Key Takeaways
- Americans generally view atheists unfavorably, but faith is not a presidential deal-breaker.
- Most voters prefer a sensible, thoughtful, and politely religious president over an extremist.
- Many atheists do not advocate for eradicating religion and can be ambivalent or warm towards institutions.
- The term 'Christian nationalism' is ambiguously defined and often applied as an external label.
- The U.S. is experiencing a religious shift, with 29% now unaffiliated and thousands of churches closing.
Deep Dive
- Americans, including both Democrats and Republicans, generally score atheists poorly on a "thermometer score."
- This indicates significant animus towards atheists within the general population.
- Atheists declare God does not exist, while agnostics believe God's existence cannot be known.
- Agnostics are described as 'atheist-light,' generally less liberal and politically engaged.
- 30% of born-again Christians would be upset if a family member married an atheist or agnostic.
- The term 'Christian nationalism' lacks a clear definition even among academics.
- It is often a label applied by outsiders, viewed as a slur, rather than a self-identifier.
- The true definition involves asserting Christians' exclusive right to vote in America.
- A slight majority of voters prefer a presidential candidate who is a person of faith.
- Faith does not inherently increase a candidate's trustworthiness for most Americans.
- Being an atheist is not a deal-breaker for the majority of the public.
- Voters generally prefer a polite expression of faith over religious extremism from candidates.
- An Axios report indicates up to 15,000 churches may close this year due to a religious shift in the U.S.
- 29% of Americans now identify as religiously unaffiliated, a significant increase from previous years.
- Mainline Protestant denominations account for nearly all recent church closings.
- Virginia Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones sent 'outrageous texts' three years prior.
- The messages targeted Republican delegates and included violent hypothetical scenarios.
- The content has sparked backlash and calls for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger to withdraw support.