Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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22. Religion’s role in public life
About half of Americans support allowing religious displays on public property
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- 22. Religion’s role in public life
- 44% of Americans think religion does more good than harm
- Americans say religious institutions play positive roles, but most also see negative qualities
- 51% of Americans express mostly positive opinions about religious institutions, 29% mostly negative
- Religiously unaffiliated adults are most likely to say religion does more harm than good in the U.S.
- Most Americans agree that religious organizations do good things in society, but many also think religious organizations do some negative things
- Overall balance of perceptions about religious institutions has shifted in the U.S.
- Nearly half of evangelicals strongly favor the government declaring the U.S. a Christian nation
- Most Christians favor allowing public school teachers to lead their classes in nonsectarian prayers; most others oppose the idea
- About half of Americans support allowing religious displays on public property