Religion and Society

A large majority of U.S. adults (86%) say there is some kind of lesson or set of lessons for humankind to learn from the pandemic, and about a third of Americans (35%) say the lessons were sent by God.

U.S. Hispanic teens are more likely than U.S. teens overall to identify as Catholic and say it’s necessary to believe in God to be moral.

Around half of Catholic registered voters describe themselves as Republicans, while 47% identify with the Democratic Party.

While teens in the United States take after their parents religiously in many ways, they stand out in some others.

American adolescents often participate at parents’ behest, and tend to be less religious in more personal, private ways.

Among those who are religiously unaffiliated, meanwhile, the vast majority (84%) say casual sex is sometimes or always acceptable.

Most U.S. adults say that they expect to go back to attending religious services in person as often as they did before the outbreak.

Republicans and Democrats' opinions differ on many aspects of the outbreak, including views about religious practices during the pandemic.

Black and Hispanic worshippers are less likely than their white counterparts to say they have gone to a house of worship recently.

Few regular worshippers say their congregations are operating normally, and most support the precautions being taken.