Friday, June 25, 2004
Majority Of Adult Americans Believes That Religious Differences Are The Biggest Challenge For World Peace
Nearly 70% Want Their Church or Synagogue to Teach Children to Respect Other Faiths
A scientific survey conducted by Harris Interactive from May 25-27, 2004 determined that the majority of adult Americans (69 percent) believe that religious differences are the biggest hurdle to achieving global peace.
While opinions appeared to be mixed as to how tolerant Americans feel they are when it comes to religious views other than their own (only 46 percent considered Americans very tolerant), nearly three in five (59%) said that they personally take the time to learn about other religions. More than two-thirds of Americans (69 percent) were in favor of having their children learn about other faiths in their chosen house of worship, and half (50%) said they actively teach their children to respect other faiths.
The survey found that 78 percent of U.S. adults believe that Christians and Jews can find common ground between their faiths to develop a mutually respectful relationship. Goldhirsh hopes to cultivate this belief into a stronger understanding between the two faiths.
Other Factors in Religious Tolerance
Interestingly, the survey found that older Americans tend to be more open to and interested in other faiths. Americans 45 years and older are more likely to take the time to learn about different religions.
Nearly two in three adults in the 45-54 age bracket (63%) and the 55+ age bracket (64%) said they take time to teach their children about other faiths versus 30% of the 18-34 bracket and 48% of the 35-44 bracket. Similarly, 73% of the 45-54 bracket and 79% of the 55+ bracket believe their church or synagogue should teach children about other faiths whereas only 58% of the 18-34 bracket and 65% of the 35-44 bracket agreed.
Another age-related aspect is the way Americans feel about religious tolerance. Fifty-eight percent of the 55+ bracket believe that Americans are very tolerant of different religious perspectives while only 38% of the 18-34 bracket felt so.
Older Americans are also more likely to believe that religious differences are the biggest hurdle to global peace. Yet they seem to have more faith in our ability to overcome these differences, with more than four in five adults in the 45-54 bracket (84%) and 55+ bracket (82%) believing that Christians and Jews can find a common ground for a respectful relationship compared to only 72 percent of the 18-34 bracket and 75 percent of the 35-44 bracket.
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