Number of Americans who believe in God drops to all-time low, liberals have the least faith: Gallup poll



The number of Americans who believe in God has hit an all-time low, according to a new Gallup poll.

There are 81% of Americans who believe in God – the lowest percentage in the poll that has been conducted by Gallup since 1944. There were 17% of American adults who said they do not believe in any God and 2% who said they were unsure.

The latest poll shows the number of American adults who believe in God is down 6% from the 2017 survey.

Between the years 1953 and 1967, 98% of U.S. adults believed in God. By 2011, 92% had religious faith in God.

\u201c81% of U.S. adults say they believe in God, down six percentage points from five years ago and the lowest in Gallup\u2019s trend. https://t.co/IZ9b1NC9bc\u201d
— GallupNews (@GallupNews) 1655467370

Just 68% of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 believe in God, according to the survey that was released on Friday.

Based on regions, the South polled the highest at 86% versus the East being the lowest at 78%. There was only a 2% difference between those from cities, suburbs, and rural areas.

The Gallup Values and Beliefs poll of more than 1,000 U.S. adults that was conducted between May 2 and 22 found there was a stark ideological divide regarding belief in God between political party affiliations.

The survey said that 94% of conservatives and 92% of Republicans had the highest belief in God, while only 62% of liberals and 72% of Democrats believe in a higher power. Independents polled at 81%.

When asked if God hears prayers and intervenes, 56% of conservatives said God can help those who pray versus only 25% of liberals who had faith.

Another Gallup poll of more than 6,117 Americans taken between 2018-2020 found that only 47% of Americans belong to a church, synagogue, or mosque. This is the lowest ever recorded in the poll that has been conducted regularly since 1937, and it was not a majority for the first time. House of worship membership had been over 71% from 1937 until the mid-1980s, according to Gallup.

A 2021 poll of 2,000 U.S. adults by Arizona Christian University discovered that more millennials believe in guidance from horoscopes (35%) than those who believe that the universal purpose for all people is to know, love, and serve God with all heart, mind, strength, and soul (19%). More millennials believe in astrology than the idea that the universe was designed and created, and is sustained by God (30%), and that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful, just creator of the universe (31%).

"Gen X and the millennials have solidified dramatic changes in the nation’s central beliefs and lifestyles," said George Barna, director of research for ASU’s Cultural Research Center. "From a nationwide perspective, the Christian church has done shockingly little to push back. The result is a culture in which core institutions — including churches — and basic ways of life are continually being radically redefined."

Barna – a sociologist who has been studying national religious patterns for more than four decades – added, "Millennials are leading the way toward the new worldview emphases in America. The research reveals that their rhetoric is often inconsistent with their behavior. Because people do what they believe, if behavior does not coincide with stated beliefs we know that people do not truly hold those beliefs."

"More importantly, the millennial generation in particular, seems committed to living without God, without the Bible, and without Christian churches as foundations in either their personal life or within American society," Barna said.

ready -- COVID response doesn't even rank in top 5 most important issues to voters. Economy stays No. 1: poll



If you consume only the mainstream media and follow only the social media posts Facebook and Twitter let you see, you probably think the sole issue impacting the 2020 presidential election is the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The networks, CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and nearly every other liberal-leaning outlet want Americans to believe that the only things that matter this election are that President Donald Trump refuses to wear a mask, Vice President Mike Pence failed in his leadership of the White House Coronavirus Task Force (not to mention his reported opposition to having plexiglass at the vice presidential debate Wednesday night), and the White House is a COVID cesspool.

But it turns out the issues American voters consider most important in the election are the issues they've long considered the most important, a new Gallup poll revealed. And the No. 1 issue for voters hasn't changed: "It's the economy, stupid."

That's not to say the coronavirus response isn't important to voters — it is — but it sure doesn't rank where one might expect considering the level of coverage it has received.

What are the top 5 issues?

Of 16 issues Americans said were either "extremely important" or "very important" to their vote for president, the economy came in as the clear top issue at 89% (44% "extremely"; 45% "very). It was followed by terrorism and national security (83%), education (82%), health care (80%), and crime (79%).

Top 5 most important issues for 2020 election

No. 1: Economy — 89%
No. 2: Terrorism and National Security — 83%
No. 3: Education — 82%
No. 4: Health Care — 80%
No. 5: Crime — 79%

Where did the COVID response rank?

Don't let the fact that the coronavirus response's ranking is seemingly incongruous with the media coverage it has received fool you.

The fact that other topics were considered more important does not mean the coronavirus is not a concern for voters. In fact, more than three-quarters of Americans say it's an issue important to their vote.

The response to the coronavirus came in sixth place on the most-important-issues ranking (77%), followed closely by race relations (76%).

As per @Gallup survey, top of voters’ lists in terms of importance for election is economy; but terrorism/national… https://t.co/C2FP7Qft5a
— Liz Ann Sonders (@Liz Ann Sonders)1601894187.0

Partisan breakdown

When broken down by political party, the results are not terribly surprising.

For Democrats, the five most important issues are health care (95%), coronavirus response (93%), relations (89%), climate change (88%), and the economy (85%)

Among Republicans, the top five issues are the economy (93%), terrorism and national security (93%), crime (85%), education (79%), and gun policy (76%).

From @GallupNews: "The rank order of Dems' issues priorities is healthcare, coronavirus response, race relations, c… https://t.co/H1RPSWgL0R
— Chris Field (@Chris Field)1602097182.0
shaunl/iStock/Getty Images Plus

New poll finds 60% of Americans don't trust the media to report the news 'fully, accurately, and fairly'



The distrust the American people have for the national media to provide fair and accurate reporting is continuing unabated, Gallup revealed this week.

And it is not just Republicans — who have long had problems with the the nation's TV and newspaper outlets — keeping the media's numbers low. Independents have trust issues with the media — as do a fair share of the country's Democrats.

What's going on?

A new Gallup poll published Wednesday reveals that a majority of Americans do not trust the mass media to tell the full story.

According to Gallup, only 40% of U.S. adults admit to having "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of trust and confidence in the media to report the news "fully, accurately, and fairly." And 60% of adults say they have "not very much" trust or "none at all."

Of the four options on level of trust — "a great deal," "a fair amount," "not very much," and "none at all" — a plurality of respondents (33%) chose "none at all."

The overall trust in media (40%) is the lowest it has been since 2016, when it dropped to 32%. And it hasn't been above 50% since 2003.

Four in 10 U.S. adults say they have “a great deal" or “a fair amount" of trust and confidence in the media, while… https://t.co/5NBZvHfUAn
— GallupNews (@GallupNews)1601553701.0

Broken down by political affiliation, the data is not encouraging for the media.

Naturally, Republicans are unwilling to say they trust TV, newspapers, and radio to report the news accurately. This has been a decades-long fight for the GOP. And today, only 10% of Republicans are willing to say they trust the media. Some 58% of GOPers told Gallup they have no trust at all in the media.

But the news is not good among independents, either. Just over one-third (36%) of voters who identify as independent said they trust the media.

Even the party seen by many Americans as in bed with the liberal media is showing that it has some trust issues. Not even three-quarters (73%) of Democrats are willing to say they trust the media. Gallup noted that the share of Democrats who said they trust the media "a great deal" dropped from 24% to 16%.

https://t.co/D7BuaTSm3d
— Chris Field (@Chris Field)1601585867.0

Record high share of Americans want government to do more to solve problems



A majority of Americans now believe the government should do more to solve the nation's problems — a record high, according to Gallup.

The increased push for greater government involvement is coming from Democrats and independents, while Republicans' view on government intervention in our problems has remained flat.

What's the data?

With the coronavirus creating health concerns, the pandemic's impacts on the economy, racial unrest, and growing concerns about the integrity of the next election, people are looking to the government for solutions more every day.

For the first time in Gallup's polling history on the topic, more than half (54%) of Americans want the government to do more to solve the country's problems. Just 41% of those surveyed said the government is doing too much, the polling outfit reported Monday.

The recent uptick — from 47% in 2019 to 54% today — is also the first time those supporting increased government intervention outnumbered those opposing it since 2001 after the 9/11 terror attacks.

https://t.co/UX4zxOs7tg
— Chris Field (@Chris Field)1601401079.0

Broken down by party, it's clear that Democrats and independents are responsible for the massive growth in the call for increased government involvement in our lives: 83% of Democrats (up from 70% in 2019) and 56% of independents (up from 46% in 2019) support the bigger-government position. Just 22% of Republicans (down from 24% in 2019) hold that same view.

https://t.co/Gp3CD8OWHF
— Chris Field (@Chris Field)1601401149.0

Should government promote traditional values?

Gallup's Monday report also showed that while the public's desire for government involvement in solving problems has grown, backing for the government promoting traditional values has remained basically flat.

Just 47% of Americans said the U.S. government should promote traditional values, while 50% said the government should not favor any values.

From @GallupNews: "Roughly equal percentages favor the government promoting traditional values (47%) and not promot… https://t.co/D2R0ffLJXV
— Chris Field (@Chris Field)1601402546.0

The partisan breakdown shows that while Republicans' calls for more government promotion of traditional values have grown since last year, that increase has been countered by a drop among independents and Democrats.

In 2019, 69% of Republicans wanted the government to push traditional values. Today, 74% of Republicans feel that way. For independents, the share dropped from 49% in 2019 to 42% today. And among Democrats, the number dropped from 31% last year to 29%.

From @GallupNews: "74% of Reps, 29% of Dems and 42% of inds favor the govt promoting traditional values. Dems are s… https://t.co/Yhci9IRsNT
— Chris Field (@Chris Field)1601402926.0

Democrats' attacks on the Electoral College seem to be working: Share of Americans who want it abolished surges



Democrats have been loudly clamoring for an end to the Electoral College for the last two decades.

Their demands began in earnest when Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore in the 2000 election. That was the first time since 1888 that the winner of the Electoral College lost the popular vote.

Since then, the cries to abolish the Electoral College have grown only more shrill — especially following President Donald Trump's win in 2016 over Hillary Clinton, despite losing the popular vote.

For example, just this week, CNN's Don Lemon was caught saying we need to "blow up the entire system" should the Senate confirm Trump's forthcoming nomination to the Supreme Court to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

A key step in blowing up the system, Lemon said, was "to get rid of the Electoral College ... because the minority in this country decides who the judges are and they decide who the president is. Is that — is that fair?"

What do voters think?

Today's attacks on the system established by the Founding Fathers are not new or unique. But are they working?

According to a poll published by Gallup on Thursday, they seem to be.

Gallup asked voters if they would prefer to amend the Constitution and select the president by popular vote or keep the current Electoral College, 61% of Americans said they would prefer electing the president via popular vote. Just 38% want to keep the current system.

A vast majority of Democrats (89%) and a strong majority of independents (68%) backed the popular vote, while just 23% of Republicans felt the same.

61% of Americans favor amending the U.S. Constitution to replace the Electoral College with a popular vote.… https://t.co/uDI2YtYoMR
— GallupNews (@GallupNews)1600953903.0

Though the current support for the popular vote is not an all-time high for the Gallup poll — 62% of Americans in 2011 held that view — it is reflective of the growing movement to jettison the Electoral College since President Trump's victory four years ago. In 2016, 49% of voters wanted to move to the popular vote, while 47% supported the system we have today. In 2019, those numbers jumped to 55% and 43%, respectively.

Broken down by party, the GOP has consistently been less supportive of the popular vote than Democrats.

In 2000, 42% of Republicans supported moving to the popular vote, and 74% of Democrats said the same.

By 2011, the share of Republicans feeling that way had jumped 11 points to 53%, while Democrats had dropped 3 points to 71%.

In 2016, GOP support for the popular vote plummeted to 17%, while Democrats increased to 81%.

89% of Democrats favor amending the U.S. Constitution to replace the Electoral College with a popular vote.… https://t.co/ULR2mVpd6I
— GallupNews (@GallupNews)1600979405.0