{"id":31096,"date":"2022-09-10T15:16:43","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/americans-trust-of-pastors-hovers-near-all-time-low\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:16:43","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:16:43","slug":"americans-trust-of-pastors-hovers-near-all-time-low","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/americans-trust-of-pastors-hovers-near-all-time-low\/","title":{"rendered":"Americans’ Trust of Pastors Hovers Near All-Time Low"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Aaron Earls<\/em><\/p>\n

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans are more likely to trust medical professionals, while few believe pastors are completely honest.<\/p>\n

Gallup\u2019s annual ratings of the honesty and ethical standards of professions finds nurses continue to be the most trusted, followed by medical doctors, grade-school teachers and pharmacists.<\/p>\n

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its second year, medical professionals top the list of the most trusted professions. The 89% of Americans who give nurses high or very high scores for their honesty marks a record high percentage, up from 85% last year. Doctors\u2019 ratings improved 12 points to 77%, while pharmacists climbed seven points to 71%.<\/p>\n

The public also seem to note the work required by teachers balancing in-person and distance learning during the pandemic. Those giving grade-school teachers the highest marks for honesty reached 75% in the most recent survey.<\/p>\n

Despite falling in recent years, police officers are the only other profession about which a majority of Americans (52%) say they have high or very high ethics and honesty.<\/p>\n

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Americans\u2019 opinion of clergy’s honesty falls between judges and nursing home operators. Around 2 in 5 (39%) say pastors have at least high ethical standards, including 10% who say their honesty is very high.<\/p>\n

For 41% of the public, the honesty and ethical standards of clergy are average, while 11% rate it as low and 4% as very low. Another 4% say they have no opinion of pastors\u2019 honesty, the highest of any profession.<\/p>\n

Half (51%) of Americans 55 and older say clergy have high honesty, while less than half than number (24%) of 18- to 34-year-olds agree.<\/p>\n

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Women are more likely to rate pastors as ethical than men. Americans with college degrees give clergy higher honesty marks than those with only a high school education or less.<\/p>\n

This marks the second time since Gallup began surveying Americans about their trust of various occupations that fewer than 2 in 5 gave clergy the highest ratings.<\/p>\n

Two years ago, pastors reached their lowest mark at 37% who say they have high or very high honesty. Last year, the climbed back up to 40% before dipping back down to 39% in the last survey.<\/p>\n

In 1985, 67% said clergy had high or very high honesty and ethical standards\u2014the high-water mark for the profession.<\/p>\n

Since 2002, however, positive views of clergy’s honesty have dissipated, spurred in part by revelations of sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church and other denominations.<\/p>\n

After briefly stabilizing, Americans’ positive opinions of the ethics of pastors has declined eight of the last 10 years.<\/p>\n

Ratings of the professions by the public perception of honesty:<\/p>\n