the gospel message.

“There remains a shocking degree of misunderstanding among Christians regarding sin, repentance, forgiveness, and salvation,” said George Barna, the study’s lead researcher and director of the Cultural Research Center. “Millions of people who regularly attend Christian churches believe that eternal salvation does not depend on the sacrifice of Christ because of our sins. They don’t understand this fundamental tenet of Christian belief.”

Barna, one of the nation’s foremost faith researchers, warned that this shift reveals a deeper spiritual problem. “Instead,” he said, “we have a majority of self-described Christians hedging their eternal bets by integrating multiple means of salvation into their personal security plan.”

The study also found that many Christians have adopted a pluralistic view of salvation, with 54% of Catholics and 41% of self-identified Christians agreeing that “there are many paths to eternal salvation.” Even among Evangelicals and Pentecostals, over one-third believe people can “choose whichever one you prefer.”

When it comes to repentance, the research shows a similar disconnect. Nearly half of Evangelicals and Pentecostals — and 40% of self-identified Christians — said that simply admitting to sin is all one needs to do to repent. However, Barna cautioned that repentance is more than just confession; it requires genuine transformation.

“Repentance is not merely sorrow over misdeeds,” he said. “It must include a determined effort to change both mind and actions to avoid committing the same sins in the future. Simply apologizing to God, or saying a prayer asking for forgiveness, without a real effort to change the lifestyle, does not fit with biblical teaching about forgiveness and grace.”

Barna’s conclusion was sobering: “The presence of unbiblical beliefs in the minds of most Christian-leaning Americans reminds us that most people are information collectors rather than biblically consistent followers of Christ. Americans are more determined to be comfortable than biblically right. That preference will produce profound eternal effects for each of us.”

The new data aligns with earlier findings from the 2020 American Worldview Inventory, which revealed that 52% of people who identified as Christian believed that being good was sufficient to be accepted by God. At the time, Barna warned that even in churches that teach salvation by grace through faith, many still cling to a “works-oriented” faith.

The 2025 update makes clear that little has changed — and in some ways, the problem may be deepening. For pastors and Christian leaders, it serves as a reminder that the message of the cross — that salvation is found through Christ alone — must be preached more clearly than ever.

As Barna put it, the eternal stakes couldn’t be higher: “Americans may be more interested in comfort than conviction, but only one of those leads to Heaven.”