According to a recent poll by the Public Religion Research Institute, 64% of Americans prefer a religiously diverse nation over a primarily Christian one, reflecting a significant shift in public sentiment regarding America’s religious identity.
(RNS) — A new poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) reveals that 64% of Americans do not wish to live in a primarily Christian nation, favoring instead a country characterized by religious diversity. This finding challenges the prevailing narrative espoused by some political leaders and groups advocating for a Christian nationalist identity for the United States.
The survey, titled “Competing Visions of America: Politics, Religion, and American Identity,” was conducted online between May 1 and May 18, 2023, with a representative sample of 5,469 adults aged 18 and older from all 50 states. The results indicate a significant departure from the vision of America as a Christian nation, which has been a cornerstone of Christian nationalist rhetoric.
Poll Findings and Implications
Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, remarked, “This is the antithesis of the Christian nationalist worldview, which essentially maintains that America was founded as a Christian nation and should remain a Christian nation.” The poll’s results suggest a strong public preference for a nation made up of a variety of faiths, challenging the efforts of some lawmakers to reinforce Christianity’s role in public life.
Additionally, the survey found that 77% of Americans favor a nation comprised of people from diverse backgrounds, a slight decline from 80% in March 2022. Interestingly, individuals who align with Christian nationalism are less inclined to support racial diversity, with 55% of adherents and 68% of sympathizers preferring a nation primarily consisting of individuals of Western European descent.
Christian Nationalism and Public Policy
In recent years, initiatives aiming to elevate Christianity’s presence in public spaces have gained traction. For instance, the Texas Legislature passed a law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, paralleling ongoing legal disputes regarding similar legislation in Louisiana. Moreover, the Texas state board of education approved curricula highlighting biblical stories for elementary students.
Despite these developments, Deckman argues that the poll results counter such initiatives. “An overwhelming majority (94%) of those most strongly committed to the worldview of Christian nationalism believe that being Christian is important to being truly American,” she noted, highlighting that this demographic constitutes about 11% of the total U.S. population.
Among white evangelical Protestants, who were a key demographic supporting former President Donald Trump, 68% expressed a preference for a majority Christian nation. In contrast, majorities of other religious groups surveyed showed a preference for a diverse religious landscape, with the exception of Hispanic Protestants, where 51% favored a predominantly Christian nation.
Trends in Christian Nationalism
The poll demonstrates an increase in favorable views toward Christian nationalism among Republicans, with 48% expressing positive opinions about the term, marking a 12 percentage point rise since 2022. However, Deckman emphasized that while positive associations with the term have grown, the number of Americans who espouse Christian nationalist views has remained stable over the years. “There’s just no growth in the number of Americans who espouse Christian nationalist views. It’s remained remarkably steady,” she stated.
Furthermore, the willingness to embrace Christian nationalism appears to be more pronounced among conservative Republicans, particularly those involved in the Trump administration. Nevertheless, those rejecting Christian nationalist views outnumber supporters by a ratio of approximately two to one.
Concerns About Democracy
Amid these divisions regarding religious identity, the poll also highlighted widespread concerns about the future of American democracy. Nearly 70% of respondents believe that democratic rights and freedoms are under threat, a sentiment that spans across various political and religious affiliations. Only 18% expressed being extremely or very proud of the current state of democracy in the United States.
Deckman noted the significance of these findings, especially as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. She attributed some of the discontent to perceived efforts by the current administration to restrict free speech and the right to protest, referencing incidents involving federal immigration officers and protests in Minneapolis.
Changing Views on America’s Role
The poll also reveals a shift in how Americans perceive the country’s role in the world. Support for the belief that God has granted America a special role in human history has declined by more than 15 percentage points since the mid-2010s, now standing at approximately 44%. This decline is particularly notable among Democrats, whose belief in America’s special role dropped from 60% in 2012 to 27% today.
Conversely, among white evangelical Protestants, support for America’s unique role has risen by 7 percentage points to 75%, while religiously unaffiliated Americans also showed a slight increase to 21% since 2022.
Overall, Republicans exhibit a much higher level of pride in their national identity and history compared to independents and Democrats, with at least a 30 percentage point gap in both cases. More than three-quarters of white evangelical Protestants share this pride, contrasting with lower levels of pride reported by unaffiliated individuals and members of other non-Christian religions.
