Americans Split on Whether the U.S. Should Follow Christian Values, Survey Finds

A new survey shows Americans are divided on whether the U.S. should follow Christian values. According to research by Public Religion Research Institute, 50% of Americans think the U.S. should be a Christian nation and base its laws on Christian values.

The survey, conducted in April, included 1,280 U.S. adults. It found that white Christian conservatives are the strongest supporters, with 85% believing the country should follow Christian values. On the other hand, people who are non-Christian or not religious are less likely to agree. For example, 40% of Jewish Americans think the U.S. should be based on Christian values, while only 25% of non-religious people believe so.

Overall, 35% of Americans think Christian values should influence U.S. laws, with this number rising to 43% among white Christian conservatives.

Allyson Shortle, a researcher from the University of Oklahoma, told news that many Americans see similarities between Christian and democratic values, making it easy to believe the U.S. is a Christian nation. Christianity is the largest and most dominant religion in the U.S., and many positive societal values are often linked to it. However, these values are also found in other religions.

While many Americans like the idea of religion influencing policies in a positive way, Shortle warns that some fringe Christian groups use this to push exclusionary policies.

Researchers believe more studies are needed to understand how Christian nationalism affects non-white and non-Christian communities in the U.S.