A new opinion poll from Gallup has suggested that while most Americans believe their country would benefit if more people were religious, the proportion has declined.
Nearly two thirds (65 per cent) felt that more religious people would be good for their country, down from 75 per cent who agreed with that view in 2013.
At the same time, the proportion of people who believe greater religiosity would be bad for society has risen from 17 per cent to 22 per cent.
Broken down into different demographics, Gallup’s figures show that the change in attitudes is by no means taking place across the board. Among Republican voters and Catholics, the proportion believing faith is good for the country has actually risen since 2013.
Among every other group measured the figures have dropped. The biggest drops were among women, people aged 18-34, those with some college education, and Democrat voters, all of whom saw a 16 per cent drop in the idea that faith is good for the country.
Perhaps surprisingly, even among those who go to a religious service at least once a week, the proportion who believe faith is good for the country fell by five per cent. Protestants and those in non-denominational churches also saw a drop of seven per cent since 2013.
The poll showed that every demographic is more likely to believe that government policies impact on moral values.
Between 2006 and 2026 the proportion of people who believed this has risen from 59 per cent to 69 per cent. The biggest change was among 18-34 year olds and those with no religious affiliation, who both saw a 19 per cent rise in the belief that government policies impact moral values.
The smallest change was among 35–54 year olds, who went from 61 per cent agreeing with the statement in 2006 to 63 per cent this year.
Commenting on the results of their findings, Gallup said, “While Americans continue to believe a more religious society would serve the US well, fewer hold this view than did in 2013.
“This shift has come as the percentage of Americans who are religious are, by nearly any measure, near historical lows.
“Americans are divided, mostly along party and religious lines, on whether government should promote moral values in the US, but fewer also believe this than did three decades ago.
“At the same time, more Americans think that government policies can affect moral values.”