A majority of Christians say they believe the United States has a God-ordained “special role” in history and that the nation has always been a force for good in the world, according to a new survey.
The Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) poll of 2,508 Americans, released Monday, found that 75 percent of White evangelicals, 67 percent of Black Protestants and 55 percent of “other Christians” believe “God has granted America a special role in human history.” Although White evangelicals are the religious group most likely to agree with the statement, the poll found a decline on the topic since 2013, when 84 percent of white evangelicals agreed with the statement.
The survey also found a wide political divide on the issue, with twice as many Republicans (68 percent) as Democrats (33 percent) agreeing with the statement.
Among all Americans, 44 percent agree – a 20-point drop from 2013, when it was 64 percent.
“Significantly fewer Americans today believe that God has granted America a special role in human history,” a PRRI analysis of the survey said.
The poll found more consensus on whether “America has always been a force for good in the world,” with 74 percent of all Americans – including 92 percent of Republicans and 67 percent of Democrats – agreeing with the statement.
Among various religious groups, 88 percent of White evangelicals, 69 percent of Black Protestants and 71 percent of “other Christians” agree with the statement.
But on another topic – pride in being an American – PRRI found another political divide. Nearly six in 10 Americans (58 percent) say there has never been a time when they were not proud to be an American. Three-quarters (76 percent) of Republicans but 45 percent of Democrats agree with the statement. A majority of White evangelicals (70 percent) and Black Protestants (64 percent) agree with the statement.
The survey was conducted Sept. 16-29.
Photo courtesy: ©Unsplash/Aaron Burden
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
