More Americans Favor Mixing Religion And Politics, Survey Says

[cbayer]

Last edited Wed Sep 24, 2014, 10:10 AM - Edit history (1)

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/09/23/350875501/more-americans-favor-mixing-religion-and-politics-survey-says

by SCOTT NEUMAN
September 23, 2014
11:36 AM ET


President Obama closes his eyes as a prayer is offered at the National Prayer Breakfast in February in Washington, D.C.
Charles Dharapak/AP

Nearly three-quarters of Americans believe religious influence on life in the U.S. is waning and nearly half think that churches and other houses of worship should play a greater role in the national discourse on social and political matters, according to a new Pew study.

The findings by Pew's Religion & Public Life Project show that 72 percent of more than 2,000 people surveyed think religion's hold on America is in decline, as opposed to 22 percent who believe its influence is on the rise. Most of those surveyed who said religion was losing influence also viewed that decline as a bad thing.

Nearly half of those surveyed think that churches and other houses of worship should make their views known on social and political issues, an increase of 6 percentage points, to 49 percent, from the midterm 2010 elections when 43 percent said so. Self-identified Republicans were significantly more likely to want more religion in public life (59 percent) than Democrats (42 percent).

Since 2010, the percentage of the public that views religion's role as positive increased to 58 percent from 49 percent, while a quarter of those surveyed view that role as negative, down marginally from 26 percent four years ago.

more at link

[Jim__]

1. more at link - link?

[cbayer]

2. Fixed. Sorry about that.

[Jim__]

3. Thanks.

[rurallib]

4. I get the feeling that most people believe that religion

equals morality. They see an increasingly immoral world and believe that somehow more religion would equal more morality.
Seems to me that religion is a tool of immorality in many respects. But the concept of religion = morality is so ingrained it will never be decoupled.

[cbayer]

5. It seems that that would be a fading belief as

it is so clear that some of the most heinous and violent acts on this planet are done in the name of some religion.

But perhaps it is that they believe that their religion is the one that imparts morality and not that of others.

What is not clear from this poll, but probably very true, is that those that want an increase in religion want an increase in their religion and don't even think that it would be applied to other religions.

In other words, I doubt very much that they would support an increased islamic influence in government.

[rurallib]

6. fully agree

No doubt most of the respondents were Christian. And thus they would believe more Christianity is the key. But wait - not Catholic christianity or Mormon christianity - no only my brand of 100% true christianity.

Makes me think of Mark Twain
“Man is a Religious Animal. He is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion--several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn't straight. He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth his brother's path to happiness and heaven....The higher animals have no religion. And we are told that they are going to be left out in the Hereafter. I wonder why? It seems questionable taste.”