While most American adults believe in absolute truth — a reality supported by the Bible — a new poll sponsored by Summit Ministries shows a majority of adults under 30 don’t, and researchers are concerned the finding could have negative consequences on mental health and community.
A breakdown of the poll results by age group shows that the younger an adult is, the less likely they are to believe in absolute truth. And for adults younger than 30, 55% say they believe each person determines their own version of truth, while 42% say they believe in absolute truth.
60 percent of respondents from all age groups who gave a definitive answer to the question expressed a belief in absolute truth.
Summit Ministries President Jeff Myers said, “The number of Americans who say there is no absolute truth is alarmingly high. But among young adults, we have now officially passed the tipping point. The majority of youth now say that each person determines their own version of truth.”
Myers added, “The loss of truth has grave consequences for community, justice, a sense of purpose and mental health. I’m not aware of any civilization that has abandoned reality to this extent and survived.”
Mark Kreitzer of Grand Canyon University’s College of Theology noted, “Jesus meant that truth is not merely some abstract thing floating out in space that we have to mystically experience or something we have to force our will to follow, but it was a person, himself. ‘In Christ,’ Paul adds, ‘all the riches of the Godhead dwells bodily’ and in Him also ‘all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ are hidden.”