How Americans Feel About Religious Groups {PEW "Religion & Public Life Project" research survey}

www.pewforum.org...

This one may surprise some . . .

Jews, Catholics & Evangelicals Rated Warmly, Atheists and Muslims More Coldly

Jews, Catholics and evangelical Christians are viewed warmly by the American public. When asked to rate each group on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from 0 to 100 – where 0 reflects the coldest, most negative possible rating and 100 the warmest, most positive rating – all three groups receive an average rating of 60 or higher (63 for Jews, 62 for Catholics and 61 for evangelical Christians). And 44% of the public rates all three groups in the warmest part of the scale (67 or higher).
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Buddhists, Hindus and Mormons receive neutral ratings on average, ranging from 48 for Mormons to 53 for Buddhists. The public views atheists and Muslims more coldly; atheists receive an average rating of 41, and Muslims an average rating of 40. Fully 41% of the public rates Muslims in the coldest part of the thermometer (33 or below), and 40% rate atheists in the coldest part.
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These are some of the key findings from a Pew Research Center survey conducted May 30-June 30, 2014, among 3,217 adults who are part of Pew Research’s new American Trends Panel, a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults.1

My paraphrase of another paragraph:

They also found that RC's rated themselves at about 80% compared to 58% by non-RC's rating of them.

And Evangelical Christians rated themselves at 79% vs 52@ by non-Evangelicals.

And non-Evangelicals are almost evenly split re Evangelicals--27% rating them coldly and 30% rating them warmly.

= = = =

I don't know that it's that shocking to me . . .

RC's are a very VERY . . . intensely convinced [?indoctrinated?] group about their own RIGHT-NESS, 'righteousness.' And membership is EQUATED with making Heaven vs not, if one is 'outside the fold.' So, I'd expect them to rate themselves highly. Am almost surprised it wasn't higher.

However, I suspect a number of 'disaffected' RC's still labeling themselves as RC's skewed the results a bit. I wonder what the results would be for those actually attending services and going to confession weekly would be.

Evangelicals can be our own worst critics. So, I'm not too surprised we rate ourselves lower than RC's rate themselves.

And, the non-Evangelicals certainly have a huge percentage of folks who are disdainful to ragingly hostile toward Evangelicals--we see that daily hereon.

I guess I'm a bit surprised the cold rating wasn't higher given the skewed culture of ATS being somewhat of a window on the culture.

Anyway--there it is.

I did search to see if this was already posted.

This is an interesting finding:

Both Jews and Atheists Rate Evangelicals Negatively, but Evangelicals Rate Jews Highly

. . . though if one thinks about it, it's not too surprising.

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a reply to: BO XIAN

If one steps back and tries to find a pattern, it emerges.
Meme operatives have the most faith in their preferred meme.
"like kind" memes get some love.
Meme violators get the hate.
Some memes garner self hate. I never understood that one.

These bought ideologues at Pew are about directing the future, not about documenting the past. Feel free to jump right in to their game.

facts are "cold" and faith is "warm".

a reply to: BO XIAN

RC's are a very VERY . . . intensely convinced [?indoctrinated?] group about their own RIGHT-NESS, 'righteousness.' And membership is EQUATED with making Heaven vs not, if one is 'outside the fold.'

That is a rather antiquated view, held by a minority of Catholics, mostly Traditionalists. Ecumenicalism following Vatican II has significantly changed how other denominations are viewed.

a reply to: InverseLookingGlass

These bought ideologues at Pew are about directing the future, not about documenting the past.

I would have to agree with this. This is a social engineering poll. It's to tell us how we feel. Not ask us how we feel.

a reply to: InverseLookingGlass

Purportedly the PEW leaders have become liberals or the liberals have taken it over or some such.

However, the research appears to be solidly done.

Of course, the oligarchy will make whatever destructive hay they can with the results as they do everything.

Certainly the oligarchy is manipulating toward their tyrannical future.

'Facts are cold, faith is warm.'

Sounds like a limited generalization/ truism . . . not sure therefore what.

If I told you 'the fact' that your child just ended a burst appendix operation successfully and garnered the 1% chance they had had going into it, that they would live . . . I suspect you'd feel that

THAT FACT was a warm fact, indeed.

a reply to: adjensen

I think you're likely more accurate about those who are . . . what . . .

least emotionally 'bound' to the institution, hierarchy, dogma, rituals?

a reply to: Klassified


I don't . . . quite get . . . your seemingly false dichotomy.

The research ASKED HOW WE FELT

Then reported that out to us and the world.

I don't see that as inherently any kind of problem.

Reasonably accurate information is a lot better than inaccurate, deliberately twisted, grossly distorted, grossly flawed or no information, imho.

The Americans upon which this study is based are probably avid followers of the MSM and have no real idea regarding the actual lifestyles and habits of atheists and Muslims. All they know is what's fed to them by the corporate-funded media circus.

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: InverseLookingGlass

These bought ideologues at Pew are about directing the future, not about documenting the past.

I would have to agree with this. This is a social engineering poll. It's to tell us how we feel. Not ask us how we feel.

I have to agree. If you walk up to someone in a group and tell them that the rest of the group voted to have them kicked out, chances are, they will regard the rest of the group in a much more negative light regardless of their actual experiences with them.

a reply to: BO XIAN

Some other interesting-to-me factoids:

Blacks rate Evangelicals at 68.

Older people see Christians and Jews more warmly.
Other groups by younger people.

"nothing in particular" as a group rates Muslims 44 and Evangelical Christians 45.

Evangelicals were rated more warmly by Republicans than Dems.
Most Non-Christian Religions were rated more warmly by Dems than Republicans.

And, on that comparison, the Dem's ratings clustered fairly closely together from 62 for Jews down to 44 for Muslims.

The Republicans' ratings were more spread out from 71 for Evangelical Christians down to 33 for Muslims.

That's a 38 point difference from the highest to the lowest for the Republicans.

The Dems revealed only an 18 point difference from their highest to lowest rating. That's about as close to 'DON' MAKE NO DIFFERENCE TO ME" mentality as one could likely get in such a survey.

The total margin of error is 2.2 percentage points. So conceivably, the reality could be closer to 16%. LOL.

THAT seems to me . . . consistent with the notion that liberals REALLY DO NOT see the world in very black/white terms but all a meaningless morass of gray inconsequential well blended soup. Their "There is NO RIGHT OR WRONG, only what's right for you at the moment" nonsensical value really does show up in their choices.

The Republicans seem to live much more in the real world where some things are better and some things are worse.

a reply to: BO XIAN

THAT seems to me . . . consistent with the notion that liberals REALLY DO NOT see the world in very black/white terms but all a meaningless morass of gray inconsequential well blended soup. Their "There is NO RIGHT OR WRONG, only what's right for you at the moment" nonsensical value really does show up in their choices.

The Republicans seem to live much more in the real world where some things are better and some things are worse.

Is this really all you wanted to do with this thread? Trash liberals and kiss republican ass?

a reply to: BO XIAN

Reasonably accurate information is a lot better than inaccurate, deliberately twisted, grossly distorted, grossly flawed or no information, imho.

Can you prove to us that the data from this poll isn't exactly that?

a reply to: AfterInfinity

They have always been quite open and transparent about their polling techniques, sampling techniques etc.

They are among the best in the business.

However, I'm sure that won't keep compulsive rock-throwers from throwing as many rocks as their fantasies will justify at the PEW folks.

Is that really all you want to do with this thread?

a reply to: BO XIAN

The most loving thing you can do is give love to everyone not just people you like. Hopefully people become more loving to others and Compassion can be our bridge for Peace.

Matthew 5:43-44
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

a reply to: BO XIAN

Hmmm.

RC's are a very VERY . . . intensely convinced [?indoctrinated?] group about their own RIGHT-NESS, 'righteousness.' And membership is EQUATED with making Heaven vs not, if one is 'outside the fold.' So, I'd expect them to rate themselves highly. Am almost surprised it wasn't higher.

And Evangelicals are not intensely convinced (indoctrinated) about THEIR OWN righteousness??

Please. It's the Evangelicals, in my experience, that are the most "in-your-face" judgmental and self-righteous types.

le sigh

a reply to: BO XIAN

Their "There is NO RIGHT OR WRONG, only what's right for you at the moment" nonsensical value really does show up in their choices.

Isn't that the Ayn Rand version of social responsibility?? That the Evangelicals espouse and cling to?? ("It's about "me" and "my fortune", not about the oppressed, poor, disenfranchised, underprivileged...who cares about them? They can sink or swim. I got mine.") That sort of thing.

I'm neither Rep nor Dem, but I think religion is a problem that our country is facing head-on right now.

a reply to: BO XIAN

However, I'm sure that won't keep compulsive rock-throwers from throwing as many rocks as their fantasies will justify at the PEW folks.

Is that really all you want to do with this thread?

Swing a stick and see if it breaks. Why not? Are you afraid it will? That's how science works.

It's a bit fascinating that this thread has attracted mostly

the very hostile to Christianity, to religion, to me.

Curious.

originally posted by: BO XIAN
It's a bit fascinating that this thread has attracted mostly

the very hostile to Christianity, to religion, to me.

Curious.

It's a bit fascinating that you act so innocent when you just got done talking trash based on little more than statistics. But YOU are not the topic, so let's move on, shall we?

a reply to: AfterInfinity

Y'all have seemed to turn

trashing my perspective

into the topic . . . though that's not really the topic either, now is it.