Most White Evangelicals Believe America Is No Longer a Christian Nation, Says Study

Photo of the American Flag

A new study surveyed the attitudes and perceptions of Americans regarding Christianity, and their perception of the religious and cultural situation prevailing in the country.

The research, conducted by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the Brookings Institution, revealed that about 59 percent of White Evangelicals think America is no longer a Christian nation. The proportion among the group perceiving so increased 11 points from 48 percent in 2012.

Among the general public, 41 percent say that America was a Christian nation and still is, while 42 percent say that America was a Christian nation in the past but is not anymore.

White working-class Americans (62%) and white evangelical Protestants (70%) are most likely to believe that American culture and the American way of life has changed for the worse since the 1950s.

About 70 percent of white evangelical Protestants say that America has moved away from its culture and way of life since 1950s, and some 63 percent of white working-class Americans hold the same view.

White Evangelical Protestants (70 percent) were most dissatisfied by the change in culture and way of life in America since the 1950s. Only 30 percent of the Black Protestants said that things have changed for the worse in the country since 1950s. About 54 percent of White Protestants also said that way of life was better back then. White Catholics (64 percent) were more likely than Hispanic Catholics (38 percent) to say that the country has moved away from 1950s culture for the worse.

About 50 percent of Americans and 26 percent of people from non-Christian background considered 1950s culture better than today's life.

Most Americans (72 percent) think that the country is going on the wrong track, which is a view that was shared by a comparatively lower proportion (65 percent) of people in 2011.

A majority of Americans of all political affiliations, including Republicans (87 percent), Independents (73 percent), and Democrats (60 percent) said that the country was going on a wrong track.

About 57 percent of Americans think that they should fight against the laws and cultural changes that are against their values, despite a majority opinion against that.

As many as 63 percent of Blacks, 57 percent of Whites, and 55 percent of Hispanic Americans said that they should take a stand against laws and cultural standards that violate their principles. About 60 percent of working-class White Americans and 53 percent of the White college-educated segment agreed that they need to resist laws and cultural changes which go against their deeply-held beliefs.