How Religion Intersects With Americans’ Views on the Environment
According to U.S. congregants, houses of worship more likely to have programs to help people in need than to help the environment
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- How Religion Intersects With Americans’ Views on the Environment
- Highly religious Americans overwhelmingly say God gave humans a duty to protect and care for the Earth, but far fewer see climate change as a serious problem
- Religiously affiliated Americans commonly link their religious beliefs to the environment
- Highly religious Americans are less concerned about climate change, less convinced human activity is causing warmer temperatures
- Climate change gets relatively little attention in U.S. religious congregations
- One-in-ten U.S. adults say it is morally wrong to drive a car with low gas mileage
- Three-in-ten evangelicals say climate change is not a serious problem because God is in control of the climate
- Majority of evangelicals concerned environmental regulations will lead to loss of individual freedoms
- Within each major religious group, Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to say climate change is not a serious problem
- The connection among partisanship, religion and views about climate change, all else equal
- The composition of U.S. adults, by religious commitment and concern about climate change
- Highly religious Americans who are concerned about climate change skew Democratic
- Nearly four-in-ten U.S. adults believe ‘we are living in the end times’
- Those who believe humanity is living in the ‘end times’ are somewhat less likely to view climate change as a serious problem
- Americans who think about future generations view climate change as a very serious problem
- Religious ‘nones’ among most likely to say when we make decisions as a country, we should consider things previous generations did not
- Nearly half of Americans say that God gave humans duty to care for the Earth AND the right to use it
- Americans who are less concerned about climate change are more likely to hold dominionist views
- Nearly half of Americans do several things in their daily lives to help protect the environment
- Three-in-ten religious ‘nones’ did at least one civic activity last year to address climate change
- Four-in-ten regular religious attenders say their congregation has a group that helps protect the environment
- Two-thirds of religious ‘nones’ say the Earth is sacred
- Seven-in-ten Protestants believe the Bible contains lessons about the environment
- Three-in-ten Americans who say scripture contains lessons about the environment mention stewardship
- Two-thirds of all Americans say humans have a God-given duty to protect and care for the Earth
- Few Americans say God gave humans a right to use Earth for their benefit without a duty to protect it
- Younger Americans less likely to say humans are more important than other living things
- Among Americans who pray regularly, half say they pray for the environment
- Four-in-ten Americans believe we are living in the ‘end times’
- Many Americans believe that Jesus will return to Earth one day
- Many evangelicals believe the world will decline before Jesus returns; other Christians are less sure
- Nearly half of religious attenders never hear about climate change in sermons
- A third of regular religious service attenders have heard a sermon about climate change that expressed a duty to care for God’s creation
- For evangelical Protestants, religious leaders are a more trusted source of information on climate change than elected officials
- Few religious attenders regularly talk about climate change with their fellow congregants
- Recycling and taking steps to be more energy efficient are relatively common among congregations
- Seven-in-ten Americans say being outdoors in nature is meaningful and fulfilling
- Most Americans have hiked outdoors within the past year
- Vast majority of U.S. adults say they make an effort to protect the environment at least some of the time
- Most Americans say they seek to reduce food waste, plastic and water usage
- Historically Black Protestant church members among most likely to say it’s important to conserve energy
- Majority of U.S. adults conserve energy both to save money and help environment
- Non-Christian religious groups among most likely to have donated money to fight climate change
- Americans more likely to see sex outside marriage than driving a gas-guzzling vehicle as morally wrong
- Highly religious Americans less likely to view inefficient energy practices as morally wrong
- Nine-in-ten atheists say the Earth is getting warmer mostly due to human activity
- Evangelical Protestants among the least likely to view global climate change as a serious problem
- One-in-five Protestants say climate change is not a serious problem because God is in control of the climate
- Religious ‘nones’ optimistic we can slow climate change, split on whether it will be difficult
- Most U.S. adults say society should focus both on slowing climate change and preparing to deal with its effects
- Most evangelical Protestants say Americans today should value same things as previous generations
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