45% of Americans Say U.S. Should Be a ‘Christian Nation’
What does the phrase ‘Christian nation’ mean to you?
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- 45% of Americans Say U.S. Should Be a ‘Christian Nation’
- More than four-in-ten U.S. adults say the country should be a ‘Christian nation,’ but far fewer want churches to endorse candidates, speak out on politics
- Many Americans who say U.S. should be a ‘Christian nation’ do not want the federal government to declare it officially
- Among those who want U.S. to be a ‘Christian nation,’ upward of half say Bible should influence U.S. laws and take precedence over the will of the people
- Those who say U.S. should be a ‘Christian nation’ divided about the impact of religious diversity
- More than half of U.S. adults have heard nothing at all about ‘Christian nationalism’
- About a third of Americans now say Supreme Court is friendly to religion
- Three-quarters of U.S. adults say religion is losing influence in American life
- Over past year, no increase in share of people in any religious category who feel their side has been winning on political issues; all groups feel they are losing
- Republicans and Democrats agree that the GOP is ‘friendly’ toward religion; no similar consensus about Democratic Party
- Most Democrats say Biden administration is ‘neutral’ toward religion; most Republicans say it is ‘unfriendly’
- Six-in-ten Christians say U.S. should be a ‘Christian nation’
- A third of U.S. Christians see patriotism as essential to their Christian identity; far more see belief in God, moral life, relationship with Jesus as essential
- Roughly four-in-ten U.S. adults say churches and religious organizations have too much political influence
- Americans three times as likely to say religion is losing than gaining influence
- On balance, more Americans express a positive than a negative view about religion
- Slim majority of Christians say life has become harder in U.S. for people who have strong religious faith
- Roughly four-in-ten U.S. adults say religious organizations have too much political influence
- Roughly four-in-ten U.S. adults say religious organizations have too much political influence
- Most White evangelicals, Black Protestants say Bible should have at least some influence on U.S. laws
- Roughly a quarter of U.S. adults say that the Bible should have more influence over U.S. laws than the will of the people if the two conflict
- Most atheists, agnostics now say Supreme Court is friendly to religion; Christians less convinced
- Across religious groups, most agree Supreme Court justices should keep their own religious views out of their decisions
- More Americans say recent Supreme Court decisions have hurt rather than helped nonreligious people
- Most religious ‘nones’ say recent Supreme Court decisions have hurt women’s interests
- More than four-in-ten Americans think the U.S. should be a ‘Christian nation’
- Americans with different views on whether the U.S. should be a ‘Christian nation’ generally have different ideas of what the term means
- Upward of half of Americans are unfamiliar with ‘Christian nationalism’
- Roughly a quarter of all Americans have an unfavorable view of ‘Christian nationalism’
- Most common descriptions of ‘Christian nationalism’ involve Christianity playing a dominant and institutionalized role in society
- American Trends Panel recruitment surveys
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