By Bob Smietana NASHVILLE, Tennessee—Politics trumps God for most Americans when it comes to conversations with their friends. Six in 10 Americans are more comfortable talking about politics than their spiritual beliefs. And most say they aren’t interested in having more spiritual conversations. By contrast, evangelical Christians prefer talking about God over politics … [Read more...]
Research: Unchurched will talk about faith, not interested in going to church
By Bob Smietana NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Americans who don’t go to church are happy to talk about religion and often think about the meaning of life. They’re open to taking part in community service events hosted at a church or going to a church concert. But only about a third say they’d go to a worship service, if invited by a friend. Few think about what happens after they … [Read more...]
Churches twice as likely to fear refugees than to help them
By Bob Smietana NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When it comes to helping refugees, Protestant churches and their pastors are often separated by faith and fear, according to a new survey from Lifeway Research. Most pastors say Christians should lend a hand to refugees and foreigners, and believe caring for refugees is a privilege. But pastors say their churches are twice as likely … [Read more...]
Cruz, Clinton and Undecided preferred by pastors
By Bob Smietana NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ted Cruz is the favorite presidential candidate of Protestant pastors who lean Republican. Hillary Clinton leads among Democratic pastors. And Donald Trump is near the back of the pack. But “Undecided” is by far the most popular choice of America’s pastors according to a new telephone survey of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors from … [Read more...]
Is sports gambling moral? You bet, Americans say
By Lisa Cannon Green NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Wagering on sports isn’t morally wrong, most Americans say—but nearly half think it should be illegal anyway. And as millions nationwide manage their fantasy sports rosters, Americans straddle the fence on whether heavily advertised daily games by companies such as FanDuel Inc. and DraftKings Inc. should be banned. A new study … [Read more...]
