RELIGION NEWSWRITERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE DENVER, COLORADO SEPTEMBER 25, 2010 Moderated by Bob Smietana of The Tennessean W W W. A M E R I C A N G R A C E. O R G
How can America be The Puzzle religiously devout, religiously diverse, and religiously tolerant?
AMERICANS OVERWHELMINGLY BELIEVE THAT GOOD PEOPLE OF OTHER RELIGIONS CAN GO TO HEAVEN Mormon 98% Mainline Protestant 96% Jewish 95% Catholic 93% Black Protestant 90% Other Faiths 90% None 87% Evangelical Protestant 83%
COMPARED TO OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS, THE U.S. HAS A HIGH RATE OF WEEKLY ATTENDANCE AT RELIGIOUS SERVICES 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Jordan Indonesia Poland Egypt Brazil India USA Iran Italy Canada Britain China Russia Japan Sweden Germany France Attend religious services weekly
THE DEEP SOUTH, UTAH, AND THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ARE THE MOST RELIGIOUS REGIONS Low Religiosity (deciles) High
RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS IN THE UNITED STATES Percent of U.S. population 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Evangelical Protestant Catholic None Mainline Protestant Black Protestant Other Faiths Jewish Mormon
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In the book, but not in the talk Religion and gender
In the book, but not in the talk Religion and gender Religion and ethnicity
In the book, but not in the talk Religion and gender Religion and ethnicity Religion and politics
In the book, but not in the talk Religion and gender Religion and ethnicity Religion and politics Religion and neighborliness
A geological history of the culture wars: How America became polarized in religion and poli<cs a=er 1960
1959 1966
Is the influence of religion on American life increasing or decreasing? (% increasing ) 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Is the influence of religion on American life increasing or decreasing? (% increasing ) 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Is the influence of religion on American life increasing or decreasing? (% increasing ) 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
REGARDLESS OF THEIR LEVEL OF RELIGIOSITY, AMERICANS VALUE RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY 100% 90% 80% 70%!"#!$#!!#!%#!$#!&#!'#!$# ($# ("# Religious diversity has been good for America 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Low Religiosity (deciles) High
FEW AMERICANS ARE "TRUE BELIEVERS" 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% There is very little truth in any religion There are basic truths in many religions One religion is true and others are not
AMERICANS FEEL WARMEST TOWARD JEWS, MAINLINE PROTESTANTS, AND CATHOLICS (SCORES REFLECT HOW EVERYONE ELSE FEELS ABOUT EACH GROUP; SIZE OF CIRCLE REPRESENTS THAT GROUP'S SHARE OF THE POPULATION) Degrees on feeling thermometer 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 Jewish Catholic Evangelical Protestant Mainline Protestant Nonreligious Average feeling thermometer score for all groups 49 48 47 46 Mormon Buddhist 45 44 43 42 Muslim 41 40
FEW AMERICANS HAVE RELIGIOUSLY HOMOGENEOUS FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBORS 100% 75% 31% 17% 16% 30% 24% None Some Most All How many have same religion as you? 50% 46% 29% 29% 25% 16% 24% 31% 0% 7% Neighbors Friends Extended family
SWITCHING AND LAPSING BY RELIGIOUS TRADITION (WHITES ONLY) Of all respondents whose parents were in a given religious tradition, what proportion have left that faith or rarely attend services? Mormon 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Parents' religious tradition Evangelical Protestant Mainline Protestant Catholic Jewish Other Faiths Switched Lapsed
INTERMARRIAGE BECAME MORE COMMON THROUGHOUT THE 20TH CENTURY 60% Spouses came from different religious traditions Spouses remained in different religious traditions 50% Percent of all marriages from given era that are mixed 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s Decade in which marriage occurred
WWW.AMERICANGRACE.ORG
90% Support for civil liberies of homosexuals by frequency of church a@endance 85% 80% 75% Rarely a@ends church Talks, books, teaching by an "admi@ed homosexual" allowed 70% 65% 60% Almost always a@ends church 55% 50% 45% 40% 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
INTERMARRIAGE RATES BY RELIGIOUS TRADITION Interfaith marriage rate 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Latino Catholic Black Protestant Parents' religious tradition Mormon Evangelical Protestant Jewish Anglo Catholic Mainline Protestant None Other Faiths Currently interfaith Originally interfaith
RELIGIOSITY AND POLITICAL ATTITUDES (with standard demographic controls held constant) For attitudes on abortion and same-sex marriage, religiosity matters a lot NO ABORTION, OR ONLY IN CASES OF RAPE, INCEST, OR WHEN THE MOTHER'S LIFE IS AT RISK NO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE OR CIVIL UNIONS 64% 78% 48% 60% 47% 35% 30% 25% 18% 16% Low Religiosity (quintiles) High Low Religiosity (quintiles) High
RELIGIOSITY AND POLITICAL ATTITUDES (with standard demographic controls held constant) For other issues, it matters less GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT REDUCE INEQUALITY DECREASE SPENDING ON FOREIGN AID 27% 30% 33% 36% 39% 52% 51% 50% 49% 47% Low Religiosity (quintiles) High Low Religiosity (quintiles) High US SHOULD TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE WORLD SAFETY OVER CIVIL LIBERTIES 60% 62% 65% 68% 70% 54% 60% 65% 70% 74% Low Religiosity (quintiles) High Low Religiosity (quintiles) High
RELIGIOSITY AND POLITICAL ATTITUDES (with standard demographic controls held constant) For still other issues, it does not matter at all US SHOULD DECREASE IMMIGRATION FAVOR DEATH PENALTY 44% 44% 45% 45% 46% 68% 68% 68% 68% 68% Low Religiosity (quintiles) High Low Religiosity (quintiles) High
YOUNGER GENERATIONS ARE MORE OPEN TO RELIGIOUS INTERMARRIAGE 70% 1982 1990 60% Shared religious beliefs "very important" for successful marriage 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% pre1930s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s Decade in which respondent reached adulthood