wfn.org | Survey reveals that a third of Americans have no opinion of Episcopalians

[ENS@ecunet.org]

2001-85

Survey reveals that a third of Americans have no opinion of Episcopalians

by James Solheim

     (ENS) Americans hold a generally positive opinion of religious groups, 
although more than a third said they weren't able to rate Episcopalians.

     At 90 percent, Methodists had the highest "favorable" rating in the recent 
survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, followed by Presbyterians, 
Jews, Lutherans, Episcopalians and Catholics. Evangelical Christians drew a 76 
percent favorable rating, followed by American Muslims at 65 percent and American 
Buddhists at 60 percent. 

     Atheists drew only a 34 percent favorable rating and 66 percent unfavorable.

     The percentages among those who said that they were not able to rate the 
religious groups put Episcopalians at the top of the mainline churches with 37 
percent, followed by the Lutherans (25 percent), Presbyterians (24 percent) and 
Methodists (19 percent).	

     "Mainline Protestants, and perhaps Episcopalians in particular, have been 
reluctant to wear their religion on their sleeve," said Melissa Rogers, the 
forum's executive director, in an interview with Religion News Service. "And part 
of that is because of a fear that they might be seen as coercive if they were 
advertising their religion prominently."

Atheists at the bottom

     Non-believers are particularly unpopular among the less educated, more 
conservative and older segments of society, according to the Pew survey. Nearly 
three-quarters of those who did not finish high school expressed negative 
attitudes, compared with 37 percent of those with college degrees.

     The survey also revealed a diversity of opinion about non-Christian 
religions. Once again the attitudes seem to be influenced by age, education, 
party and ideology--and religion itself. Young people are more likely to express 
favorable opinions of both Muslims and Buddhists, as compared with older 
Americans. For example, 66 percent of those under the age of 30 hold a favorable 
view of Buddhists while only 46 percent of those 65 and older feel the same way. 
And college graduates express more favorable views of these two religious groups 
than those who never attended college.

     Republicans are less likely than Democrats or independents to express 
favorable views of Muslims or Buddhists with only 47 percent of conservative 
Republicans viewing Muslims in a favorable light as compared with 77 percent of 
liberal Democrats. Among the Protestants, only white evangelicals give Muslims an 
unfavorable rating.
     For previous story go to http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ens/2001-80.html