Pew’s data showed a wide range of views on school prayer by state. In Mississippi, for example, 81% of adults say they approved of Christian prayers in the classroom, followed by 75% in Alabama and Arkansas.
In this April 27, 2020, file photo, a worker passes public school buses parked at a depot in Manchester, New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
In D.C., by contrast, only 30% of adults approved of Christian prayers in the classroom, followed by 32% in Vermont and 34% in Oregon. States like Alaska, Iowa, Montana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are statistical ties, according to Pew data.
The Religious Landscape Study found earlier this year that the decline of Christianity in America appears to have slowed, though at 62% of the population, the number of American Christians remains considerably lower than two decades ago, when 78% identified as Christian in 2007. Today, 7% percent of Americans identify with a faith other than Christianity, and according to Pew, 29% do not identify with a religion.
Although the majority of Americans are still religious, more than a few are wary about the public role of religion — 44% of Americans said religion does more good than harm, according to the Religious Landscape report, with 19% saying it does more harm than good. And 35% say religion does equal amounts of harm and good.
Fewer than half of Americans say they pray everyday (44%), according to Pew, down from 58% in 2007.
This article originally appeared here.
