A little more than half of American Christians believe religious freedom should be an important factor in making decisions on U.S. foreign policy, according to a new survey released on Monday.
While 54 percent of U.S. Christians in general said they consider religious freedom an important factor in making decisions regarding U.S. foreign policy, the figure is higher among those who attend church most frequently (60 percent) and less among Christians who never attend church (40 percent).
Open Doors, a Christian ministry which serves persecuted Christians, had commissioned the study to try to understand how Christians in America feel about religious freedom.
The study found that 96 percent of respondents strongly believe that religious freedom is a basic human right. Moreover, eight in ten people believe it is a very important basic right.
Yet although respondents believe religious freedom is important to U.S. foreign policy, most opposed using direct intervention to ensure religious freedom overseas. Instead, they favored the U.S. government using indirect policies, such as economic sanctions and diplomatic measures to pressure regimes.
“The persecution of Christians in the world today is on the rise, with an estimated 100 million suffering some sort of repression and even death for their faith,” said Carl Moeller, president and chief executive officer of Open Doors USA.
“The findings of this study demonstrate that senators McCain and Obama must address the issue of religious freedom in their foreign policy positions if they are intent on winning the vote of faithful Christians,” Moeller said.
Among Christian groups, the strongest support for religion freedom consideration came from Baptists, non denominational/independent churches, Lutherans and charismatics. The weakest group support came from Catholics, Presbyterians and Episcopalians.
Wilson Research Strategies had conducted the research study for Open Doors USA on 1,000 Christian adults nationwide by phone May 27-29.
Comments
This is part of why we are in Iraq, which was the dumbest thing we have done as a country. If we follow the "right wing bible thumping give me tax cuts and send everyones elses kid to war crowd to hold up my beleifs" we would invade every country that makes us mad
for offends our devout christian attitude. Thank God that Bush and neo cons are almost out of office!!!!!!!!!
Christ Himself said there would be persecution for His namesake. Christians in America are spoiled and will be caught off guard because they are more worried about "government sponsored rights to freedom of religion" as opposed to obeying God. We as Christians do not get a "rights" from man. Irregardless of what the law is, we have a command. Christians love the world to much here in America. This is not our home and one day it will all be gone. Preach the Gospel and pray for strength and to be faithful (not comfort).
BTW, what is freedom of religion? Is that freedom to go to hell..worship Satan for those who don't believe? Freedom of religion, a ploy of Satan. We pray for peace to spread the Gospel freely but if the glory of God, for He has another purpose, that is not the case, we are to still reamina faithful and preach the Gospel. Christ dies so that we are saved from the WRATH OF GOD, not so we could have freedom of religion.
I believe that persecution and killing of Christians would come under the human rights issue which the U.S. has often considered important in their dealings with other countries. It is no different than persecuting or killing Jewish people or people because of their ethnicity.
It is important for all Christians in the U.S. to pray for and support our brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. While we are persecuted in this country, it is nothing like the article describes.
I cannot imagine why a country would persecute their own citizens because they believe in a God who teaches people to love and respect one another - unless the government itself does not love and respect its own citizens.