{"id":32916,"date":"2022-09-10T16:28:14","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/survey-americans-say-christians-face-intolerance-but-complain-too-much\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:28:14","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:28:14","slug":"survey-americans-say-christians-face-intolerance-but-complain-too-much","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/survey-americans-say-christians-face-intolerance-but-complain-too-much\/","title":{"rendered":"Survey: Americans Say Christians Face Intolerance, but Complain Too Much"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Bob Smietana<\/em><\/p>\n

A growing number of Americans believe religious liberty is on the decline and that the nation\u2019s Christians face growing intolerance.<\/p>\n

They also say American Christians complain too much.<\/p>\n

Those are among the findings of a new study of views about religious liberty from Lifeway Research. Researchers surveyed 1,000 Americans in September 2013 and September 2015 and then compared the results.<\/p>\n

Two-thirds (63 percent) say Christians face increasing intolerance, up from half (50 percent) in 2013.<\/p>\n

A similar number (60 percent) say religious liberty is on the decline, up from just over half (54 percent) in 2013.<\/p>\n

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Forty-three percent say American Christians complain too much about how they are treated, up from 34 percent in 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore Americans worry the U.S. has a hostile environment for religious liberty,\u201d said Ed Stetzer, executive director of Lifeway Research. \u201cAs this perception grows, some approve of it while others speak up against it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Religious liberty has become an increasingly contentious issue in American culture\u2014with disputes over birth control, same-sex wedding cakes, headscarves at work, and prisoner\u2019s beards.<\/p>\n

The more recent Lifeway Research survey found faith plays a key role in how Americans view the state of religious liberty.<\/p>\n

Two-thirds of Christians (64 percent) and those of other faiths (65 percent) say religious liberty is on the decline. Self-identified evangelicals (71 percent) and those who attend worship at least once a week (70 percent) are most likely to agree.<\/p>\n

Catholics (56 percent) and non-evangelicals (55 percent) are more skeptical. So are Nones (46 percent).<\/p>\n

\u201cChristians are particularly sensitive to what they see as intolerance towards their faith,\u201d said Stetzer. \u201cBut they share a common concern with people of other faiths\u2014that religious liberty in general is declining. And this perception is growing rapidly.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Age also played a role in how Americans view the state of religious liberty.<\/p>\n

Less than half  (42 percent) of those 18 to 24 say religious liberty is on the decline. By contrast, 6 in 10 (62 percent) of those over 25 see a decline.<\/p>\n

Lifeway Research also found non-Christians are less convinced that Christians face intolerance.<\/p>\n

Less than half of those from other faiths (43 percent) and Nones (48 percent) agree when asked if intolerance towards Christians has increased.<\/p>\n

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By contrast, most Christians (70 percent), self-identified evangelicals (82 percent) and Protestants (74 percent) see more intolerance. So do two-thirds (76 percent) of those who attend services once a week or more.<\/p>\n

Researchers found some signs that Americans are tired of arguments over religious liberty. A sizable number of Americans believe Christians\u2019 complaints about how they are treated are excessive.<\/p>\n

Among them:<\/p>\n