PRINCETON, N.J. (ABP) — Americans' views of the honesty and ethics of clergypersons has dropped to a three-decade low, according to the latest Gallup poll.
The annual ranking of ethics of various professions found that 50 percent of Americans rated clergy's honesty and ethics as "high" or "very high." That is down 6 percent from last year's poll.
The all-time high rating for clergy in the 32 years the poll has been taken was 67 percent in 1985. As recently as 2001, however, the profession saw a peak of 64 percent. The six-point drop was the largest among any profession, followed by lawyers, who had a five-point drop.
Jeffrey Jones, managing editor of the Gallup Poll, said the reason for the decline isn't clear, but clergy ratings are below where they were earlier in the decade during the priest sex-abuse scandal in the Catholic Church.
Ratings of clergy dropped from their 2008 levels for both Catholics and Protestants, as well as among regular and non-regular churchgoers.
Robert Parham of the Baptist Center for Ethics said that, lacking any high-profile minister scandals that have affected polls in other years, he is "puzzled" by the drop in public opinion about the honesty and ethics of clergy.
"Perhaps it results from the overall cultural negativity that permeates our country," he speculated. "Or perhaps in a distorted way, some folk are unfairly taking out their anxiety about the economy on clergy. They are blaming the bad times on clergy — as the representatives of God."
Parham said that clergy, while remaining one of the highest-rated professions in terms of integrity, "might benefit from exploring with their congregants and community why this drop in credibility."
Gallup conducted its annual "Honesty and Ethics of Professions" poll Nov. 20-22.
Nurses rank the highest, with 83 percent of Americans giving them either high or very high ratings of ethics and honesty. Pharmacists and doctors followed, at 66 percent and 65 percent, respectively. Police officers rose seven points to 63 percent, their highest ranking since shortly after 9/11.
Members of Congress and stockbrokers rank near the bottom of professions, both at 9 percent. Only used-car salesmen ranked lower, at 6 percent.
Bankers also reached a three-decade low, dropping four points to 19 percent.
-30-
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.