Religion

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Religion

Gallup Poll. May 3-7, 2017. N=1,011 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Do you believe that religion can answer all or most of today's problems, or that religion is largely old-fashioned and out of date?"

		Can answer problems	Old-fashioned, out of date	Other (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/3-7/17	55	34	10
	12/7-11/16	53	34	13
	5/4-8/16	54	33	13
	12/2-6/15	53	31	16
	5/6-10/15	51	35	14

"Which of the following statements comes closest to describing your views about the Bible? The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word. The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally. OR, The Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man."

		Actual	Inspired	Fables	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/3-7/17	24	47	26	2
	5/8-11/14	28	47	21	4
	5/5-8/11	30	49	17	3
	12/4-7/08	27	50	21	3
	5/8-11/08	30	46	22	3
	12/6-9/07	28	51	18	4
	5/10-13/07	32	45	21	2
	5/8-11/06	28	49	19	3
	5/2-5/05	32	47	18	3
	11/7-10/04	34	48	15	3
	12/9-10/02	30	52	15	3
	2/19-21/01	27	49	20	4
	6/22-23/98	33	47	17	3
	7/29 - 8/2/80	40	45	10	6
	4/18 - 5/1/78	38	45	13	6
	8/24-27/76	38	45	13	5

CNN/ORC Poll. Jan. 12-15, 2017. N=501 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.5.

"... As I read each name, please say if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of these people -- or if you have never heard of them. ... Pope Francis."

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Never heard of	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	ALL adults
	1/12-15/17	66	13	6	14
	9/4-8/15	63	13	13	11
	12/16-19/13	72	10	9	9

	Catholics
	1/12-15/17	83	9	4	4
	9/4-8/15	74	9	8	8
	12/16-19/13	83	2	9	6

Public Religion Research Institute. Dec. 7-11, 2016. N=1,004 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.6.

"Do you think stores and businesses should greet their customers with 'Happy Holidays' or 'Seasons Greetings' instead of 'Merry Christmas' out of respect for people of different faiths, or not?"

		Yes, should	No, should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	47	46	7
	Republicans	28	67	5
	Independents	44	48	8
	Democrats	66	30	4

Quinnipiac University. June 21-27, 2016. N=1,610 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.4.

"Every religion has mainstream beliefs, and also fringe elements or extremists. Thinking of mainstream Islam, do you think mainstream Islam encourages violence against non-Muslims, or is it a peaceful religion?"

		Encourages violence	Peaceful	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	6/21-27/16	28	55	17
	8/31 - 9/7/10	27	50	23

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by Hart Research Associates (D) and Public Opinion Strategies (R). June 19-23, 2016. N=1,000 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Is your overall opinion of Muslims very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable?" Half sample, Form A

		Very favorable	Mostly favorable	Mostly unfavorable	Very unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/19-23/16	14	44	23	7	12
	12/6-9/15 Adults	14	45	20	9	12
	8/26-30/10 Adults	10	43	16	12	19

"Is your overall opinion of American Muslims very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable?" Half sample, Form B

		Very favorable	Mostly favorable	Mostly unfavorable	Very unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/19-23/16	17	46	16	9	12
	12/6-9/15 Adults	14	50	20	10	6

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Dec. 10-13, 2015. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Every religion has mainstream beliefs, and also fringe elements or extremists. Thinking of mainstream Islam, do you think mainstream Islam encourages violence against non-Muslims, or is it a peaceful religion?"

		Encourages violence	Peaceful	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/10-13/15	28	54	17
	8/30 - 9/2/10	31	54	14
	3/26-29/09	29	58	13
	9/5-7/06	33	54	13
	3/2-5/06	33	54	13

"Do you think that Muslims living in the United States experience discrimination because of their religion, or not?" If yes: "Do you think discrimination against Muslims is justified, or unjustified?" Combined responses

		Do experience: Justified	Do experience: Unjustified	Do not experience	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	12/10-13/15	14	59	22	5

CBS News Poll. Dec. 9-10, 2015. N=1,011 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"What is your impression of the religion called Islam? Is it very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, very unfavorable, or haven't you heard enough about that to say?"

		Very favorable	Somewhat favorable	Somewhat unfavorable	Very unfavorable	Haven't heard enough/ Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/9-10/15	7	17	13	16	48
	11/19-22/15	8	18	14	23	38
	4/24-28/13	7	14	18	20	41
	9/27-30/12	9	16	17	21	37
	11/6-10/11	7	18	15	17	43
	3/18-21/11	10	20	19	16	35
	8/20-24/10	6	18	19	20	37
	2/8-11/07	1	14	21	25	39
	4/6-9/06	2	17	20	25	36
	2/22-26/06	7	16	17	19	41
	2/24-26/02	7	23	17	16	37

"Generally speaking, do you think the Islamic religion encourages violence more than other religions around the world, less than other religions around the world, or about the same as other religions around the world?" 2013 & earlier: "Generally speaking, do you think the Islamic religion encourages violence more than other religions around the world, about the same amount, or less than other religions around the world?"

		More	Less	About the same	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	12/9-10/15	38	4	48	10
	4/24-28/13	43	7	32	18
	11/6-10/11	36	6	42	16
	10/12-16/07	45	6	36	13
	4/6-9/06	46	7	30	17
	2/22-26/06	39	8	35	18

"Do you think Muslim Americans are more sympathetic to terrorists than other American citizens are, or not?"

		Are more sympathetic	Are not more sympathetic	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	12/9-10/15	32	54	14
	8/19-23/11	30	57	13

Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind. Dec. 4-8, 2015. N=1,009 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.8.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions about how we celebrate Christmas and the holiday season in America today. Please tell me if you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (If respondent says he or she doesn't celebrate Christmas or any holiday: "That's okay. You may still have opinions that we'd like to hear.") "Do agree or disagree that there has been a concerted effort by politicians to take 'Christ' out of Christmas?"

		Agree	Disagree	Unsure	Refused
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	47	48	5	1
	Democrats	36	60	3	0
	Independents	47	45	7	1
	Republicans	64	33	3	0

"Which holiday greeting do you prefer: Merry Christmas or Happy holidays?" Options rotated

		Merry Christmas	Happy holidays	Neither/ Both (vol.)
		%	%	%
	12/4-8/15	65	25	9

Bloomberg Politics Poll conducted by Selzer & Company. Nov. 16-17, 2015. N=628 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.9.

"When it comes to the Islamic faith, which of the following is closer to your view? Islam is an inherently violent religion, which leads its followers to violent acts. Islam is an inherently peaceful religion, but there are some who twist its teachings to justify violence."

		Inherently violent	Inherently peaceful	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/16-17/15	28	64	8

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by Hart Research Associates (D) and Public Opinion Strategies (R). Sept. 20-24, 2015. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"Now, I would like to read you a list of trends in American society today. For each one I read, please tell me whether you consider this to be a step in the right direction, something that won't make any difference, or is it a step in the wrong direction? The more active involvement of religious groups in politics."

		Right direction	No difference	Wrong direction	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/20-24/15	24	19	54	3
	12/97	32	17	47	4

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Sept. 8-15, 2015. N=1,559 adults nationwide (margin of error ą 3), including, with an oversample, 513 Catholics (margin of error ą 6).

"Is your opinion of Pope Francis favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough about Pope Francis yet to have an opinion?"

		Favorable	Not favorable	Undecided	Haven't heard enough	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%	%
	ALL	41	8	11	37	3
	Catholics	63	3	7	26	1

"Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the direction in which Pope Francis is leading the Catholic Church? ... Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?"

		Approve strongly	Approve somewhat	Disapprove somewhat	Disapprove strongly	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%	%
	ALL	29	23	9	7	31
	Catholics	53	26	6	3	11

"Overall, would you rate the way things are going in the Catholic Church in the United States today as excellent, good, not so good, or poor?"

		Excellent	Good	Not so good	Poor	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%	%
	Catholics	4	59	28	5	3

"Would you say things in the Catholic Church in the United States are generally getting better, getting worse, or staying about the same?"

		Getting better	Getting worse	About the same	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	Catholics	36	12	49	3

"In general, do you think the Catholic Church is in touch with the needs of Catholics today, or is it out of touch?"

		In touch	Out of touch	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	Catholics	53	40	8

"Are you in favor of or opposed to letting Catholic priests get married?"

		In favor	Opposed	Don't care (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	Catholics	65	29	2	4

"Are you in favor of or opposed to letting women be ordained as Catholic priests?"

		In favor	Opposed	Don't care (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%	%
	Catholics	64	29	1	5

"Do you think Pope Francis has the same priorities for the Catholic Church as you have, or not?"

		Has same priorities	Does not	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	Catholics	53	33	14

"Do you approve or disapprove of the job Pope Francis is doing in addressing environmental issues?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	Catholics	68	15	16

"Do you think Pope Francis and the Vatican have done a good job or a poor job of handling the reports of past sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests?"

		A good job	A poor job	Unsure/ No answer
		%	%	%
	Catholics	48	40	11

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Sept. 7-10, 2015. N=1,003 adults nationwide (margin of error ą 3.5), including 218 Catholics (margin of error ą 7.5).

"In general, when there's a conflict between someone's religious beliefs and the need to treat everyone equally under the law, which do you think is more important?" Options rotated

		Religious beliefs	Equality under law	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL adults
	9/7-10/15	19	74	6

"Overall, do you have a favorable or unfavorable impression of the Catholic Church?"

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL adults
	9/7-10/15	55	30	15
	12/4-8/13	62	30	8

	Catholics
	9/7-10/15	81	15	4
	12/4-8/13	95	4	1

"In general, do you think the Catholic Church is in touch with the views of Catholics in America today, or is it out of touch?"

		In touch	Out of touch	Unsure
		%	%	%
	Catholics
	9/7-10/15	56	43	1

"Overall, do you have a favorable or unfavorable impression of Pope Francis?"

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL adults
	9/7-10/15	70	13	17
	12/4-8/13	69	14	16

	Catholics
	9/7-10/15	86	9	5
	12/4-8/13	92	4	3

"Do you approve or disapprove of the direction in which Pope Francis is leading the Catholic Church?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL adults
	9/7-10/15	64	13	23
	12/4-8/13	64	14	22

	Catholics
	9/7-10/15	89	8	3
	12/4-8/13	85	7	9

"Pope Francis will be speaking to a joint session of the U.S. Congress this month. In that address, do you think it would or would not be appropriate for the pope to urge government action on social, economic, and environmental issues?"

		Would be appropriate	Would not be appropriate	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL adults
	9/7-10/15	59	31	10

	Catholics
	9/7-10/15	67	27	6

CNN/ORC Poll. Sept. 4-8, 2015. N=1,012 adults nationwide (margin of error ą 3), including 196 Catholics (margin of error ą 7).

"Overall, would you say that you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Catholic Church?"

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL adults
	9/4-8/15	60	30	10

	Catholics
	9/4-8/15	88	10	2

"In your opinion, is Pope Francis too conservative in his positions on issues, too liberal, or about right?"

		Too conservative	Too liberal	About right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	Catholics
	9/4-8/15	7	18	76	-
	12/16-19/13	4	7	87	2

"Do you think the Pope is in touch with the modern world or is he out of touch with the modern world?"

		In touch	Out of touch	Unsure
		%	%	%
	Catholics
	9/4-8/15	77	18	5
	12/16-19/13	86	14	-

"Do you approve or disapprove of Pope Francis's comments on each of the following topics? ..." 2013: "Do you approve or disapprove of Pope Francis's comments since he became Pope on each of the following topics? ..."

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"The role of women in the Catholic Church"

	Catholics
	9/4-8/15	67	23	10
	12/16-19/13	63	18	19

	"Abortion and contraception"

	Catholics
	9/4-8/15	57	35	8

	"Capitalism and the effects of a free market economy on the poor"

	Catholics
	9/4-8/15	57	34	9
	12/16-19/13	65	27	8

	"The Church's role in protecting the environment"

	Catholics
	9/4-8/15	73	22	5

	"The Catholic Church's position toward gays and lesbians"

	Catholics
	9/4-8/15	63	34	3

"Do you think Pope Francis's leadership of the Church so far has been too focused on issues that aren't traditionally spiritual, such as the environment or economics, or is he spending the right amount of time on those issues?"

		Too focused on those issues	Right amount of time on those issues	Not enough time on those issues (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	Catholics
	9/4-8/15	16	78	5	1

Gallup Poll. July 8-12, 2015. N=1,009 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Next, we'd like to get your overall opinion of some people in the news. As I read each name, please say if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of these people -- or if you have never heard of them. How about Pope Francis?"

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Never heard of	No opinion
		%	%	%	%
	7/8-12/15	59	16	14	11
	2/6-9/14	76	9	10	6
	4/11-14/13	58	10	13	18

Pew Research Center. Sept. 2-9, 2014. N=2,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.5.

"Which statement is closer to your views, even if neither is exactly right? The Islamic religion is more likely than others to encourage violence among its believers. OR, The Islamic religion does not encourage violence more than others."

		More likely to encourage violence	Does not encourage violence more than others	Both/Neither Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	9/2-9/14	50	39	11
	7/8-14/14	43	44	13
	2/12-26/14	38	50	12
	5/1-5/13	42	46	13
	2/22 - 3/1/11	40	42	18
	8/19-22/10	35	42	24
	8/11-17/09	38	45	16
	8/07	45	39	16
	7/05	36	47	17
	7/04	46	37	17
	7/03	44	41	15
	3/02	25	51	24

Pew Research Center. Feb. 14-23, 2014. N=1,821 adults nationwide (margin of error ą 2.6), including 351 Catholics (margin of error ą 6).

"Is your overall opinion of Pope Francis very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly UNfavorable, or very unfavorable?"

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Can't rate (vol.)/ Refused
		%	%	%
	ALL	66	11	23
	Catholics	85	4	11

"Do you think the Catholic Church should or should not [see below]?" Among Catholics

		-- Catholics --

		Should	Should not	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%

	"Allow priests to get married"
	2/14-23/14	72	26	3
	3/13-17/13	64	30	6

	"Allow women to become priests"
	2/14-23/14	68	28	4
	3/13-17/13	59	35	6

	"Allow Catholics to use birth control"
	2/14-23/14	77	17	6
	3/13-17/13	76	18	7

	"Recognize the marriages of gay and lesbian couples"
	2/14-23/14	50	43	7

CNN/ORC Poll. March 15-17, 2013. N=190 Catholic adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 7.

"Do you approve or disapprove of the selection of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now known as Pope Francis, as the next pope?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/15-17/13	88	4	8

"On difficult moral questions, which are you more likely to follow: the teachings of the Pope, or your conscience?"

		Teachings of the Pope	Conscience	Both (vol.)s
		%	%	%
	3/15-17/13	23	72	5

"Do you approve or disapprove of the decision by the former pope, Benedict the Sixteenth, to resign from the papacy?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/15-17/13	86	11	2

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Feb. 23-27, 2013. N=580 Catholic adults nationwide.

"Would you like to see the next Pope generally continue the same teachings as Pope Benedict, or change to more conservative teachings, or change to more liberal teachings?"

			Continue same teachings	Change to more conservative	Change to more liberal	Unsure/ No answer
			%	%	%	%
	ALL Catholics		19	18	54	9
	Attend mass at least weekly		31	22	40	7
	Attend mass less than weekly		9	14	67	10

"Any new Pope will be facing a number of issues in his first years. I'm going to read some of them, and for each one would you tell me whether you think the new Pope should be for it, or against it. Should the next Pope be for or against [see below]?"

			For	Against	Doesn't matter (vol.)	Unsure/ No answer
			%	%	%	%

	"Letting priests get married"
	ALL Catholics		69	26	2	3
	Attend mass at least weekly		61	34	1	4
	Attend mass less than weekly		75	19	3	3

	"Letting women become priests"
	ALL Catholics		69	28	1	2
	Attend mass at least weekly		57	40	1	2
	Attend mass less than weekly		79	18	0	3

	"Legalized abortion"
	ALL Catholics		36	56	1	7
	Attend mass at least weekly		24	70	0	6
	Attend mass less than weekly		45	45	2	8

	"The death penalty"
	ALL Catholics		36	56	2	6
	Attend mass at least weekly		25	67	1	6
	Attend mass less than weekly		44	48	2	7

	"The use of artificial methods of birth control"
	ALL Catholics		71	25	1	3
	Attend mass at least weekly		62	34	1	4
	Attend mass less than weekly		78	18	1	3

	"The use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV and other diseases"
	ALL Catholics		91	7	0	2
	Attend mass at least weekly		82	14	0	4
	Attend mass less than weekly		98	2	0	0

"Would you say you attend mass more than once a week, once a week, once or twice a month, a few times a year, or never?"

		More than once a week	Once a week	Once or twice a month	A few times a year	Never
		%	%	%	%	%
	ALL Catholics	8	37	24	24	6

Public Religion Research Institute. Jan. 16-20, 2013. N=1,033 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.5.

"Now, please tell me if you completely agree, mostly agree, mostly DISagree or completely disagree with the following statements. . . ."

		Completely agree	Mostly agree	Mostly disagree	Completely disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

	"God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success"
	1/16-20/13	24	29	17	25	5

	"God plays a role in determining which team wins a sporting event"
	1/16-20/13	12	15	21	49	3

	"Public high schools should be allowed to sponsor prayer before football games"
	1/16-20/13	49	27	10	11	3

"Some athletes express their faith publicly by thanking God during or after a sporting event. Do you generally approve when athletes do this, do you disapprove or does it not matter to you?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Does not matter	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	1/16-20/13	50	4	45	1

Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation Poll. July 25-Aug. 5, 2012. N=3,130 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.

"Which of the following two statements comes closer to your view? Organized religious groups of all kinds should stay out of politics. OR, It is important for organized religious groups to stand up for their beliefs in politics." Options rotated

		Stay out of politics	Stand up for beliefs	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	55	42	2	1
	Democrats	62	35	2	1
	Independents	59	38	2	1
	Republicans	38	60	1	1

"Which comes closer to your view? The government should take special steps to protect America's religious heritage. OR, There should be a high degree of separation between church and state." Options rotated

		Protect religious heritage	High degree of separation	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/25 - 8/5/12	40	55	2	2

"Would you rather see religious and spiritual values have more influence in politics and public life than they do now, less influence, or about the same influence as they do now?"

		More influence	Less influence	About the same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/25 - 8/5/12	30	36	32	2

Pew Research Center. June 28-July 9, 2012. N=2,973 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.1.

"Do you think that conservative Christians have gone too far in trying to impose their religious values on the country, or don't you think Conservative Christians have gone too far?"

		Too far	Not too far	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/28 - 7/9/12	48	44	7
	8/06	49	43	8
	7/05	45	45	10

"Do you think that liberals have gone too far in trying to keep religion out of the schools and the government, or don't you think liberals have gone too far?"

		Too far	Not too far	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/28 - 7/9/12	65	30	5
	8/06	69	26	5
	7/05	67	28	5

"How important is religion in your life: very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important?"

		Very important	Somewhat important	Not too important	Not at all important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/28 - 7/9/12	58	22	10	9	1
	7/21 - 8/5/10	58	24	9	8	1
	8/09	57	25	8	8	1
	8/08	58	27	7	7	1
	8/07	61	24	8	6	1

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. July 5-8, 2012. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"How much does it matter to you that a candidate for president shares your religious beliefs? Does it matter a great deal, somewhat, not so much, or not at all?"

		A great deal	Somewhat	Not so much	Not at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/5-8/12	18	19	15	47	-
	3/7-10/12	17	24	17	41	1
	2/1-4/12	18	20	16	46	-

Among non-Mormons: "Would you say you have a generally favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Mormon religion?"

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/5-8/12	38	31	31
	12/6-9/07	42	40	19

Among non-Mormons: "Thinking about people of different religious backgrounds, how many Mormons, if any, live in your community: a lot, some, just a few, or none?"

		A lot	Some	Just a few	None	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/5-8/12	9	13	29	24	25

Among non-Mormons: "Imagine that a close relative of yours marries a person who is a Mormon. Is that something you'd be entirely comfortable with, somewhat comfortable, somewhat uncomfortable or entirely uncomfortable?"

		Entirely comfortable	Somewhat comfortable	Somewhat uncomfortable	Entirely uncomfortable	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/5-8/12	49	25	13	7	6

Bloomberg National Poll conducted by Selzer & Company. March 8-11, 2012. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.1.

"In your mind, do you think a president's religious beliefs should influence his federal policy decisions all of the time, most of the time, just some of the time, or never?"

		All of the time	Most of the time	Just some of the time	Never	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/8-11/12	8	6	25	58	3

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. March 7-10, 2012. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Do you think a political leader should or should not rely on his or her religious beliefs in making policy decisions?"

		Should	Should not	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/7-10/12	31	63	3	3
	8/29 - 9/1/11	29	66	3	1
	12/6-9/07	27	66	6	1
	10/5-8/06	35	61	2	2
	4/21-24/05	40	55	4	2

"In your view, has the country gone too far in keeping religion and government separate, gone too far in mixing religion and government, or has it struck a good balance in the area of the separation of church and state?"

		Gone too far in keeping separate	Gone too far in mixing	Struck a good balance	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	3/7-10/12	36	25	34	4

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications. Dec. 8-12, 2011. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"As a child, did you ever believe in Santa Claus, or not?"

		Yes	No
		%	%
	12/8-12/11	84	16

	If did believe in Santa Claus as a child: "How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa Claus?"

		MEAN AGE

	12/8-12/11	8.8 years

"How important a role does Santa Claus play in your holiday celebrations: very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important?"

		Very important	Somewhat important	Not too important	Not at all important
		%	%	%	%
	12/8-12/11	29	28	15	28

"Do you think the Santa Claus tradition does more to enhance the religious significance of the Christmas holiday, or detract from the religious significance of the Christmas holiday?" Options rotated

		Enhance	Detract	Neither/No effect (vol.)	Unsure	Refused
		%	%	%	%	%
	12/8-12/11	37	48	13	1	1

"Do you believe in angels, or not?"

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/8-12/11	77	22	1

CNN/ORC Poll. Oct. 14-16, 2011. N=1,007 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for a candidate for president who is a Mormon, or wouldn't that matter to you one way or the other?"

		More likely	Less likely	Wouldn't matter	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/14-16/11	3	17	80	-
	10/12-14/07	3	19	77	1

"Based on what you have read or heard about Mormons, do you think their religion is a Christian religion, or do you think it is not a Christian religion?"

		A Christian religion	Not a Christian religion	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/14-16/11	51	36	13
	10/12-14/07	50	41	9
	5/5-7/06	34	35	31

Gallup Poll. May 5-8, 2011. Adults nationwide.

"Do you believe in God?" N=530 (Form A), margin of error ą 5

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/5-8/11	92	7	1
	8/24-29/67	98	1	-

"Do you believe in God or a universal spirit?" N=488 (Form B), margin of error ą 5

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/5-8/11	91	8	1
	12/16-18/94	96	3	1

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. March 11-13, 2011. N=1,023 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"What is your impression of American Muslims? As of today, is it very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, very unfavorable, or haven't you heard enough about them to say?"

		Very favorable	Somewhat favorable	Somewhat unfavorable	Very unfavorable	Haven't heard enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%	%
	3/11-13/11	13	33	17	9	24	3

"What is your impression of the Islamic faith? As of today, is it very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, very unfavorable, or haven't you heard enough about it to say?"

		Very favorable	Somewhat favorable	Somewhat unfavorable	Very unfavorable	Haven't heard enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%	%
	3/11-13/11	7	26	23	17	25	2

"If a group of Muslim Americans wanted to build a mosque in your local community, would that be okay with you or would that not be okay with you?"

		Okay	Not okay	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/11-13/11	69	28	3

USA Today/Gallup Poll. March 8, 2011. N=1,006 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4. Interviews conducted as part of Gallup Daily tracking.

"Now thinking specifically about Muslims, do you think each of the following applies or does not apply to Muslims living in the U.S.? How about, they are . . . ."

		Applies	Does not apply	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Committed to their religious beliefs"
	3/8/11	82	8	11

	"Supportive of the United States"
	3/8/11	53	32	15

	"Too extreme in their religious beliefs"
	3/8/11	36	50	15

	"Sympathetic to the al-Qaeda terrorist organization"
	3/8/11	28	54	18

"As you may know, Congress is scheduled to begin hearings this week to explore al-Qaeda's efforts to recruit terrorists in the U.S., as well as whether the Muslim-American community is doing enough to stop those efforts. Do you think it is appropriate or not appropriate to hold these hearings focused just on U.S. Muslims?"

		Appropriate	Not appropriate	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/8/11	52	38	10

Fox News Poll conducted by Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R). Feb. 7-9, 2011. N=911 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"In general, do you think Islam is a peaceful religion trying to get along with other religions or a violent religion trying to take over the world?"

		Peaceful	Violent	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	2/7-9/11	43	38	8	11

Gallup Poll. Jan. 7-9, 2011. N=1,018 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"Next, I'm going to read some aspects of life in America today. For each one, please say whether you are very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied. How about the influence of organized religion?"

		Very satisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/7-9/11	17	41	20	16	6
	1/10-14/01	17	47	21	11	4

"Now here are some questions concerning where you stand on some of the issues we just talked about. Would you like to see organized religion have more influence in this nation, less influence, or keep its influence as it is now?"

		More	Less	Same as now	Other (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	1/7-9/11	29	29	39	-	2
	1/10-14/01	30	22	45	1	2

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Sept. 14-16, 2010. N=900 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.

"A group of Muslims plans to build a mosque and Islamic cultural center a few blocks from the site of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. Do you think it is appropriate to build a mosque and Islamic center near Ground Zero, or do you think it would be wrong to do so?"

		Appropriate	Wrong	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/14-16/10	32	61	7
	8/10-11/10	30	64	6

"Regardless of whether you think it is appropriate to build a mosque near Ground Zero, do you think the Muslim group has the right to build a mosque there, or don't they have that right?"

		Has the right	Don't have that right	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/14-16/10	73	25	2
	8/10-11/10	61	34	5

"In the war against terrorism, do you think most Muslims around the world are sympathetic to the United States or the terrorists?" Options rotated

		U.S.	Terrorists	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/14-16/10	37	35	12	16
	2/28 - 3/1/06	22	42	19	17

"Do you think the federal courts are correct in ruling that the Constitution allows government to stop prayer in schools and on public property, or do you think when the Constitution says no branch of the government shall interfere with the free exercise of religion that it gives Americans the right to pray anywhere they want?"

		Federal courts are correct	Have the right to pray anywhere	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/14-16/10	12	84	5

Quinnipiac University. Aug. 31-Sept. 7, 2010. N=1,905 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 2.3.

"Would you say you have a generally favorable or unfavorable opinion of Islam, the Muslim religion?"

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/31 - 9/7/10	38	40	22

"Do you think President Obama shares your view of mainstream Islam or not?"

		Shares	Does not share	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/31 - 9/7/10	43	34	23

"Do you think it is appropriate to build a mosque and Islamic center near Ground Zero, or do you think it would be wrong to do so?"

		Appropriate	Wrong	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/31 - 9/7/10	28	63	9

"Regardless of whether you think it is appropriate to build a mosque near Ground Zero, do you think the Muslim group has the right to build a mosque there, or don't they have that right?"

		Has the right	Don't have that right	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/31 - 9/7/10	70	25	5

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the Ground Zero mosque controversy?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/31 - 9/7/10	31	44	25

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2010. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.

"There has been news lately about plans for a Muslim community center and place of worship in Lower Manhattan, near the site of the former World Trade Center. Do you yourself think this Muslim community center should or should not be built at this location? ... Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?"

		Should be: Strongly	Should be: Somewhat	Should not be: Somewhat	Should not be: Strongly	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	8/30 - 9/2/10	14	15	13	53	5

"There has been news lately about plans for a Muslim community center and place of worship in Lower Manhattan, near the site of the former World Trade Center. Do you yourself think this Muslim community center should or should not be built at this location?" If should not be: "Is that more because you oppose building a Muslim community center at this particular location, or more because you oppose building Muslim community centers in this country in general?" Combined responses

		Should be	Should not be: This location	Should not be: In general	Should not be: Other (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	8/30 - 9/2/10	29	54	9	2	5

"Do you feel strongly enough about this issue for it to influence your vote for U.S. Congress in November, or not that strongly?" Registered voters

		Strongly enough to influence	Not that strongly	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/30 - 9/2/10	42	55	2

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Aug. 25-26, 2010. N=1,029 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.7.

"Thinking about U.S. Muslims -- that is, followers of the Islam religion who live in the United States -- do you personally know any U.S. Muslims, or not?"

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/25-26/10	41	58	1
	7/11-12/07	36	63	1

"What is your overall opinion of Muslim Americans? As of today, is it very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable?"

		Very favorable	Mostly favorable	Mostly unfavorable	Very unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	8/25-26/10	16	45	13	7	19

"If a group of Muslim Americans wanted to build a mosque in your local community, would that be okay with you, or would that NOT be okay with you?"

		Okay	Not okay	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/25-26/10	72	23	5

"How worried are you, if at all, about radicals within the U.S. Muslim community? Are you very worried, somewhat worried, not too worried, or not at all worried?"

		Very worried	Somewhat worried	Not too worried	Not at all worried	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	8/25-26/10	20	32	27	19	2
	7/11-12/07	16	38	25	18	3

"Do you think most, many, only some, or very few Muslims living in the United States today . . . ?"

		Most	Many	Only some	Very few	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

	"Support the goals of Al Qaeda and the Islamic fundamentalists"
	8/25-26/10	11	9	25	42	13

	"Oppose the goals of Al Qaeda and the Islamic fundamentalists"
	8/25-26/10	35	13	20	15	17

	"Support the use of violence by Muslims against non-Muslims"
	8/25-26/10	11	6	21	48	14

	"Are peaceable and do not condone violence"
	8/25-26/10	48	14	16	13	9

CBS News Poll. Aug. 20-24, 2010. N=1,082 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"There is a proposal to build a mosque and Islamic cultural center a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center in New York City where the September 11th terrorist attacks occurred. Do you think it is appropriate or not appropriate to build a mosque and Islamic center near the site of the World Trade Center?"

		Appropriate	Not appropriate	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	22	71	7
	Republicans	10	88	2
	Democrats	32	57	11
	Independents	22	70	8

"Regardless of whether you think it is appropriate to build a mosque near the site of the World Trade Center in New York City, do you think the developers have a right to build a mosque there, or don't they have that right?"

		Have a right	Don't have a right	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	67	29	4
	Republicans	59	39	2
	Democrats	69	25	6
	Independents	69	27	4

Pew Research Center/Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Aug. 19-22, 2010. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.

"How much would you say you know about the Muslim religion and its practices: a great deal, some, not very much, or nothing at all?"

		A great deal	Some	Not very much	Nothing
		%	%	%	%
	8/19-22/10	9	35	30	25

"Would you say you have a generally favorable or unfavorable opinion of Islam?"

		Favorable	Unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/19-22/10	30	38	32
	7/05	41	36	23
	7/03	40	34	26
	3/02	38	33	29

"Do you, yourself, happen to know anyone who is Muslim?"

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/19-22/10	41	58	1

"As you may know, there is a proposal to build an Islamic cultural center and mosque in downtown New York City, a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center. From what you've read and heard, do you agree more with those who object to the building of this center, or those who think the center should be allowed to be built?" Options rotated

		Those who object	Those who think it should be allowed	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/19-22/10	51	34	15

"Which comes closer to your view, even if neither is exactly right? Local communities should be able to prohibit the construction of mosques in their area if they don't want them. OR, Muslims should have the same rights as other religious groups to build houses of worship in local communities." Options rotated

		Localities should be able to prohibit	Muslims should have same rights as other groups	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/19-22/10	25	62	13

Time Poll conducted by Abt SRBI. Aug. 16-17, 2010. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Turning to the Islamic religion, would you say that the Islamic religion is more likely than other religions to encourage violence against non-believers, less likely, or about the same as most other religions?"

		More likely	Less likely	About the same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	8/16-17/10	46	6	39	10

"Do you personally know any Americans who are followers of the Islamic religion?"

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/16-17/10	37	62	1

"In general, would you say that most Muslims in the United States are patriotic Americans who believe in American values, or not?"

		Are patriotic	Are not patriotic	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/16-17/10	55	25	21

"As you may know, a group of Muslims in New York City has announced plans to build a community center and mosque on private property two blocks from the site where the World Trade Center stood. How closely have you been following this issue: very closely, somewhat closely, not very closely, or not at all?"

		Very closely	Somewhat closely	Not very closely	Not at all	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	8/16-17/10	32	36	17	15	1

"Some people say that building the Muslim community center and mosque near the World Trade Center site would serve as a symbol of the country's religious tolerance. Others say that building the mosque near the World Trade Center site would be an insult to those who died on 9/11. Which comes closest to your view, or are do you agree somewhat with both views?"

		Symbol of tolerance	An insult	Agree with both views	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	8/16-17/10	23	44	27	6

"Overall, do you favor or oppose the building of the Muslim community center and mosque near where the World Trade Center stood?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/16-17/10	26	61	13

"What if the following religious groups proposed building a community center and place of worship two blocks from your home. Would you favor or oppose it? . . ."

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	"Catholic"
	8/16-17/10	78	14	9

	"Jewish"
	8/16-17/10	73	18	9

	"Mormon"
	8/16-17/10	65	24	11

	"Muslim"
	8/16-17/10	55	34	10

"Has this debate over the Muslim community center and mosque made you more likely to vote for a Democratic candidate for Congress in your district, a Republican candidate, or not have any impact on your vote one way or another?"

		More likely to vote Democratic	More likely to vote Republican	Won't have any impact	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	8/16-17/10	7	14	74	5

"Do you think that a Muslim should be allowed to run for president of the United States?"

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/16-17/10	61	32	7

"Do you think that a Muslim should be allowed to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court?"

		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/16-17/10	65	28	7

Religion continued

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