White evangelical Protestants, at 51%, are the only faith group where a majority say immigrants are “invading our country and replacing our cultural and ethnic background.”
By far among religious groups, white evangelical Protestants (61%) also agree that “society as a whole has become too soft and feminine.” Americans in general are split on this notion, with 42% agreeing and 53% disagreeing.
The survey found that the Supreme Court‘s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision is a significant motivator to vote in the midterm elections. That ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, which in 1973 determined that abortion was a constitutional right.
Some 50% of white evangelical Protestants, Black Protestants and white Catholics said they were more likely to vote after the ruling in June, as did 48% of religiously unaffiliated Americans, 47% of non-Christian religious Americans and 45% of white mainline Protestants.
A distinct minority across the board — from 35% of white evangelicals to 9% of the religiously unaffiliated — support laws that would make it illegal to cross state lines to obtain an abortion in a state where the procedure is permitted.
People with different religious affiliations varied in what they considered top priorities for midterm voting, but majorities of many faith categories cited “the health of our democracy” as being critical to their vote.
A majority of Americans planning to head to the polls (57%) listed the health of our democracy and increasing costs of housing and other everyday expenses as critical issues for their vote.
The research found disparate views among religious Americans about racial and LGBTQ issues.
Asked if “generations of slavery and discrimination have created conditions that make it difficult for Black Americans to work their way out of the lower class,” white Christians were significantly less likely to agree, while majorities of Black Protestants, religiously unaffiliated Americans, non-Christian religious Americans and Hispanic Catholics agreed.
Most white evangelical Protestants, Black Protestants, other Christians, white Catholics and white mainline Protestants say there are only two genders (female and male), compared with smaller percentages of Hispanic Catholics, religiously unaffiliated Americans and religious non-Christians.
The survey was based on a representative sample of 2,523 adults in all 50 U.S. states and was conducted online from Sept 1-11, 2022. It has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.
RELATED: Study: Most white evangelicals don’t want to live in a religiously diverse country
This article originally appeared on ReligionNews.com.
