Poll: Growing Number of Americans Say Islam Encourages Violence
August 15th, 2003 by sfuqua
InterfaithNews.net does not normally publish material that represents a, shall we say, pessimistic view on or between religions. However, the following article from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life highlights some important trends in the United States that interfaith organizations would be wise to learn from.
Washington, DC — A
poll released today
by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and the Pew Research Center for
the People & the Press shows that there has been an important shift in
public perceptions of Islam. Fully 44 percent of the American public now
believes that Islam is more likely than other religions “to encourage
violence among its believers.” As recently as March 2002, just 25 percent
expressed this view.
“Our findings in this area actually point in different directions,” said
Melissa Rogers, executive director of the Pew Forum. “On the one hand,
there's certainly an increase in the number of Americans who believe that
Islam encourages violence. Yet at the same time, a narrow majority of the
public continues to have favorable views of Muslim-Americans, and only 24
percent have an unfavorable view.”
The survey on religion in American public life, the third annual poll of
its kind, also finds that a majority (53 percent) opposes allowing gays and
lesbians to marry legally, compared with 38 percent who support the idea. But
opposition to gay marriage has decreased significantly since the mid-1990s,
from 65 percent in 1996. The shift in favor of gay marriage is seen in nearly
every segment of society, with two significant exceptions — white evangelical
Protestants and African Americans, both of which have maintained their level
of opposition since 1996.
“This finding underscores an important fact of American politics,” said
E.J. Dionne Jr., co-chair of the Pew Forum and senior fellow at the Brookings
Institution. “On questions of religion and morality there?s a remarkable
overlap in views of white evangelicals and African Americans, yet these
groups couldn?t be more different when it comes to questions of partisan
politics and President Bush.”
Religious beliefs also play a significant role in Americans' understanding
of foreign affairs. More than four-in-ten Americans (44 percent) believe that
God gave the land that is now Israel to the Jewish people, while a
substantial minority (36 percent) thinks that the modern state of Israel is a
“fulfillment of the biblical prophecy about the second coming of Jesus.”
In other findings:
- The public at large is quite comfortable with President Bush's
evocation of faith and what many perceive as his reliance on religious
beliefs in making policy decisions. A 62 percent majority thinks Bush
strikes the right balance in how much he mentions his religious faith, and
nearly as many (58 percent) believe the president?s reliance on religion in
policymaking is appropriate. - Nearly four-in-ten (38 percent) say they would not vote for a
well-qualified Muslim for president, and 17 percent would not vote for a
well-qualified evangelical Christian. Fully 52 percent say they would not
vote for a well-qualified atheist. - Fully 72 percent of Americans agree that the government should provide
universal health insurance, even if it means repealing most tax cuts passed
since President Bush took office. Democrats overwhelmingly favor this
proposal (86 percent-11 percent) and independents largely agree (78
percent-19 percent). Even a narrow majority of Republicans (51 percent)
favor providing health insurance for all even if it means canceling the tax
cuts, while 44 percent disagree.
The nationwide survey of 2,002 adults was conducted June 24-July 8 by the
Pew Forum and the Pew Research Center and has a margin of error plus or minus
2.5 percentage points.
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life serves as both a town hall and a
clearinghouse of information on issues at the intersection of religion and
public affairs. The Forum is strictly non-partisan and does not take
positions on legislation or policy matters. It is supported by The Pew
Charitable Trusts through a grant to Georgetown University.
