Replies

Statistical comparisons: Differences between denominations

Note: this is taken from a larger compilation: see notes HERE. Research is from a variety of sources of polling data on faith and morality, and the results typically show a general consensus from established researchers.

28% of American adults have changed their religious affiliation from that in which they were raised, with Catholicism realizing the greatest net loss in the process of religious change. Those who have left the Catholic Church outnumber those who have joined it by nearly 4-to-1. 10.1% of American adults have left the Catholic Church after having been raised Catholic, versus 2.6 percent of adults who became Catholic after having been raised something other than Catholic. “Faith in Flux,” Pew Forum on Religion & Public LifeApril 27, 2009 http://pewforum.org/Faith-in-Flux.aspx
53% of Catholics who became evangelicals said they left because of religious and moral beliefs, principally teachings on the Bible, while only 28 percent of Catholics who joined mainline Protestant denominations did so because of differing beliefs, with the majority departing due to family reasons, dissatisfaction with particular churches or clergy or objections to rules. http://pewforum.org/Faith-in-Flux.aspx
39% of U.S. Catholics are Hispanic. USCCB Committee on Hispanic Affairs. Hispanic Ministry at the Turn of the New Millennium, 1999
According to a joint survey by the Pew Hispanic Project and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life (2007), http://pewforum.org/surveys/hispanic /
51% of Hispanic evangelicals are converts, and 43% of Hispanic evangelicals overall are former Catholics. Although these converts express some dissatisfaction with the lack of vitality in a typical Catholic Mass, negative views of Catholicism do not appear to be a major reason for their conversion.
Among those who have become evangelicals, 90% say it was this spiritual search that drove their conversion. 82% of Hispanics overall cite the desire for a more direct, personal experience with God as the main reason for adopting a new faith.
54% of Hispanic Catholics describe themselves as charismatic Christians. 51%of Hispanic Evangelicals are converts, and 43% are former Catholics.
Latino Evangelicals are 50% more likely than those who are Catholics to identify with the Republican Party, and are significantly more conservative than Catholics on social issues, foreign policy issues and even in their attitudes toward the plight of the poor. Latino Catholics, on the other hand, are much more likely than Latino evangelicals to identify with the Democratic Party. These differences rival, and may even exceed, those found in the general population. http://pewforum.org/surveys/hispanic /
50% of Evangelicals considered themselves Republican or leaned toward that party, 34% Democratic or leaned thereto; 9% Independents. ⁷^.⁵^{U.S. Religious landscape survey; Copyright ©}²⁰⁰⁸^{The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.}http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons#
48% of Catholics considered themselves Democrats or leaned toward that party, 33% Republican or leaned thereto; 10% Independent. ^⁷^.⁵
79 percent of American Jews, 58 percent of Catholics and 56 percent of mainline Protestants favor acceptance of homosexuality, versus 39 percent of members of historically black churches, 27 percent of Muslims and 26 percent of the Evangelical Protestants. U.S. ⁷^.⁵
Evangelical Churches (79%) had the highest percentage of souls who affirmed religion was very important in One's Life, with Unaffiliated (includes Atheists and Agnostics) being the lowest (16%). ^⁷^.⁵
82% of Mainline Churches, 77% of Catholics and 53% of Evangelical Churches affirmed, "There is MORE than one true way to interpret the teachings of my religion." ^⁷^.⁵
37% of Catholics were registered as Democrats, 27% Republican, and 31% as Independents. Aggregated Pew Research Surveys, 2007. http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=295#ideology
88% of Evangelicals voted for Sen. McCain in 2008, compared to just 11% for Sen. Obama. http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=321
Evangelical Protestants composed 54 percent of conservatives, Roman Catholics 35%, and mainline Protestants 9%, while liberal activists were made up of 44% mainline Protestants, 17% Roman Catholics, 10 percent Evangelical Protestants, and interfaith bodies and groups (12 percent). 2009 Religious Activist Surveys conducted by the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron in partnership with Public Religion Research. http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090916/u-s-religious-activists-have-widely-divergent-views/index.html
The population of Massachusetts ranks as the most liberal, with Boston and Cambridge being the most liberal large cities (100,000 or more), followed by California. http://www.epodunk.com/top10/liberal/index.html
The 16 most Catholic states contain 24 of the most liberal cities. Excluding (Maryland 26th), predominately Roman Catholic states contain all but one (Seattle WA) of the 30 most liberal cities. Of states in which S. Baptists are the single largest denomination none (of the 30 cities) were found (the term “liberal: being defined according to individual contributions to PACs, election returns and the number of homosexual households: http://www.epodunk.com/top10/liberal/index.html http://www.glenmary.org/grc/RCMS_2000/Catholic_findings.htm , http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html.
10% of Evangelical Protestants reside in the NE, 23% in the Midwest, 50% in the South, and 17% in the West. Catholics: 29% NE, 24% Midwest, 24% in the South, 23% in the West. “Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream,” Pew Research Center, 2007. http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# (See HERE for Table of casual Religio-Political relations. And HERE for Correlation between faith, ideology, politics, environment, money.)
Mississippi (33%), Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Kentucky have the 5 highest percentages of S. Baptist, while Rhode Island (52%), Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York have the 5 highest percentages of Catholics. http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html
39 percent of Catholics affirmed not attending church is a sin, versus 23 percent of Protestants in general. Ellison Research, March 11, 2008 http://ellisonresearch.com/releases/20080311.htm http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080312/study-behaviors-americans-consider-sinful.htm
Weekly Church attendance: Evangelicals showed the highest participation of approx 60 percent (30% more than once a week). Catholics were at 45 percent (9% more than once a week), and Jews 15 percent. Gallup poll. between 2002 and 2005. http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060418/weekly-attendance-highest-among-Evangelical-churches.htm
Weekly attendance among Protestants has been fairly steady over the past six decades, averaging 42% in 1955 versus 45% in the middle of the current decade. However, attendance among Roman Catholics dropped from 75% to 45% over the same period. Gallup poll published April 10, 2009, http://www.gallup.com/poll/117382/Church-Going-Among-Catholics-Slides-Tie-Protestants.aspx
Among those who converted to a Christian denomination, 42% of Roman Catholic converts, 43% of Episcopalian converts, 44% of those to Lutheranism, 48% of those to Methodism, 50% of those to the Presbyterian church, 60% of Baptist converts, 60% of Non-denominational converts, and 73% of of converts to Pentecostal churches reported they attend services weekly. http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=482
Sunday school: at 35%, of those in Pentecostal church attended a Sunday school class at a church during past 7 days, followed by Baptists (any type) at 30%, while Roman Catholics were last at 6%. ⁸^{http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/54}
The highest percentage of those who strongly agree they have a personal responsibility to share their faith was found among believers in Pentecostal/Foursquare churches (73%). Catholics (17%) and Episcopalians (12%) were the lowest. [Independent Fundamental Baptists, who usually are the most committed in this, were grouped with other baptists]. ⁷http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/53
Catholics and Mainline Protestants tend towards more belief in a more Distant God. Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion - American Piety in the 21 Century – September 2006 . http://www.baylor.edu/isreligion/index.php?id=40634
Evangelical Protestants and Black Protestants tend towards belief in a more Authoritarian God. ^Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion
50 percent of Protestants affirmed gambling was a sin, versus 15 percent of Catholics; that getting drunk was a sin: 63 percent of Protestants, 28 percent of Catholics; gossip: 70 percent to 45 percent: homosexual activity or sex: 72 percent to 42 percent. Ellison Research, March 11, 2008 http://ellisonresearch.com/releases/20080311.htm http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080312/study-behaviors-americans-consider-sinful.htm
39 percent of Roman Catholics and 79 percent of born-again, Evangelical or fundamentalist Americans affirm that homosexual behavior is sinful. LifeWay Research study, released Wednesday. 2008 LifeWay Research study. http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080606/survey-americans-divided-on-homosexuality-as-sin.htm
40% Roman Catholics vs. 41% Non-R.C. see abortion as "morally acceptable"; Sex between unmarried couples: 67% vs. 57%; Baby out of wedlock: 61% vs. 52%; Homosexual relations: 54% vs. 45%; Gambling: 72% vs. 59% http://www.gallup.com/poll/117154/Catholics-Similar-Mainstream-Abortion-Stem-Cells.aspx
Committed Roman Catholics (church attendance weekly or almost) versus Non-R.C.: Abortion: 24% R.C. vs. 19% Non-R.C.; Sex between unmarried couples: 53% vs. 30%; Baby out of wedlock: 48% vs. 29%; Homosexual relations: 44% vs. 21%; Gambling: 67% vs. 40%; Divorce: 63 vs. 46% http://www.gallup.com/poll/117154/Catholics-Similar-Mainstream-Abortion-Stem-Cells.aspx
A survey comparing 97 different facets of the lives of Americans Catholics to national Americans norms showed that Catholics were much the same as people aligned with other faith groups - except as regards religious or moral components. The typical Catholic person was 38% less likely than the average American to read the Bible; 67% less likely to attend a Sunday school class; 20% less likely to share their faith in Christ with someone who had different beliefs, donated about 17% less money to churches, and were 36% less likely to have an "active faith," defined as reading the Bible, praying and attending a church service during the prior week. Catholics were also significantly less likely to believe that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches. 44% of Catholics claimed to be "absolutely committed" to their faith, compared to 54% of the entire adult population. However, Catholics were 16% more likely to attend a church service and 8% more likely to have prayed to God during the prior week than the average American. Morally, Catholics reported that they were less prone to say mean things about people behind their back, and were more likely to engage in recycling, while being approx. 50% more likely to view Internet pornography, and were more prone to use profanity, to gamble, and to buy lottery tickets. Barna Reaearch, 2007, “Catholics Have Become Mainstream America” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/100
Catholics broke with their Church's teachings more than most other groups, with just six out of 10 Catholics affirming that God is "a person with whom people can have a relationship", and three in 10 describing God as an "impersonal force." ⁷^.⁵The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
Only 33% of Catholics strongly affirmed that Christ was sinless on earth. ⁷^{http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/53}
88% of Catholics believe that they can practice artificial means of birth control and still be considered good Catholics. New York Times/CBS News poll, Apr. 21-23, 1994, subsample of 446 Catholics, MOE ± 5%.
70 % of all Catholics in the age group 18 to 44 believe the Roman Catholic Eucharist is a "symbolic reminder" of Jesus [it is, of His death], indicating they do not believe it is Jesus actual body and blood [as Rome erroneously teaches]. New York Times/CBS News poll, Apr. 21-23, 1994, subsample of 446 Catholics, MOE ± 5%
Only 30% of Catholics said believe they are really and truly receiving the body, blood, soul and divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine. 1992 Gallup poll
Aged 65 and over, 51% of Catholics said they believe in the above doctrine. New York Times and CBS poll of Catholics. http://www.catholicapologetics.com/ba3.htm
Out of 60 million Catholics in 1997 in the U.S., only 25% minimally practiced their faith. C. John McCloskey, “Recovering Stray Catholics”, McCloskey’s Perspectives, 1997
25 percent of Evangelical Protestants read the Bible daily, as do 20 percent of other Protestants,, versus only 7 percent of Catholics. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/december_2008/catholics_protestants_practice_faith_in_different_ways
26 percent of Catholics polled strongly agree with the Church's unequivoval position on abortion. Catholic World Report; Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Connecticut. http://www.adoremus.org/397-Roper.html
33 percent go to confession less than once a year. ^Roper Center for Public Opinion
Only 30 percent said they read the Bible more than once a month. ^Roper Center for Public Opinion
46 percent of Catholics who say they attend mass weekly accept Church teaching on abortion; 43 percent accept the all-male priesthood; and 30 percent see contraception as morally wrong. ^Roper Center for Public Opinion
73 percent of Catholics rejected Catholic teaching artificial methods of birth control. ^Roper Center for Public Opinion
31% of faithful Catholics (those who attend church weekly) say abortion should be legal either in "many" or in "all" cases. Copyright © 2004 -- The Gallup Organization Gallup Survey for Catholics Speak Out: 802 Catholics, May 1992, MOE ± 4%
Catholic women have an abortion rate 29 percent higher than Protestants. Alan Guttmacher Institute http://www.catholicleague.org/research/Catholic_women_and_abortion.htm
66% of Catholics supported women's ordination to the priesthood, and 73% approved of the way John Paul II leads the church. Surveying the Religious Landscape: Trends in U.S. Beliefs by George Gallup, Jr. and D. Michael Lindsay (Morehouse Publishing, 1999). Copyright © 2004 -- The Gallup Organization www.gallup.com
80% of Catholics believe it is possible to disagree with the pope on official positions on morality and still be a good Catholic. Time/CNN nationwide poll of 1,000 adults, conducted by Yankelovich Partners, Sept. 27-28, 1995; subsample of 500 Catholics, MOE ± 4.5%
77 % of Catholics polled "believe a person can be a good Catholic without going to Mass every Sunday, 65 percent believe good Catholics can divorce and remarry, and 53 percent believe Catholics can have abortions and remain in good standing. 1999 poll by the National Catholic Reporter. http://www.catholictradition.org/v2-bombs14b.htm
59% of all Catholic women of childbearing age practice contraception—a rate of usage statistically equivalent to that of the general population (60%). Calvin Goldscheider and William D. Mosher, "Patterns of Contraceptive Use in the United States:
Approx. 50% of Catholic priests do not agree with Human Vitae (RC teaching on birth control). Catholic Parish Priests and Birth Control: A Comparative Study of Opinion in Colombia, the United States, and the Netherlands, by Gail A. Shea, Thomas K. Burch, Gustavo Perez, Miriam Ordonez, Joseph Van Kemanade, Jan Hutjes and Andre E. Hellegers © 1971 Population Council.
30% of Roman Catholic priests described themselves as Liberal, 28% as Conservative, and 37% as Moderate in their Religious ideology. ^⁸^.⁵Los Angeles Times (extensive) nationwide survey (2002). Arthur Jones, 2002 National Catholic Reporter. Gale Group. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1141/is_2_39/ai_94129129/pg_2
53 percent responded that they thought it always was a sin for unmarried people to have sexual relations, : 32 percent that is often was, and 9 percent seldom/never. ^⁸^.⁵
71 percent responded that it always was wrong for a woman to get an abortion, 19 percent that it often was, and 4 percent seldom/never. ^⁸^.⁵
28 percent judged that is always was sin for married couples to use artificial birth control, 25 percent often, 40 percent never. ^⁸^.⁵
49 percent affirmed that it was always a sin to engage in homosexual behavior, often, 25 percent; and never, 19 percent. ^⁸^.⁵
To take one's own life if suffering from a debilitating disease: always, 59 percent; often, 18 percent; never, 17 percent. ^⁸^.⁵
15 percent of the current clergy listed themselves as "gay or on the homosexual side." Among younger priests 23 percent did so. ^⁸^.⁵
44 percent of the priests said "definitely" a homosexual subculture'--defined as a `definite group of persons that has its own friendships, social gatherings and vocabulary'--exists in their diocese or religious order. ^⁸^.⁵
Only 30 percent of Catholic (97% claim to be so) in Italy attend church. In larger cities as Milan, the ratio is only 15 percent, according to church officials. Famiglia Cristiana,Catholic weekly magazine.
Catholics have abortions at a rate 29% higher than Protestants, even after standardizing for age and excluding nonwhites and Hispanics ¹²Stanley K. Henshaw and Katheryn Kost , Family Planning Perspectives, vol. 28, no. 4 (July/Aug. 1996), based on an AGI survey of 9,985 women obtaining abortions in 1994-95.
Religiously, 1 percent of Evangelical Christians, 16 percent of “non-Evangelical born-again Christians” and 24 percent of the “Christian” population as a whole (25% of Catholics, 20% of Protestants) were unchurched, while 61 percent of adults who are associated with a faith outside Christianity had not attended any kind of religious service over the past 6 months. http://www.barna.org; http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070320/26418_Study%3A_U.S._Unchurched_Population_Nears_100_Million.htm
Of Australians who go to church, the most diligent Bible readers are Pentecostals, with 72 per cent saying they read the holy book daily or a few times a week, followed by Baptists (62 per cent), Anglicans (46 per cent), Lutherans (41 per cent) and Uniting (43 per cent). The lowest denomination in Bible reading were Catholics, with 59 per cent confessing they rarely consult their Bibles. 2006 National Church Life Survey of 500,000 people who attended church from 22 denominations. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/confession-fewer-know-their-bible/2008/09/09/1220857547474.html Gallup Poll in the United Kingdom (Daily Telegraph 03/06/96): http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/sin1.html:
In Catholic France (76% claim to be so) only 12 percent say they go to church on Sunday (Vatican officials say only 5 percent in cities such as Paris). Georgetown University's Center for the Study of Global Christianity. Charles M. Sennott, Globe Staff, May 2, 2005 ©Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company. http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2005/05/02/Catholic_church_withers_in_europe?mode=PF
In Catholic Ireland (90%) less than 50 percent attend Mass even once a month, (down from 91% 30 years ago) estimates a recent church study. ^
Only 10% white Evangelicals* reported they believed in reincarnation, compared with 24% among mainline Protestants, 25% among both white Catholics and those unaffiliated with any religion, and 29% among black Protestants. Similarly, 13% of white Evangelicals believe in astrology, compared with roughly 25% or more among other religious faiths. ^ Pew Forum survey, (http://pewforum.org/newassets/images/reports/multiplefaiths/multiplefaiths.pdf ), which was conducted Aug. 11-27-09 among 4,013 adults. *See http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/13-culture/111-survey-explores-who-qualifies-as-an-evangelical
The least likely to say they have felt in contact with a dead person were Evangelical Protestants at 20%, versus 37% of black Protestants, 35% of white Catholics, along with 31% of the unaffiliated and 29% of white mainline Protestants. ^
Evangelical and mainline Protestants who reported they attend church weekly showed far lower levels of belief in reincarnation, yoga, the existence of spiritual energy in physical things and astrology, as compared with those who attend religious services less often. In contrast, the frequency of church attendance by Catholics showed had far less effect in deterring these kinds of beliefs, although those who attended church less faithfully did express higher percentages of faith in astrology. ^
65% of American adults expressed belief in or reported of having experience with at least one of 8 different manifestations of supernatural phenomena: 1. reincarnation; 2. spiritual energy located in physical things; 3. yoga as spiritual practice; 4. the "evil eye;" 5. astrology; 6; having been in touch with the dead; 7. having consulted a psychic; 8. having experiencing a ghostly encounter. This includes 23% of the general population who reported having only one of these beliefs or experiences, while 43% of the people surveyed answered two or more of these items affirmatively. ^
26% of Evangelical teens reported having had experimented with or engaged in witchcraft or psychic activities, nearly three times less than the norm. 69% of non-Evangelical born again teens and 66% of youth group attenders reported having experimented with or engaged in witchcraft or psychic activities. Denominationally, the figures were Baptists 60%, non-mainline Protestants 62%, Catholics 77%, and mainline Protestants 81%. http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/164
50% of black Protestants , 48% of the religiously unaffiliated, 47% of Catholics answered yes to two or more of these items, as do 43% of white mainline Protestants, while 53% of white Evangelicals answered no to all eight questions. ^
Among churches polled, the highest percentages of “born again believers” were found in the Assemblies of God (81%), then other Pentecostal/Foursquare churches (80%), non-denominational Protestant churches (76%), and Baptist churches (67%). ⁷^{http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/53}
Catholics, at 25%, represented the the lowest number of born again believers among the 12 largest denominational groupings in America. ^⁷
64% of those in Assemblies of God churches (versus only 9% of Catholics) strongly DISAGREE that if a person is generally good, or does enough good things for others they will earn a place in Heaven [salvation on the basis of merit]. (See Romans 3-5, Eph. 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5, etc.). ^⁷
81% of Pentecostal/Foursquare believers strongly agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all that it teaches , followed by 77% of Assemblies of God believers, and ending with 26% of Catholics and 22% of Episcopalians. ⁷http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/53
73% (highest) of Pentecostal/Foursquare believers strongly affirm that Christ was sinless on earth, with Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists being tied at 33%, and the lowest being among Episcopalians with just 28% ^⁷
64% of those in Assemblies of God churches (versus only 9% of Catholics) strongly DISAGREE that if a person is generally good, or does enough good things for others they will earn a place in Heaven [salvation on the basis of merit]. ^⁷
Among 12 groups 56% of Assemblies of God Christians strongly DISAGREE that Satan is just a symbol of evil [rather than a real being], versus 17% of Catholics. ^⁷
Bible Reading: the highest was 75%, by those going to a Pentecostal/Foursquare church who reported they had read the Bible during the past week (besides at church), while the lowest was among Catholics at 23%. (2001) ^⁸^{http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/54}
Prayer: 97% of those who attend a Pentecostal church, and 88% of Catholics said they had prayed in the past week, with the lowest being those who attended an Adventist church (79%). ^⁸
Volunteer church work (during past 7 days): Assemblies of God were highest at 30%, with the lowest going to Catholics at 12%.^⁸
Donating Money (during the last month): Church of Christ churches were the highest at 29%, with Catholics being the lowest at 12%.^⁸
American Evangelicals gave four times as much, per person, to churches as did all other church donors in 2001. 88 percent of Evangelicals and 73 percent of all Protestants donated to churches. John Ronsvalle and Sylvia Ronsvalle, The State of Church Giving through 2004: Will We Will? 16th ed. (Champaign, Ill.: Empty Tomb, 2006),12. http://www.generousgiving.org/stats#
Among Evangelicals, almost 90 cents of every donated dollar goes to their churches. The proportion drops, however, as people's spiritual intensity and commitment to Christ decline. George Barna, quoted in Survey Finds Americans More Generous Last Year, press release by World Vision, July 22, 2002. http://www.generousgiving.org/stats#
By denomination, 61% of the those associated with an Assemblies of God church said they had shared their faith at least once during the past year, followed by 61% of those who attend a Pentecostal/Foursquare church, and ending 14% among Episcopalians and just 10% among Roman Catholics.^⁸