---
title: "4. Churches and religious organizations"
description: "Opinions about churches and religious organizations have become somewhat more positive in recent years (59% today vs. 53% in late 2022). Religious affiliation Large majorities of Protestants and Catholics say that churches and religious organizations are having a positive effect on the country today, though White evangelical Protestants are particularly likely to say this. Eight-in-ten […]"
date: "2024-02-01"
authors:
  - name: "Reem Nadeem"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/02/01/churches-and-religious-organizations/"
categories:
  - "Business & Workplace"
  - "Higher Education"
  - "K-12"
  - "Military & Veterans"
  - "Partisanship & Issues"
  - "Religious Leaders & Institutions"
  - "Tech Companies"
  - "Trust in Government"
  - "Unions"
datasets:
  - name: "American Trends Panel Wave 140"
    url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/dataset/american-trends-panel-wave-140/"
---

# 4. Churches and religious organizations

Opinions about churches and religious organizations have become somewhat more positive in recent years (59% today vs. 53% in late 2022).

#### Religious affiliation

Large majorities of Protestants and Catholics say that churches and religious organizations are having a positive effect on the country today, though White evangelical Protestants are particularly likely to say this.

[![Chart shows Wide ideological gap over the impact of churches, religious orgs on the country](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/02/PP_2024.02.01_institutions_4-01.png?w=310)](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/02/01/churches-and-religious-organizations/pp_2024-02-01_institutions_4-01-png/)

Eight-in-ten White evangelical Protestants view churches positively, compared with 73% of historically Black Protestants, 67% of Catholics and 64% of White non-evangelicals.

Those who give their religion as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” are much less likely to say that churches and religious organizations are having a positive effect, with just one-third saying this.

#### Partisanship, ideology

A majority of conservative and moderate Democrats (58%) have a positive impression of the impact of churches, compared with just 31% of liberal Democrats.

Differences are more modest among Republicans: 78% of conservative Republicans say churches and religious organizations have a positive impact, as do 63% of moderate and liberal Republicans.

---

**Next:** [5. The U.S. military](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/02/01/the-u-s-military.md)