Evangelicals list top issues facing the US: survey

Christian Post ^ | April 23, 2024 | Ryan Foley

[Morgana]

A new survey reveals that Evangelicals view immigration, American sovereignty and abortion as the top issues facing the United States heading into the 2024 presidential election.

Coral Ridge Ministries (CRM) released its 2024 Spiritual State of the Nation Survey last week, which is based on 633 responses to a questionnaire sent to “friends and supporters of Coral Ridge Ministries” on an annual basis.

“At a time when the views of pro-family evangelicals are sometimes distorted, even caricatured, this survey provides a much-needed window into what Christian conservatives actually believe,” asserted CRM President and CEO Robert Pacienza in a statement.

In addition to asking respondents for their views on hot-button issues dominating political and cultural discussions in the U.S., the questionnaire asked respondents to name “the three most critical issues facing the new Congress and administration.”

A majority of those surveyed (56%) cited immigration as one of the three most important issues facing the U.S., while 33% of respondents listed “America’s sovereignty.” Abortion (32%), federal spending (30%) and religious freedom (24%) rounded out the top five issues most frequently identified as things federal leaders must address.

Other issues viewed as most critical facing Congress and the next administration by smaller shares of respondents include: national security (21%), the economy (19%), a growth in socialist views (14%), the protection of traditional values (14%), trans rights (14%), healthcare (13%), the racial divide (13%), the advance of radical Islam (11%) and education (6%).

The emphasis on immigration and U.S. sovereignty as issues of importance among American Evangelicals comes as the nation continues to see an exponential number of encounters between people entering the country illegally and law enforcement officials at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Data compiled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection show that the number of monthly encounters reached a record 301,981 in December. Halfway through fiscal year 2024, more than 1.34 million illegal immigrants have attempted to cross into the U.S.

Meanwhile, respondents’ focus on abortion comes as several states have passed abortion restrictions following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which determined that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion. Following the Dobbs decision, voters in a handful of states have approved ballot measures establishing a constitutional right to abortion. More states are poised to hold similar referendums in 2024.

CRM also found that an overwhelming majority of respondents believe “all U.S. citizens should have freedom of religion and be able to freely express it in public life” (95%) and “that radical Islam continues to pose a significant threat to America” (98%). One hundred percent of those surveyed expressed concern about “Americans who have been taken to court or charged with hate crimes because of their conscientious objections to the moral issues of our day.”

Other issues that yielded unanimous agreement among respondents included support for the ideas that students should have “the right to pray in public school classrooms, in sporting events, and graduation ceremonies” and that any organization should have the right to “reflect its moral values in its hiring and operations and to uphold its pro-life convictions in healthcare coverage.”

Support for Israel, opposition to the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, requirements to teach about the “damaging impact” of socialism and the right of parents to express concern at school board meetings without fear of prosecution from the FBI or the U.S. Justice Department were also embraced by 100% of those surveyed.

A majority of respondents (68%) said they had “experienced verbal or physical abuse or bias because of [their] faith in Jesus Christ or for [their] conservative Christian views.” Even larger majorities opposed establishing a definition of “hate speech” to be monitored by the federal government (92%), pursuing an “open borders” immigration policy (97%) and codifying a right to abortion into federal law (98%).

Additional questions related to schools and education revealed strong opposition to sex education that includes information about homosexuality (89%), allowing students to “choose” their pronouns without parental consent (90%) and sex education that teaches about “transgender exploration and surgery” (92%).

When asked to identify “serious threats” to the U.S., 100% selected Iran and open borders, while 97% picked China, 94% chose radical Islam and Hamas and socialism, 90% named Russia, 87% cited the United Nations and 84% pointed to North Korea.

[Morgana]

"A majority of those surveyed (56%) cited immigration as one of the three most important issues facing the U.S., while 33% of respondents listed “America’s sovereignty.” Abortion (32%), federal spending (30%) and religious freedom (24%) rounded out the top five issues most frequently identified as things federal leaders must address."

[NWFree]

I must be more evangelical than I thought

[Scrambler Bob]

which is based on 633 responses to a questionnaire sent to “friends and supporters of Coral Ridge Ministries” on an annual basis.
= = =

I would like to know how any questionaires were sent out.

So then, what is the % responses?

I might claim a bias, only the rich could afford stamps to send, only the white privilege oould read and answer the questions, etc.

[grcuster]

Yet no mention how this nation has turned away from GOD and has decided to follow the ways of man.

[ansel12]

Trump’s most solid voting base.

[Terry L Smith]

An individual citizen’s right to worship as they themselves see fit, is none of my business.

Any attempt by another citizen, to cajole, address, emphasize or examine, with the desired outcome being to gather that individual into another form of worship, foreign to his own, is trampling upon that person’s freedom.

[aspasia]

Friends of CRM excludes the evangelicals from the BGC.

[Migraine]

“excludes the evangelicals from the BGC”

Bad Girls Club?

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Trump’s most solid voting base.

How many percent of likely voters are Evangelical?

[rktman]

Butt, butt, butt.....climate discombobulation and stuff... 😊👍

[ansel12]

White Evangelicals about a quarter of voters, Latino about 11%, of union households about 18% of black about 11% so about 40% in 2022.

What percentage of your group votes for Trump?

[ealgeone]

Yet no mention how this nation has turned away from GOD and has decided to follow the ways of man.

THIS IS THE ISSUE.

[aspasia]

Baptist General Conference

[grcuster]

People do have free will by GOD, but Christians also have a call to share the gospel to the non-believers so they might be saved.

Romans 10:14-15

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

[SeekAndFind]

RE: What percentage of your group votes for Trump?

If your figures are correct, then, you have your answer.

[ansel12]

Those figures came from a quick search and there are probably variations from poll to poll, but as we get closer to the election I will probably try and get things more locked down.

There are a lot of anti-conservatism and anti-Christian posters here who see themselves as Trump’s base and being something new that is getting rid of their hated conservatives, older voters and Evangelical voters, it is some sort of a populist/rino/libertarian overthrow of conservatism, older Americans, national defense supporters,
“puritans”, and ending the Republican party type thing.

In reality the Trump voters are pretty much the same conservatives and Christians it always is fighting against the left.

[daniel1212]

Coral Ridge Ministries (CRM) released its 2024 Spiritual State of the Nation Survey last week, which is based on 633 responses to a questionnaire sent to “friends and supporters of Coral Ridge Ministries” on an annual basis.

Far too limited in scope. “friends and supporters of Coral Ridge Ministries” is far from being a representative sample of all evangelicals.

Other issues viewed as most critical facing Congress and the next administration by smaller shares of respondents include: national security (21%), the economy (19%), a growth in socialist views (14%), the protection of traditional values (14%), trans rights (14%), healthcare (13%), the racial divide (13%), the advance of radical Islam (11%) and education (6%).

That the LGBTQ+ movement is not listed as equal to abortion is absurd.

Additional questions related to schools and education revealed strong opposition to sex education that includes information about homosexuality (89%), allowing students to “choose” their pronouns without parental consent (90%) and sex education that teaches about “transgender exploration and surgery” (92%).

But that extends to all society.

[daniel1212]

Any attempt by another citizen, to cajole, address, emphasize or examine, with the desired outcome being to gather that individual into another form of worship, foreign to his own, is trampling upon that person’s freedom.

So you never attempt to influence another citizen to examine their beliefs and persuade them to aligns with yours - including that no citizen should ever attempt to influence another citizen to examine their beliefs and persuade them to aligns with theirs? Just what do you engage in on FR?

Or is this only restricted to religion and the free exercise thereof?

And that is your definition of freedom?

Truth is exclusive by nature, and one cannot contend for any Truth without opposing conflicting ones.

[daniel1212]

How many percent of likely voters are Evangelical?

While white evangelicals or born-again Christians make up a relatively small percentage of the population at just 14.5%, they account for a larger share of the electorate. In 2020, white evangelicals or born-again Christians made up 28% of voters, down slightly from 31% in 2021. They also voted overwhelmingly Republican. - https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/white-evangelicals-key-votes-republicans/

White born-again or evangelical Christians made up 24 percent of the electorate in the 2022 elections, according to the media consortium exit poll conducted for CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS. Black (11 percent) and Latino (11 percent) voters and those from a union household (18 percent) combined to constitute 40 percent of the vote.

White evangelicals made up 20 percent of the electorate in 2022, according to the second exit poll, while Black (11 percent), Hispanic (10 percent) and union members (11 percent) combined for 32 percent of the electorate. Adding in voters in a union household, that coalition ticked up 38 percent — nearly double the white evangelical vote. - https://rollcall.com/2023/06/28/be-skeptical-of-the-wave-of-evangelical-voters/

Relevant:

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/04/09/party-identification-among-religious-groups-and-religiously-unaffiliated-voters/

The AP VoteCast survey shows that 81% of White evangelical Protestant voters went for Trump this year, compared with 18% who voted for Biden. The Edison exit polls estimate that 76% of White evangelicals voted for Trump, 24% for Biden. - https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/324410/religious-group-voting-2020-election.aspx

Pew Research Center https://www.pewresearch.org › ... › Protestantism Aug 30, 2021 — More than eight-in-ten White evangelical Protestant voters who attend religious services frequently (85%) voted for Trump in the most recent

Why Evangelicals Went All In on Trump, Again Time Magazine https://time.com › Ideas › politics Jan 24, 2024 — Among white evangelical voters who identified as Republican, 53% said they would vote for Trump while 31% favored DeSantis. Less than 1% said they would vote for Joe Biden.

[Migraine]

Thanks. I was familiar w/ SBC, but not BGC.