Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Poll: U.S. mixed on religious freedom
Respondents say they value tolerance, but half don't see need for separation with state
While most Americans highly value religious freedom and tolerance, nearly one in two doubt the need to maintain strict separation of church and state, according to a national survey released today by the Council for America's First Freedom, a Richmond-based organization dedicated to promoting and educating citizens about religious liberty.
The survey indicates a population that cherishes its right to worship but not enough to fight for it. The results also dismiss the notion of an official religion and find that people are uncertain about the source of their religious freedom. And while a majority of the respondents indicated that it's important to understand the faith of others, most had misperceptions about the predominance and beliefs of particular faiths.
The guarantee of religious freedom, the vision of Jefferson, George Mason and James Madison, was first established by law in Richmond in 1786. The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was pushed through the Virginia legislature by Madison, who also led the development of the U.S. Constitution, where religious freedom tops the list of rights ensured by the First Amendment. The amendment also separates church from state.
D. Stephen Elliott, the council's executive director, calls the survey results both heartening and disquieting. "They show a public that holds religious liberty as among our most prized freedoms, yet in an apparent contradiction, is ambivalent about the Constitutional tenet that keeps church and state separate," he said.
Elliott said the survey information will help the center design educational programs. "We need to do a better job of helping people understand other religions," he said. "Once you understand, things are less scary. Understanding leads to mutual respect."
The survey found that 52 percent of the respondents value freedom of religion over freedom of the press (19 percent), the right to bear arms (16 percent) and freedom of assembly (10 percent).
Of those polled, 84 percent indicated that religious liberty is as important or more important today as it was in the late 1700s. Eighty-three percent said they would not support a national religion, and 59 percent believe it's important to understand the religious beliefs of others.
Only 49 percent think keeping religion and government separate is either unnecessary or should be less strictly interpreted. When asked if they lived in a country where they were denied the right to worship as they saw fit, 11 percent said they would fight existing laws, including taking up arms.
Most respondents were uncertain about what document guarantees their religious freedom. A total of 47 percent correctly identified the Constitution's First Amendment. But 32 percent thought it was the Declaration of Independence, 9 percent the Ten Commandments and 2 percent the Emancipation Proclamation.
A total of 43 percent think Christianity is the fastest-growing religion in the world, with 37 percent correctly identifying Islam. And 37 percent were aware that religious differences are the primary cause of armed conflict in the world.
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