Seventy-five percent of Americans believe the Bible contains everything a person needs to known in order to live a meaningful life, according to The Bible in America, a new report from American Bible Society and Barna Group.

The report, which considers six years of annual research from American Bible Society’s State of the Bible survey and four years of annual research from the Bible-Minded Cities report, indicates that Americans hold the Bible in high regard. Eighty percent of Americans view the Bible as sacred literature, 64 percent believe the Bible has more influence on humanity than any other text and 75 percent believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. And although just one-third of Americans profess to reading the Bible at least once per week, the majority of Americans (62 percent) express a desire to read the Bible more often.

Yet in spite of this positive perception of the Bible, the percentage of American Bible skeptics—those who view the Bible as an outdated book of stories, teachings and advice—has risen over the past six years, from 12 to percent to 22 percent. Over this same period, the percentage of Americans who view the Bible as sacred literature has declined, 86 percent to 80 percent, and the percentage of Americans who say the Bible is not a sufficient guide for meaningful living has risen, 23 percent to 33 percent.

To reverse this Bible skepticism trend, and reach Americans on their turf with the life-changing message of God’s Word, American Bible Society is leveraging social media and modern technology. These efforts include development of a Bible-based online game for teens and ownership of .bible, a new, top-level domain.

As American Bible Society enters its third century of ministry, it retains hope that more Americans will learn to find peace, comfort and healing in God’s Word.

“It’s not getting any easier. As we look at modern-day America, we see a country moving away—for decades now—from the foundational, biblical values so cherished by those who have come before us,” says Roy Peterson, president and CEO of American Bible Society. “But as America is shaken by skepticism, this is the time to renew hope in the promises of God’s Word. When people are battling extreme violence, poverty and oppression, this is our time to open the healing words of Scripture.”

Visit stateofthebible.org for more information about The Bible in America.