RACE, RELIGION + SOCIAL JUSTICE
Pew Research Center study reveals how Americans feel about different religions
Mar 17, 2023, 5:00 PM
The Victory Outreach choir sings during a celebration called “In Harmony Together: A Sacred Music Event” at the Columbus Center in South Salt Lake on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. During the event, nearly a dozen different faith-based organizations and community groups came together to share their culture and beliefs through music, dance and the spoken word. (Scott G. Winterton/Deseret News)
(Scott G. Winterton/Deseret News)
WASHINGTON D.C. — The Pew Research Center recently released its findings on a study on religion. The study was to discover how Americans felt about different religious groups. A questionnaire went out to over 10,000 households in the U.S.
According to the study, the sample represented the “U.S. adult population to the greatest extent possible.” This includes adults representing all 50 states.
The study asked about seven different religious groups in the United States. It specifically asked if the religion was favorable or unfavorable.
The seven religious groups included:
- Jews
- Mainline Protestants
- Catholics
- Evangelical Christians
- Muslims
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Atheists
The majority of those studied said they didn’t know enough about the religion to say whether they were favorable or unfavorable.
But, if they knew a member of that religion they were more likely to view it favorably.
Additionally, if they belonged to the religious group in question they would vote favorably.
Although some from one religious group voted favorably for other religious groups, others did not.
“54% of Latter-Day Saints feel positively toward evangelical Christians,” according to Pew Research Center, but “the feelings are not reciprocal.”
Only 15% of Evangelical Christians felt positive toward the Church of Jesus Christ.
Overall findings
NEW: Far more Americans express favorable than unfavorable views of Jews, mainline Protestants and Catholics, according to our new survey that measures U.S. adults’ broad sentiments toward several religious groups. 🧵https://t.co/8xDoKFL4jP
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) March 15, 2023
Out of the seven religious groups included in the survey, with a favorability rating of 35%, those of the Jewish faith had the highest score.
The Church of Jesus Christ has the lowest favorable percentage of 15%.
However, the religious group with the highest unfavorable percentage is Evangelical Christians with 27%.
On the other hand, the survey did not delve into why the individuals liked or disliked certain religious groups.
Past surveys
Pew Research Center has previously done this survey. Overall, the idea was the same with mostly the same religious groups included in the survey.
In 2014, 2017 and 2019 the survey asked participants to rate on a thermometer the warmth that they feel for a certain religious group.
The 2014 and 2017 studies found that the Jewish religion held the warmest feelings while Muslims held the least.
The 2019 survey focused on asking the participants if they knew someone in the religious groups. In conclusion, they found that if a person knew someone they had warmer feelings toward that religion.
Over the years, the Jewish religion has stayed high on the likability scale.
Additionally, Muslims have gradually moved up the scale and the Church of Jesus Christ has moved lower on the scale.
Also, it has stayed true through the years that a person will rate a religious group higher if they themselves are part of that group, or if they know someone who is in that group.
