Most churchgoers believe Christians have a good reputation with Americans in general, but they worry those feelings are starting to sour.
A Lifeway Research study finds 53% of U.S. Protestant churchgoers say most Americans have a positive perception of Christians. Two in 5 (40%) disagree, and 8% aren’t sure.
More consensus exists on the direction public sentiment is headed. Around 7 in 10 (69%) believe people’s perceptions of Christians in the U.S. are getting worse, while 21% disagree. Another 10% say they aren’t sure.
“The percentage of churchgoers who believe most Americans view Christians positively is remarkably close to a recent national poll indicating 53% of Americans view Christianity favorably,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.
“Though a majority agree, fewer than 1 in 6 churchgoers is strongly convinced most Americans view Christians positively.”
Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Give a gift of $50 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of “Ghosted: An American Story” by Nancy French. To donate, click here.
Public sentiment
With only a slight majority believing Christians are viewed favorably in the U.S., many demographic groups have differing outlooks on the current reality.
Men are more likely than women to agree that most Americans have a positive perception of Christians (56% v. 49%). Additionally, African Americans (66%) and Hispanics (65%) are more likely to agree than whites (48%) and people of other ethnicities (44%).
Restorationist movement churchgoers (61%) and Baptists (57%) are more likely than those who attend a non-denominational church (45%) to agree most Americans view Christians positively. Churchgoers who aren’t evangelicals by belief (57%) are also more likely than those with evangelical beliefs (49%) to agree.
On the other side, churchgoers 65 and older (46%) are among the most likely to disagree. Also, those who attend a worship service four times or more a month (43%) are more likely than those who attend one to three times (36%) to disagree that most Americans have a positive perception of Christians.
While 7 in 10 churchgoers believe the public perception of Christians is worsening in the U.S., some groups are more likely than others to see a downward trajectory.
Other ethnicities (84%) are the most likely to say people’s perceptions of Christians in the U.S. are getting worse, while whites (71%) are more likely to agree than Hispanics (61%) or African Americans (60%).
Baptists (73%) and non-denominational churchgoers (73%) are more likely to agree than Lutherans (61%). Also, those who attend a worship service four times a month or more (72%) are more likely than those who attend less frequently (65%) to believe the public opinion of Christians is declining. Those with evangelical beliefs (77%) are more likely than those without such beliefs (61%) to agree.
“Surely the small growth in other religions in the U.S. and large numbers of Americans that once called themselves Christians but no longer do impacted churchgoer perceptions,” said McConnell. “Not all who left the faith have ill feelings toward Christianity, but indifference is definitely a worse perception than once identifying as one.”
Reasons for a reputation decline
Those who believe the public perception of Christians in the U.S. is worsening say responsibility for the decline belongs to both Christians and the rest of America.
Out of seven options that may have contributed to the decline, 75% of churchgoers point to at least one of the two options holding Americans responsible and 71% choose at least one of the five options placing responsibility on Christians. Most blame both, as 53% point to at least one option that places responsibility on Americans and at least one option that faults Christians.
Two in 3 churchgoers (66%) say a reason the public perception of Christians is worsening is because fewer Americans believe faith in God is relevant. Around 2 in 5 point to Christians not acting any different than those who aren’t Christians (45%), more Americans rejecting Christianity because it claims to be the only way (40%) and Christians often looking down on those who aren’t Christians (38%).
Fewer claim the drop should be credited to Christians often treating each other poorly in person (29%), Christians often treating each other poorly on social media (25%) and Christians being too political (22%). Small percentages say none of these options (4%) or they aren’t sure (3%).
“Many churchgoers admit Christians are getting in the way of the message of Jesus Christ,” said McConnell. “But if the only reason Christians are not accepted is because people reject the message of Jesus Christ, Christians have already chosen whose approval they desire.”
Frequent church attendees are among the most likely to blame Americans. Those who attend a worship service four times or more a month are more likely than those who attend less often to say Christians’ worsening public perception is due at least in part to fewer Americans believing faith in God is relevant (70%) and more Americans rejecting Christianity because it claims to be the only way (44%).
Those who attend four times a month or more are less likely than other churchgoers to say the declining perception is due to Christians looking down on those who aren’t Christian (32%) and Christians being too political (19%).
Churchgoers in the South are among the most likely to point to Christians treating each other poorly on social media (28%).
White Americans are among the least likely to place blame on Christians being too political (21%). White Americans (70%) and those of other ethnicities (68%) are more likely than African Americans (49%) to say a reason for the declining reputation is that fewer Americans believe faith in God is relevant. For their part, African Americans (47%) are more likely than whites (34%) to point to Christians often looking down on those who are not Christians.
Churchgoers with evangelical beliefs are more likely than other churchgoers to say the decline is because fewer Americans believe faith in God is relevant (71% v. 59%) or because Christians don’t act any different than those who are not Christians (48% v. 40%). But those who hold evangelical beliefs are less likely to point to Christians often looking down on those who are not Christians (32% v. 45%) and Christians being too political (17% v. 29%).
Aaron Earls is the senior writer at Lifeway Research.
English 
Spanish
17 Responses
Oh really? I am flabbergasted i tells ya. Not really….Of course public perception of Christianity is declining.
Among those who claim to be “Christians”, only about 25% are true believers. And the voices and actions of false ones are heard louder than the true ones.
The mathematics of faith (1:2:1) is revealed in the parable of the sower seen in: Matt 13, Lukas 8, Markos 4. Check it out.
For every 100 persons that hear the gospel, 25% will not believe (=seed on wayside); 50% will believe but develop no roots, bear no good fruit and wither away in times of duress (=seed on thorns and rocky side), and alas, only 25% will believe and bear good fruit (=seed on fertile soil).
Ergo: only 25% are true believers. Look around you when you are in a ‘church’ or assembly of “Christians” and keep this math in mind. Shocking isn’t it?
So, what kind of soil are you? And are you inner court Christian or outer court Christian?
How can I like a God, let alone love a God, let alone trust a God who burns most of who he makes? That’s one reason why I, in particular, don’t believe in the Biblical God. There are many others, and there are many others for many people.
By way of example, let’s look at Texas. The Houston Chronicle reports of clergy sexual abuse going unchecked within the SBC. Since then the SBC has hemmed and hawed, but has done nothing substantial to address the issue. I’m guessing that the Houston Chronicle has stayed with this story and reports on the SBCs lack of desire to address this. Then we go to Dallas where Tony Evans confesses the need to address a past vague sin (whatever that means), Robert Morris is outed as a pedophile, and Lakepointe attempts to game the system to get a stoplight. I don’t live in Texas, but I’m assuming all of this has been reported via the local secular news. If you aren’t a Christian or are unchurched/dechurched, do these news articles make you have a more positive or negative view of church and Christianity in general?
Unfortunately, instead of looking at these things as an indication that the American church system and the evangelical industrial complex needs to be critically evaluated and drastic changes need to be made, too many of the people in these systems will cry out that they are being misunderstood or persecuted. Until those within these unhealthy church systems take a deep look at their own ill health, I would anticipate the public perception of Christianity to continue to decline in America.
“Unfortunately, instead of looking at these things as an indication that the American church system and the evangelical industrial complex needs to be critically evaluated and drastic changes need to be made, too many of the people in these systems will cry out that they are being misunderstood or persecuted.”
THIS part. Nothing is changing because too many “Christians” wear this declining perception as some sort of martyrdom – an indication of the world’s hatred of Christianity, a sign of their (self) righteousness, and spend more time blaming “the left/Democrats/woke progressives/liberals” (all conflated and poorly defined) than looking at the BLATANT sins, controversies and betrayals within the church itself.
Why is it so obvious to us, and they can’t see it?? Rawr it’s so frustrating! I just… ugh! I so hope that what TRR and others are doing by reporting this will help to institute change, even if it’s painfully slow.
Because they’ve given themselves over and seared their conscience. I personally think those folks never reach the age of understanding because they’ve chosen not to. Or in other words, they’re mentally stuck in arrested development and can’t accept the fact they need to grow up and be able to look at things from a more wise perspective. They’d rather have someone else do all the thinking for them, like children, instead of being proactive and asking questions to form a broader and more encompassed view of reality, like adults. When one is in personal relationship with God, there is no Peter Pan syndrome.
That is because the “persecution” card is one they can play very well, especially if the critical news comes from the “Godless” secular media. And most of the pewsitters fall for it every time. They do the DARVO playbook but through a religious lens (and a certain former POTUS that most of the Evangelicals genuflect towards also does this).
Well maybe if Christian churches were not becoming MAGA political rallies and dens for abuse, grooming, and pedophiles, the perception would get better.
Sad that you are choosing to try to overlap MAGA with the poor immoral choices of church leaders. Quite insulting to those of us who support conservatives and conservative values and abhor sexual immorality and abuse in our churches.
What does the other side support? Transgenderism, abortion on demand, weaponization of race and culture, I could go on, but what’s the point.
You can be conservative without being an extremist, or supporting a felon. Are you equating conservatism to supporting Trump? As if grown adults can’t think for themselves and need to show support for the popular candidate, no matter how immoral they are. This is liken to the “if everyone jumped off a bridge, would you do it?” It has served me well in my life to observe what the majority is doing and then ask what would Yeshua do? He wouldn’t support immoral people, nor fear monger them into believing if they don’t support that individual person they’re not fighting the good fight. What is it with people fawning over conmen??
You can support conservatives and still lament what trump has normalized and done to the party
Why so many people here willing to carry water for a convicted felon?
Maybe it’s because I live in a more post-christian part of the nation, but these number seem delusionally positive. It would be interesting it to see the same polls conducted with “the public” about their perception of the church. I am guessing the approval rating would be MUCH lower, and the reasons would be nearly entirely on the church, based on the conversations I have with my friends and colleagues who are more “public” than “churched”. I guess I can see how you would feel like people think favorably about the church if you’re in a more churched or conservative area, or an area that is culturally christian, but that is FOR SURE not true here in the PNW. It would be interesting to see where their samples were collected.
These surveys are reporting how church goers think the general population feels about Christians. I also agree if the general population were surveyed the results would be lower. 1. It is very common for all groups to over estimate how others feel about them and 2. The non-church going population would tend to have a lower opinion of Christians in general.
With evangelicals turning themselves into to Trump cult, of course they’re going to be despised. It’s their own fault.
I was at a volunteer appreciation picnic for an organization that was sponsored by a group of local churches as part of their ecumenical outreach. The organization provides donations and volunteers to run a local warming shelter and soup kitchen. Another local church was protesting the event because the event’s theme was “All Are Welcome.” Kind of hard not to scratch your head.
Many people have stopped attending places of worship because they are so politicized. There may be a sign outside that says “church”, but when you walk in the door, there is just a Trump rally going on. Disagree with them and you will be woefully mistreated. Do they love God more than Trump? I certainly know which one they talk about more…
Jesus told Christians they would be known as believers because of their LOVE for each other.
Perhaps it’s time to display love rather than…what commenters here so often display toward other Christians.
This article failed to indicate that many people entering our country over the last decade come from nations opposed to Christianity.