70 Percent of Evangelical Churchgoers Say ‘People Are Basically Good,’ Poll Shows

Nearly seven in 10 Americans, including a majority of those who attend evangelical churches, believe “people are basically good,” according to a new survey by Arizona Christian University’s Cultural Research Center.

A total of 69 percent of U.S. adults agree with the statement “people are basically good,” the survey says. This view is so popular that a majority of every population subgroup – including churchgoers – say they affirm it.

The poll of 2,000 adults, released in June, is part of the center’s American Worldview Inventory, a larger report examining the views of Americans on a wide range of issues. The university is releasing the report in 10 parts.

“Seeing human beings as ‘basically good’ runs counter to the foundational biblical teaching that human beings are created by God and made in His image but are fallen and in need of redemption,” an analysis by the university’s Cultural Research Center says.

The belief that “people are basically good” is held by a majority of Americans affiliated with evangelical churches (70 percent), mainline Protestant churches (75 percent) and Catholic churches (77 percent).

Even a slight majority of Americans who hold a biblical worldview – 52 percent – affirm the statement, according to the survey. The “biblical worldview” assessment is based on questions about a person’s beliefs and…