A new survey suggests that while Americans embrace a role for religion in the nation’s political life, they are conflicted over the extent and nature of that involvement.
Compared to a generation ago, more people are comfortable with churches expressing opinions on social and political matters, yet a solid majority of voters say they are uneasy with members of the clergy espousing their political views from the pulpit. While seven in 10 voters believe it is important for the president to have religious faith, there is widespread discomfort over politicians who speak publicly about how religious they are.
More Americans regard the Republican Party as the protector of religious values compared with the Democrats (39 percent to 30 percent, respectively). But the GOP’s advantage on this issue has declined over the past four years; in 1996, 47 percent saw the Republicans as protectors of religious values while just 32 percent named the Democrats.
This survey of nearly 2,000 registered voters, conducted Aug. 24-Sept. 10, is a collaborative project of The Pew Research Center and The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
The study found that most voters (70 percent) want the president to be a person of faith. But half of the electorate expresses unease with politicians, presidential contenders and others, who talk too much about their religious beliefs.
Overall, women are somewhat more likely than men to want a president with strong religious beliefs (74 percent vs. 65 percent). At the same time, women are slightly less likely than men to feel uncomfortable when politicians talk about their faith (46 percent vs. 54 percent). By contrast, young people — particularly young men — are less concerned about the religious beliefs of the president. Less than half of men under age 30 (47 percent) say it is important that he or she have religious beliefs.
A slim majority of voters (51 percent) say it is appropriate for churches and other religious organizations to make their views known on political and social topics, while 45 percent believe these institutions should stay out of politics. But a solid majority (64 percent) believes it is wrong for members of the clergy to discuss political matters from the pulpit, while just one in three voters (32 percent) find that acceptable.
African-Americans, white evangelical Protestants and voters under the age of 50 are among the most likely to favor including political discussions as part of church activities. Fully 61 percent of blacks support this, compared with just half of whites. (EP)
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