Views of Religious Similarities and Differences MUSLIMS ...

[Pages:24]Views of Religious Similarities and Differences MUSLIMS WIDELY SEEN AS FACING DISCRIMINATION

Results from the 2009 Annual Religion and Public Life Survey

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Luis Lugo

Director

Alan Cooperman Associate Director

Sandra Stencel Associate Director

John Green Senior Researcher

Gregory Smith Senior Researcher

Tel (202) 419-4550

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press Andrew Kohut Director Scott Keeter Director of Survey Research Carroll Doherty Associate Director, Editorial Michael Dimock Associate Director, Research

Tel (202) 419-4350 people-

Views of Religious Similarities and Differences

MUSLIMS WIDELY SEEN AS FACING DISCRIMINATION

Eight years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Americans see Muslims as facing more

discrimination inside the U.S. than other major religious groups. Nearly six-in-ten adults (58%)

say that Muslims are subject to a lot of discrimination, far

more than say the same about Jews, evangelical Christians, atheists or Mormons. In fact, of all the groups asked about,

Many See Muslims as Facing Discrimination

only gays and lesbians are seen as facing more discrimination There is a lot of

than Muslims, with nearly two-thirds (64%) of the public

discrimination against... Religious groups

%

saying there is a lot of discrimination against homosexuals.

Muslims

58

Jews

35

Evangelical Christians

27

The poll also finds that two-thirds of non-Muslims

Atheists Mormons

26 24

(65%) say that Islam and their own faith are either very Other groups

different or somewhat different, while just 17% take the view Gays and lesbians

64

Hispanics

52

that Islam and their own religion are somewhat or very similar. Blacks

49

But Islam is not the only religion that Americans see as mostly Women

37

different from their own. When asked about faiths other than

their own, six-in-ten adults say Buddhism is mostly different, with similar numbers saying the

same about Mormonism (59%) and Hinduism (57%).

By a smaller margin, Americans are also

inclined to view Judaism and Catholicism as

Perceptions of Religious Differences

somewhat or very different from their own faith (47% different vs. 35% similar for Judaism, 49% different vs. 43% similar for Catholicism). Only when asked about Protestantism do perceived similarities outweigh perceived differences, with 44% of non-Protestants in the survey saying Protestantism and their own faith are similar and 38% saying they are different.

Results from the latest national survey by

Very/

Very/

Somewhat Somewhat

Compared with Similar Different DK

your religion, is... %

%

%

Protestantism

44

38

18

Catholicism

43

49

8

Judaism

35

47

18

Mormonism

21

59

20

Islam

17

65

19

Buddhism

15

60

25

Hinduism

12

57

32

Based on respondents who are not affiliated with the religion in question. Those without a religious affiliation asked whether each is similar to or different from their own beliefs rather than their own religion.

the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public

Life, conducted Aug. 11-17 among 2,010 adults reached on both landlines and cell phones,

reveal that high levels of perceived similarity with religious groups are associated with more

favorable views of those groups. Those who see their own faith as similar to Catholicism,

Judaism, Mormonism and Islam are significantly more likely than others to have favorable views

of members of these groups.

1

Detailed questions about perceptions of Islam show that a plurality of the public (45%) says Islam is no more likely than other faiths to encourage violence among its believers; 38% take the opposite view, saying that Islam does

Does Islam Encourage Violence More than Other Faiths?

60% 51%

40%

Yes

No

47%

45%

36%

39%

45% 38%

encourage violence more than other

20% 25%

faiths do. Views on this question

have fluctuated in recent years, with

the current findings showing that the 0%

view that Islam is connected with

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

violence has declined since 2007, Q176

when 45% of the public said that Islam encourages violence more than other religions do.

Almost half of Americans (45%) say they personally know someone who is Muslim. Also, slim majorities of the public are able to correctly answer questions about the name Muslims use to refer to God (53%) and the name of Islam's sacred text (52%), with four-in-ten (41%) correctly answering both "Allah" and "the Koran." These results are consistent with recent years and show modest increases in Americans' familiarity with Islam compared with the months following the 9/11 attacks. Those people who know a Muslim are less likely to see Islam as encouraging of violence; similarly, those who are most familiar with Islam and Muslims are most likely to express favorable views of Muslims and to see similarities between Islam and their own religion.

2

Religious Similarities and Differences When asked how much various religions resemble their own, the public cites

Protestantism and Catholicism as the faiths most like theirs. Overall, more than four-in-ten nonProtestants in the survey (44%) say that the Protestant religion and their own faith are similar (including 12% saying they are very similar), slightly more than say Protestantism and their own faith are somewhat or very different (38%). Of non-Catholics, 43% see mostly similarities between Catholicism and their own faith, while roughly half (49%) see mostly differences. More than one-third of non-Jews say Judaism is somewhat or very similar to their own faith (35%), while 47% say it is somewhat or very different.

By comparison, the public is even more likely to see differences rather than similarities between their own religion and Mormonism, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism. In fact, majorities say that each of these faiths is different from their own religion, with sizeable numbers saying that these religions are very different from their own (37% say this about Mormonism, 40% about Hinduism, 44% about Buddhism and 45% about Islam).

Public Sees Mormonism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism as Different Than Own Beliefs

Very Somewhat Somewhat Very

similar similar different different DK

%

%

%

%

%

Catholic religion 13

30

28

22

8

Protestant religion 12

31

21

17

18

Jewish religion

7

28

25

22

18

Mormon religion 3

18

22

37

20

Muslim religion

2

14

20

45

19

Buddhist religion 2

13

16

44

25

Hindu religion

2

10

16

40

32

N

1,564 910 1,966 1,979 2,004 1,136 1,159

Results based on respondents who are not affiliated with the religion in question. Respondents who are unaffiliated with a religion were asked whether these religions and their "own beliefs" are similar or different.

Figures read across. Q190/Q191a-g.

Protestants see Catholicism as the religion most like their own, followed by Judaism. Among Protestants in the survey, white evangelicals (49%) and white mainline Protestants (50%) are somewhat more likely than black Protestants (39%) to see their religion as similar to Catholicism. But all three groups have roughly the same impression of Judaism's similarity with their own faith (39% similar among white evangelicals, 34% among both white mainline Protestants and black Protestants). Fewer Protestants see Mormonism (22%), Islam (15%), Hinduism (9%) or Buddhism (7%) as similar to their own faith.

3

Catholics, especially white, non-Hispanic Catholics, name Protestantism as the faith that is most similar to Catholicism. Interestingly, Catholics see greater similarities between Catholicism and Protestantism than do Protestants. After Protestantism, Catholics see Judaism as most like their faith. Indeed, Catholics are slightly more likely than Protestants to say their faith is similar to Judaism. Less than a quarter of Catholics (22%) see Mormonism as similar to their religion, 19% see Islam as similar, 16% see Buddhism as similar, and 12% see Hinduism as similar.

Perceptions of Religions by Non-Members

% who say each religion is very/somewhat similar to their own

Protestantism

Among...

%

Protestants

--

White evangelicals --

White mainliners

--

Black Protestants --

Catholics

60

White Catholics

68

Other Catholics

46

Unaffiliateds

26

Catholicism Judaism

%

%

47

35

49

39

50

34

39

34

--

43

--

50

--

31

30

25

Mormonism % 22 18 26 20 22 21 23 16

Islam % 15 12 19 16 19 22 13 13

Buddhism Hinduism

%

%

7

9

4

8

12

11

--

--

16

12

18

13

--

--

26

13

Too few cases among black Protestants and "Other Catholics" to report results for Buddhism and Hinduism; only half the sample was asked about these religions. Q190/Q191a-g.

Compared with other groups, fewer of the religiously unaffiliated see their own beliefs as similar to Catholicism, Protestantism and Judaism. However, the religiously unaffiliated are more likely than any other group in the survey to see their own beliefs as similar to Buddhism (26%).

Analysis of the survey reveals that perceptions of similarity with religious groups are linked with more favorable views of these groups. For instance, non-Catholics who see mostly similarities between their own faith and Catholicism are much more likely than those who see mostly differences to view Catholicism favorably (76% vs. 54%). And two-thirds of those who see mostly similarities between their own faith and Islam have a favorable view of Muslims (65%), compared with fewer than half of those who see mostly differences with Islam (37%).

"Similar" Religions More Favorably Viewed

Among those saying own beliefs and... Catholicism are similar Catholicism are different

--View of Group-Fav Unfav DK % % % 76 8 16 54 24 22

Judaism are similar Judaism are different

79 6 14 62 15 23

Mormonism are similar 65 13 22 Mormonism are different 41 36 23

Islam are similar Islam are different

65 17 17 37 39 24

Figures read across. Q.141a-e.

4

Discrimination and Religious Minorities

Americans are more likely to say there is a lot of discrimination against Muslims than against any other religious group asked about in the survey. Most people say there is not a lot of discrimination against Jews, atheists, Mormons and evangelical Christians in the U.S., while nearly six-in-ten (58%) say there is a lot of discrimination against Muslims.

The only group that Americans perceive as subject to more discrimination than Muslims is homosexuals; nearly twothirds of adults (64%) say gays and lesbians face a lot of

Is There a Lot of Discrimination Against...

Yes No

% %

Muslims

58 29

Jews

35 54

Evang. Christians 27 56

Atheists

26 59

Mormons

24 56

Gays and lesbians 64 30

Hispanics

52 41

Blacks

49 46

Women

37 59

discrimination. About half say blacks (49%) and Hispanics Figures read across. Q170.

(52%) suffer from a lot of discrimination, and more than a third (37%) say there is a lot of

discrimination against women in the U.S. today.

Young people (ages 18-29) are especially likely to say there is a lot of discrimination against Muslims, with nearly three-quarters (73%) expressing this view. Among those older than age 65, by contrast, only 45% say that Muslims face a lot of discrimination.

Across the political spectrum, most people agree that there is a lot of discrimination against Muslims. But this perception is most common among liberal Democrats, with eight-in-ten saying there is a lot of discrimination against Muslims. This is significantly higher than among all other partisan and ideological groups.

Is There a Lot of Discrimination Against

Muslims?

Total

Yes No

%

%

58 29

18-29 30-49 50-64 65+

73 22 57 32 58 28 45 33

Cons Rep

56 34

Mod/Lib Rep

63 25

Independent

60 29

Cons/Mod Dem 58 30

Lib Dem

80 15

Protestant

58 28

White evang

58 27

White mainline 54 32

Black Prot

65 24

Catholic

56 33

White non-Hisp 59 30

Unaffiliated

59 28

Q170b.

5

There are only minor differences of opinion between members of the major religious traditions on this question. Black Protestants are most likely to say there is a lot of discrimination against Muslims (65%), but majorities of all religious groups say Muslims face a lot of discrimination.

Few Feel Like Part of a Religious Minority

When asked about their own religious status, one-in-five Americans (19%) say they think

of themselves as belonging to a minority because of their religious beliefs while 78% do not,

numbers that are unchanged since early 2001. Though white evangelicals constitute the single largest religious group in the country, roughly a quarter (24%) identify themselves as part of a religious minority, much more than the 11% of white mainline Protestants and 13% of Catholics who do so. In this regard, evangelicals resemble black Protestants, among whom 22% regard themselves as part of a religious minority. Among

Are You Part of a Religious Minority?

Total

Conservative Moderate Liberal

Yes No % % 19 78

22 75 13 86 21 76

the religiously unaffiliated, 18% see themselves as part of a Protestant

White evang

religious minority, a figure significantly higher than among Attend weekly

20 76 24 72 29 68

mainline Protestants or white Catholics.

Attend less often 17 79

White mainline

11 86

Attend weekly

19 78

Frequent attendance at religious services is associated

Attend less often 7 91

Black Prot

22 71

with a higher tendency to feel like part of a religious minority. Catholic

White non-Hisp

Overall, one-quarter of those who attend religious services at Unaffiliated

13 85 7 91 18 78

least once a week say they are a minority because of their Religious Attendance

beliefs, compared with 16% of those who attend less often.

Weekly or more Less often

25 72 16 82

And among white evangelicals, nearly three-in-ten regular Religion is ...

churchgoers (29%) see themselves as part of a religious Very important

Less important

minority. Likewise, 23% of those who say religion is very

23 73 14 84

important in their lives think of themselves as minorities, Figures read across. Q189.

compared with 14% of those who say religion is less important in their lives.

Politically, those in the middle of the ideological spectrum are less likely to consider themselves part of a religious minority. Just 13% of moderates identify as religious minorities, compared with 22% of conservatives and 21% of liberals.

6

Views of Islam and Violence

Americans' views of the link

between Islam and violence have fluctuated in recent years. Currently, a

Is Islam More Likely Than Other Faiths To Encourage Violence?

plurality (45%) says Islam is no more

Mar Jul Jul Jul Aug Aug

likely than other faiths to encourage

02 03 04 05 07 09 % % % % % %

violence among its believers, compared More likely

Not more likely

with 38% who say that Islam does Neither

25 44 46 36 45 38 51 41 37 47 39 45 3 3 2 3 4 1

encourage violence more than other Don't know

21 12 15 14 12 15

religions. This is similar to positions on Figures read down. Q176.

this issue in 2005. By contrast, in Pew Research Center surveys conducted in 2004 and 2007,

more people said Islam does encourage violence than said it does not.

Among conservative Republicans, 55% say

Islam is more likely than other faiths to encourage Fewer Say Islam Encourages Violence

violence, down 13 percentage points in two years. However, conservative Republicans are still more likely than other political groups to express a negative view of Islam on this question. Views of Islam and violence have also changed considerably among conservative and moderate Democrats (with the number saying Islam encourages violence more than other faiths down nine percentage points since 2007), while holding steady among other political groups.

White evangelical Protestants are

Total

Aug Aug 2007-2009

2007 2009 Change

% %

45 38

-7

Conserv Rep Mod/Lib Rep Independent Cons/Mod Dem Liberal Dem

68 55

-13

45 42

-3

41 40

-1

45 36

-9

26 25

-1

Protestant

48 43

-5

White evangelical 57 53

-4

White mainline

48 39

-9

Black Protestant

30 30

--

Catholic

46 37

-9

White non-Hispanic 49 38

-11

Unaffiliated

40 33

-7

Q176.

significantly more likely than other religious groups

to say Islam is inclined toward violence, with more than half (53%) taking this view. Within

other religious groups, fewer than four-in-ten people express this opinion (39% of white mainline

Protestants, 38% of white Catholics, 33% of the religiously unaffiliated and 30% of black

Protestants).

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