Republicans are more likely to attend church than Democrats, while Catholics’ presence in both U.S. political parties has dropped slightly, a new Gallup poll says.
“Democrats remain less likely to attend church weekly and more likely to seldom or never attend church than the national average,” Gallup reported on Nov. 7.
About 52% of Democrats or those who lean Democrat seldom or never attend church, a Gallup survey from June-August 2011 found. This is an increase of 2% since a Gallup poll conduced in January-March of 2008. Although the 2008 poll found that 29% of this group said they attended weekly, in 2011 only 27% said the same.
Among Republicans or those who lean Republican, 38% say they seldom or never attend church — a 2% increase since the 2008 poll. Forty-three percent of this group reported weekly attendance in 2008, while only 40% reported the same in the latest survey.
“The slight two-point decrease in Democrats who attend church weekly is similar to the one-point decrease in the national adult sample,” Gallup said.
About 33% of respondents in 2011 said they attend church weekly, while 46% said they seldom or never attend.
The survey also reported a decline in Catholic representation.
In 2008, 26% of Democrats said they were Catholic, while 24% said the same in 2011. About 23% of Republicans in 2008 said they were Catholic, though 22% said so in 2011.
The 2008 poll also showed that 25% of U.S. adults identified as Catholic, while in 2011 only 23% did. The number of those with no religious preference grew from 12% to 15%.
About 19% of Democrats and those who lean toward the party in 2011 stated they have no religious preference, an increase from 15% in 2008. Republican leaners with no religious preference grew from 7% to 9%.
The Gallup poll used telephone interviews of random samples of more than 88,000 adults aged 18 and over. It claims a margin of error of plus or minus one percentage point.
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I attended a Baptist Affiliated College out on the West Coast and John F. Kennedy was the first President I voted for. In fact it was the first time I was eligible to vote for anyone. Of course Kennedy (with all of his flaws) was a Catholic, and our first Catholic President as I recall. All of my classmates who were eligible to vote were Democrat, and I don’t know anyone who didn’t vote for JFK - OR AT LEAST ANYONE WHO ADMITTED THEY DIDN’T. And yes, most people like myself then attended some kind of church, even if we slept through the service because we were too hung over from Saturday night. For guys, that was “hung over” after we dropped off our dates from the dances they had at the Catholic girls college 40 miles away (pre Vatican II), and they all voted for Kennedy too. So, my point is that maybe we need another Catholic President who is a Democrat, and as young and idealistic as JFK was, or pretended to be. And it would help if the hopes and dreams of my generation were not shattered if such a President was not murdered by a bunch of right wingers. Anyone know of such a person out there? Otherwise. all we have is a President in office who claims to be a Christian, and contenders, primary among whom are a Mormon, and an Evangelical Fundamentalist from Texas. And yes, it would be nice if a Catholic, Democrat President was a war veteran (without ptsd) even if he didn’t drive a PT Boat. Other than that, Robert Kennedy was a last hope, but you know what happened to him too.
Any undergraduate student of statistical analysis knows this survey is flawed… the survey population was composed of persons called on land lines… the majority of persons using land lines is elderly with their related perception and bias… all young persons and a significant number of persons younger than 60 own cell phones, smart phones, lap tops, and tablets.. keep drinking the kool aid.
Umm, Merlin, JFK was shot by a Marxist. Whatever else Marxists are, they are not rightwingers. And why are so many of you older Catholics so emotionally attached to the Democratic Party?
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