AMANDA REPORTS: Families Are Most Trusted Major American Institution, American Bible Society Survey Finds
By Amanda Hughes
(QUICK READ) — Families remain the institution with the highest trustworthiness among eight major sectors in American society, a new survey by the American Bible Society reveals.
Reported by the Philadelphia-based (ABS) in the latest chapter entitled “Trust” as part of the group’s “State of the Bible USA 2025” survey research. The survey queried respondents on what, whom and how much do they trust.
In addition to measuring trust in other people, survey participants rated Families as the most trustworthy institution at 55 percent, increasing with education levels of those surveyed. In stark contrast, Government at 6 percent and Media 5 percent were rated as the least trustworthy. Medicine and Education followed behind Families, with high trust. Religion fell in the middle at 29 percent and above Arts & Entertainment followed by Banking & Business.
Photo by Josue Michel on Unsplash
Trust in the institution of family increased highest at the post-graduate or professional degree levels of education received. Trust in the Government remained at the bottom with an increase at the post-graduate level. Media remained about the same yet decreased at the post-graduate level.
Higher income was associated in more trust in Families, Medicine, and Education, and with less in Religion. The report does not specify, for example, types of religious beliefs or education affecting trust levels; however, it cites a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center that refers to “political polarization, increasing Internet use (which appears to reduce real-life connections), greater ethnic diversity, and religious decline” as possible causes for declining trust.
The ABS report also showed that older generations display greater trust in others than those of the younger ones, Boomers more than Gen X, followed by Millennials and Gen Z adults. Institutional Trust ranged similarly between the generations, with Gen Z trusting more in Arts & Entertainment, and Boomers more in Medicine and Religion.
The Scripture Engaged had the highest trust in others, Families and Religion, whereas Government and Media were trusted least of all, significantly less than Interpersonal Trust.
“It appears that many of those who read and apply the Scriptures are trying to practice Christian love by thinking the best of people, by giving them the benefit of the doubt, by trusting them,” said the ABS, which describes itself as fulfilling the Great Commission through making “the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so all people may experience its life-changing message.”
Political identification highlighted another important trust factor: “Where people place their trust could be the most telling difference between the two major U.S. parties.”
Among the Bible Disengaged, results showed Democrats trust others more than Republicans, both political parties more so than Independents. Significantly, Scripture Engaged Democrats and Republicans both trust in other people at similar levels. Republicans trust more in Families and Religion. They trust Government, Media, Arts & Entertainment less; conversely, Democrats trust those more along with Medicine and Education.
The survey’s results culminate on a segment addressing Trust, Trauma, and Forgiveness. It suggests people know anecdotally that trauma reduces trust, thereby affecting survey responses. Answers to questions on trauma and forgiveness from the general-public High Trust group at 25 percent showed that sincere forgiveness offered by someone who was wronged raised trust to 34 percent.
Emphasizing interpersonal and institutional connections affecting trust, most notably the highest rated institution of Family, the ABS report points to a quote by author Henry Cloud from his book, “Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken.”
Cloud states that trust is “the fuel for all of life. Nothing in life works without it — especially relationships. We are wired biologically, neurologically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically to trust. Trust is the currency that drives everything,”
Texan Amanda Hughes is a veteran writer and author who now lives and works on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.