Posted on 09/23/2012 1:11:04 PM PDT by markomalley
A few months ago we looked at a survey that showed that the vast majority of Americans have no idea whatsoever what percentage of the population is gay.
Mainstream studies indicate that percentage is somewhere in the low single digits, but Americans believed — on average — that 25 percent of the population is gay. Yes, 25 percent. This includes data showing that 35 percent of Americans think that more than 25 percent of the population is gay.
I’ve long wondered why it is that Americans are so wrong on this, but I can’t help but think that the mainstream media plays a significant role.
I was reminded of that study when I read this Religion News Service report showing that Americans are way off when estimating the percentage of Americans who belong to various religious groups:
The typical American underestimates how many Protestants there are in the U.S., and vastly overestimates the number of religious minorities such as Mormons, Muslims, and atheist/agnostics, according to a new study.
Grey Matter Research and Consulting asked 747 U.S. adults to guess what proportion of the American population belongs to each of eight major religious groups: Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, atheist/agnostic, believe in God or a higher power but have no particular religious preference, and any other religious group.
The average response was that 24 percent of Americans are Catholic, 20 percent are Protestant, 19 percent are unaffiliated, 8 percent are Jewish, 9 percent are atheist or agnostic, 7 percent are Muslim, 7 percent are Mormon and 5 percent identify with all other religious groups.
Respondents were correct on Catholics — 24 percent of the country is Catholic. But according to the 2008 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, 51 percent are Protestant, 12 percent are unaffiliated, 2 percent are Jewish, 4 percent are Atheist/Agnostic, less than 1 percent are Muslim, 2 percent are Mormon and 4 percent identify with all other religious groups.
The article quotes Ron Sellers, the president of the research firm, theorizing that the word “Protestant” might have thrown people off. But this was the part that got me interested:
Sellers also mentioned that with Mitt Romney running for president as a Mormon and the current emphasis on Islamic-American relations, “smaller faith groups also may be getting disproportionate media coverage.”
This is undoubtedly true. But do we take this to an extreme? No one would claim that Mormonism and Islam or various tiny religious groups shouldn’t get disproportionate coverage at times — but I am sometimes surprised at the lack of good reporting on the majority of religious adherents in the coverage. If the coverage is disproportionate to the point that it is negatively affecting people’s understanding of the real world, that might be an argument for a bit more evenly distributed religious news coverage. Particularly since there are gobs of stories that go under-reported as it is.
My late father-in-law had a tired old joke he’d pull out whenever he passed a cross walk marked “Pedestrian Crossing”. He’d always ask, “Why do the Presbyterians get their own crossing? Where are the crossings for the Lutherans and the Catholics?”
Also, Baptists aren’t even Protestant.
Very interesting. I’m surprised that there aren’t more Southern counties with a majority of United Methodist congregants.
I think the article’s mention of a problem with asking about “protestant” is valid, but it might also affect some of the respondents who belong to certain churches.
If memory serves, some object t the “Protestant” label. I think some Baptist don’t regard themselves as technically deserving the name?
ROTFL!
LOL, that’s pretty bad.
As I said on another thread an Episcopal Bishop once told my brother that Presbyterians are “the secret force”.
I’m just glad my Presbyterian mom-in-law did not live to see the whole magilla at the Chrystal Cathedral, that would have broken her heart.
Who declares which protestant denominations are "apostate"? You?
And odd you should lump all the "Baptists" in together as "non-apostate", there are many different Baptist denominations in America and they run the spectrum from very conservative to very liberal Christian theology. Not all are SBC. You even have nutty groups out there that are Baptist in name only, like Westboro Baptist Church. I'm pretty sure every Christian would consider Fred Phelps to be "apostate"
Same here. I would have thought the Methodist would be much larger and the Baptist much smaller.
I read recently that Methodists were the largest group in, I believe it was, the early 19th century.
As most know, Methodism was an off-shoot of Anglican.
“Also, Baptists aren’t even Protestant.”
Thank you for pointing that out. Baptists were around way before Martin Luther who started the Protestant movement.
Might I ask, what church were you able to find bible teaching?
Might I ask, what church were you able to find bible teaching?
Iirc, Southern Baptist is the biggest Protestant denomination nationwide, but I’m surprised that on the county level there aren’t more Methodist majorities. Around here (south-central NC) the oldest congregations are usually Methodist. I love visiting their cemeteries! We toured one during our recent vacation that included a Revolutionary War veteran who was a frontier Methodist pastor.
sorry .. I thought you were serious for a second.
NC was as Anglican colony, I’m guessing that helps explain it’s deep Methodism.
I’m in Texas and I would guess that Baptist/Methodist are near co-equal in a great number of counties.
They truly were an integral part of our religious history, particularly on the fronteir. The circuit-riding Methodist minister... what an incredible American history!
thanks for your reply.
Baptists are Protestants. Many of them just aren’t either intelligent enough to know it or honest enough to admit it.
I’ll bet life is peaceful and quiet in your little county.
My county is too. Almost totally Protestant. Mostly Baptist and Church of Christ. A few Lutherans (German). It is also pretty peaceful.
The town I live in is about 600 people and we have 3 Baptist Churches.
Entire county population is about 5,000 people.
Evangelical Free Church of America. As an institution, it is not overly doctrinal, and while different congregations may be either very good or somewhat less good, with a good pastor, it can fulfill a mission of using Bible words to promote Biblical teaching and the doing of Biblical works.
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