A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that Americans are warming up to people from across a diversity of religions. After being asked to rate groups on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from 0 (being the coolest) to 100 (being the warmest and most positive), U.S. adults gave nearly every group a warmer rating than they did in a similar June 2014 study. Well, except for evangelicals.
Following an election year when evangelicals were divided between their support for Trump, the mean rating for evangelicals remained at 61 while the mean rating for Buddhists, Mormons and Hindus shifted from relatively neutral to warmer ratings. The study also found that while Americans still feel coolest towards Muslims and Atheists, their warm ratings increased from a cool 40 and 41 degrees, respectively, to warmer ratings of 48 and 50.
As might be expected, young Americans between 18-29 expressed warmer feelings towards Muslims than older Americans and also rated each group in a tighter range from 54 – 66. Meanwhile, older Americans (65-plus) rated their feelings towards different religious groups in much more polarized ranges with Protestants and Jews on the higher end of the spectrum, 75 and 74 respectively, and Muslims and Atheists at a cool 44 each.
