Most people who attend religious services regularly have heard clergy speak on at least one social or political issue in recent months, according to a new survey by Pew Research. Abortion, homosexuality and Israel are the most commonly mentioned topics.
Among U.S. adults who attend Christian religious services at least monthly, 66% say they have heard clergy address at least one political or social issue.
“When people hear their minister, priest, rabbi or other clergyperson speak out about these topics, they report that they tend to hear messages against abortion, against homosexuality or in support of Israel,” Pew Research Center reported. “Fewer Americans say they’ve recently heard the clergy at their place of worship speak in favor of abortion rights, encourage acceptance of people who are gay or lesbian, or criticize Israel.”
The study released May 27 surveyed a representative sample of U.S. adults who attend services at least once or twice a month. They were asked questions on a range of controversial social and political topics during the first half of April.
Pew found 35% of respondents have heard faith leaders speak about abortion, 34% about Israel and 31% about homosexuality. Next in line were 27% who heard about immigration, 25% about the Iran war, 24% about the environment and 23% about transgender identity.
While most issues asked about generated mostly negative comments from the pulpit, immigration and the environment each garnered more positive remarks from religious leaders than other issues, the survey found.
“The messages from American pulpits appear to be more mixed when it comes to U.S. military action in Iran,” Pew explained. “About one in 10 regular attenders (8%) say they have recently heard their clergy speak in opposition to the U.S. military action in Iran, while 4% say their religious leaders have spoken in support of it. An additional 9% report their clergy have talked about the conflict without supporting or opposing it.”
Researchers also reported many Americans are unsure about their faith leaders’ partisan identities, with 19% thinking they are mostly Republicans and 8% mostly Democrats. “But most either think their clergy are politically mixed (27%) or say they’re unsure about their clergy’s political leanings (44%).”
Survey responses based on religious affiliation found white evangelicals (43%) and Catholics (49%) led in hearing clergy speak about abortion. White evangelicals (42%) and Black Protestants (30%) heard more about homosexuality than other groups.
Catholics were most likely to report hearing religious leaders speak about immigration, at 41%, compared to white evangelicals at 18%, Pew said. White evangelicals also were most likely to hear about Israel, at 39%, but much less often about the Iran conflict, at 20%.
For Catholics, hearing from the pulpit about Iran (30%) outpaced mentions of Israel (25%).
Other issues Black Protestants were most likely to hear about at church included immigration (31%), Israel (32%) and the Iran war (28%).
While mentions by clergy of homosexuality, abortion and transgender identity were typically negative across groups, that was not the case with white, nonevangelical Protestants.
“They are as likely to say their clergy urge acceptance of gay, lesbian and transgender people as to say they hear messages from the pulpit against homosexuality or against transgender identity,” the report notes.
For example, 20% of white nonevangelical Protestants heard faith leaders speak positively about transgender issues. They were followed by 17% of Black Protestants and 7% of both white evangelicals and Catholics.
“Both Catholics and members of most Protestant subgroups who regularly attend religious services are more likely to say their clergy have spoken in support of immigrants and protecting the environment than to report hearing the alternative.”