American support for religious freedom is moving in the right direction.
Rebounding from the COVID-19 lows of 2020, the Becket Religious Freedom Index recorded a new high in 2023 in its annual tracking of the resilience of the “first freedom” in the United States. In a context of widespread political polarization, fundamental support for the right of individuals to live according to their faith remains strong.
“Despite some efforts to scapegoat religion for our nation’s problems, most Americans believe that religion – and religious freedom – are essential to solving them,” said Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Beckett. “As we celebrate Religious Freedom Day, we must remember that religious freedom remains the cornerstone of our efforts to form a more perfect union. »
The results were released on January 16, marking Virginia’s 1786 adoption of the religious freedom statute that became the basis of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. Initially led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, this day has been commemorated in the United States since a presidential proclamation in 1993.
Whether three centuries or thirty years later, there should be no “dizzying narratives about American culture,” the report summarizes.
Consisting of 21 questions divided into six categories, the annual index measures perspectives on the First Amendment. The report is in its fifth year. In October, Becket surveyed a national sample of 1,000 Americans, rating their opinions from 0 (strong opposition) to 100 (strong support).
The composite score is 69, one point higher than last year and three points higher than in 2019.
Becket’s report asserts that the religious impulse is natural to human beings and, therefore, religious expression is natural to human culture. Through its law firm, the group defends religious rights. Using his index finger, Becket finds out if the Americans agree.
The questions are repeated each year to measure consistency in detailed application:
- Support for “religious pluralism” was 84 on a 100-point scale. Growing 7 points since 2020, this category measures popular support for beliefs about God, following a religion, and practicing the fundamental tenets of religion in daily life.
- Support for “religious sharing” was measured at 72. This second highest category explores the extent to which people should be free to share their religious beliefs with others, but shows sharp divisions between the religious and the non-religious. -religious.
- Support for “religion in action” was measured at 68. With statistically significant gains of half a point since 2019, this category explores the freedom to practice one’s beliefs beyond the walls of the home or place of worship .
- Support for “religion and politics” was measured at 66. The only category not to reach an all-time high, it probes the appropriate place of religion in the development of law and public policy.
- Support for “religion and society” was measured at 65. Up 3 points from last year, this category reviews the contributions of religion and people of faith to creating healthy communities.
- Support for “Church and State” stands at 59. Also up 3 points from last year, this most controversial category examines the limits of interactions between government and religion.
Beyond the questions that populate these categories, the index also assessed views on religious freedom on three additional topics that test levels of overall support. Two of them suggest opposing a liberal philosophy.
First, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, 30 years after its passage in 1993, still commands respect. About two-thirds of Americans believe the level of protection is “about right” (63%). Despite some claims that state versions of the law are being used to undermine LGBT rights, this community is still more likely (65%) to agree. Only 12 percent of respondents believe the law goes too far, while 26 percent believe it does not sufficiently protect religious freedom rights.
Second, Americans support the right of parents, based on faith, to withdraw their children from school curricula on gender and sexuality. Nearly three-quarters (74%) agree, with the rate of strong agreement (42%) four times higher than strong disagreement. Meanwhile, 58% of Americans oppose school policies requiring preferred pronoun use in schools, an increase of 12 points from 2021.
“The American people sent a clear message in this year’s Index: Parents do not take second place when it comes to raising their children,” Renzi said. “Parents want schools to teach their children math and science, not force them to adopt controversial gender ideology. »
Third, Americans support religious freedom over economic interests. In light of last year’s findings of 90 percent support for Native American sacred land rights, Becket asked specifically about a pending Supreme Court case over a disputed copper mine. Despite being told the dig would create jobs and power electric vehicles, 73% of those surveyed still supported protecting indigenous sacred sites.
Additionally, 59 percent of Americans believe religion is “part of the solution” to the nation’s problems, up 9 points from last year.
But even though support for religious freedom is widespread, many Americans feel it less and less. People of faith recorded only a 50 percent rate of agreement that they are accepted in society, a drop of 5 points from last year, largely due to Christians non-Catholics. Non-Christians feel even less accepted, at 38 percent.
Polarization can guide perception. Democrats scored 57 in the religion and politics section, while Republicans scored 76. Racial divides, however, do not correspond to conventional political associations. White Americans score 66, which matches the national average. But Black Americans show even stronger support for religious freedom at age 72.
Not all of the survey results are encouraging for believers. Respondents supporting the “absolutely essential” right to preach one’s religious doctrine fell 5 points to 35 percent. And the right to religious sharing in general falls precipitously among the non-religious, with a 12-point gap at ages 65 and older that increases to 22 points for those ages 35 to 44.
This comes as religious attachment is also in decline. Two-thirds of Americans (67%) describe themselves as at least somewhat religious, down 3 points since 2019. Two in five (41%) describe themselves as very religious, down 6 points since 2021.
And Gen Z is less protective of religious freedom than anyone else.
Its index of 59 compares unfavorably to all other generations, equal to or higher than the national average of 66. But rather than expressing a rejection of religiosity, Gen Z’s focus is simply shifting, suggests Beckett.
While only 36 percent support the right to preach, 48 percent support the right to share one’s religion. And while 66% of Gen Z support the right to choose a religion – 8 points lower than the national average – 63% support the right to religious practices different from those of the majority, 12 points higher than the average national.
Becket said Generation Z shows the least support for businesses to employ and develop policies consistent with the owner’s religious values. But they exceed all generations in favor of wearing religious clothing at work (58%) and refusing to participate in work when it violates religious beliefs (49%).
Yet even as society continues to move away from a consensus of faith, 87% of non-religious people accept tolerance and respect for a wide range of ideas and beliefs about God.
How should Christians deal with these positive numbers? Friendship.
While 53 percent of society expresses high appreciation for believers, nonbelievers lose 39 points if they have no believers in their social circle. For those who do, the percentage rebounds by 21 points. And while nonbelievers with religious friends match the overall religious pluralism score of 84, it drops 11 points for those without any.
Overall, Becket is optimistic.
“Americans better understand what religious people need when they are brought together as a nation, instead of divided,” the report concludes. “Our nation values religion and people of faith, endorses strong protections for religious freedom, and supports a healthy, diverse, and pluralistic society in which Americans of all faiths (or none) can live together in harmony. »
