The Tracker: Data of Interest

Religion, ethics and politics: What do Americans really believe?

by Chad Gesser

 

• Seventy-five percent of U.S. citizens believe that religion is a significant cause of global conflicts and wars.
• Sixty-seven percent of the U.S. population sees the U.S. as a “Christian” nation.
• Americans are evenly split on whether or not churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship should express views on issues of public policy.
• Nearly 30 percent of moderate-liberal Republicans believe the Bible should be a more important influence on U.S. law than the peoples’ will. Thirty-six percent of conservative-moderate Democrats believe the same.
• More than 70 percent of Americans believe that liberals have gone too far in keeping religion out of schools and the government.
• More than 90 percent of Americans who attend religious services indicate that their clergy speaks on issues associated with hunger and poverty. More than 50 percent indicate their clergy speaks on laws associated with homosexual behavior.
• Approximately 60 percent of Catholics and Protestants believe in evolution. Approximately 80 percent believe in scientific evidence indicating global warming.
• More than half of the U.S. population supports strong U.S. policy to protect the natural environment.
• Approximately 55 percent oppose allowing gays and lesbians to marry. Approximately 55 percent of Americans support allowing homosexual couples to enter into legal agreements that would give them many of the same rights as married couples.
• More than 65 percent of Americans believe we as a nation need to find a middle ground on abortion.
• Approximately 10 percent of Americans believe that abortion should never be permitted.
• Americans believe two-to-one that human embryos should be used for scientific research to advance human life rather than be destroyed.

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