Why America’s trust in the church is collapsing — and how we can recover the gospel’s credibility
In only a decade, America’s view of Christianity has taken a drastic nosedive. Among young non-Christians, only 16% still see Christianity as a positive force. Sixteen. That’s 84% that don’t.
That’s not just a cultural drift — it’s a collapse.
And here’s the hard truth: the church didn’t just “lose the culture war.” It lost trust.
For younger generations, Christianity is no longer automatically linked with kindness, community, or hope. More often, it’s linked with politics, anger, and partisanship.
And that shift didn’t happen in a vacuum.
The Tweet Heard Around Washington
Last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reshared a video from Pastor Doug Wilson, a man well-known for his Christian nationalist views. In the clip, Wilson and fellow pastors argued that women should lose the right to vote.
Hegseth didn’t just share it — he praised it. His caption read: “All of Christ for all of life.”