Evangelicals list top issues facing the US: survey
A new survey reveals that Evangelicals view immigration, American sovereignty and abortion as the top issues facing the United States heading into the 2024 presidential election.
Coral Ridge Ministries (CRM) released its 2024 Spiritual State of the Nation Survey last week, which is based on 633 responses to a questionnaire sent to “friends and supporters of Coral Ridge Ministries” on an annual basis.
“At a time when the views of pro-family evangelicals are sometimes distorted, even caricatured, this survey provides a much-needed window into what Christian conservatives actually believe,” asserted CRM President and CEO Robert Pacienza in a statement.
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In addition to asking respondents for their views on hot-button issues dominating political and cultural discussions in the U.S., the questionnaire asked respondents to name “the three most critical issues facing the new Congress and administration.”
A majority of those surveyed (56%) cited immigration as one of the three most important issues facing the U.S., while 33% of respondents listed “America’s sovereignty.” Abortion (32%), federal spending (30%) and religious freedom (24%) rounded out the top five issues most frequently identified as things federal leaders must address.
Other issues viewed as most critical facing Congress and the next administration by smaller shares of respondents include: national security (21%), the economy (19%), a growth in socialist views (14%), the protection of traditional values (14%), trans rights (14%), healthcare (13%), the racial divide (13%), the advance of radical Islam (11%) and education (6%).
The emphasis on immigration and U.S. sovereignty as issues of importance among American Evangelicals comes as the nation continues to see an exponential number of encounters between people entering the country illegally and law enforcement officials at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Data compiled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection show that the number of monthly encounters reached a record 301,981 in December. Halfway through fiscal year 2024, more than 1.34 million illegal immigrants have attempted to cross into the U.S.
Meanwhile, respondents’ focus on abortion comes as several states have passed abortion restrictions following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which determined that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion. Following the Dobbs decision, voters in a handful of states have approved ballot measures establishing a constitutional right to abortion. More states are poised to hold similar referendums in 2024.
CRM also found that an overwhelming majority of respondents believe “all U.S. citizens should have freedom of religion and be able to freely express it in public life” (95%) and “that radical Islam continues to pose a significant threat to America” (98%). One hundred percent of those surveyed expressed concern about “Americans who have been taken to court or charged with hate crimes because of their conscientious objections to the moral issues of our day.”
Other issues that yielded unanimous agreement among respondents included support for the ideas that students should have “the right to pray in public school classrooms, in sporting events, and graduation ceremonies” and that any organization should have the right to “reflect its moral values in its hiring and operations and to uphold its pro-life convictions in healthcare coverage.”
Support for Israel, opposition to the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, requirements to teach about the “damaging impact” of socialism and the right of parents to express concern at school board meetings without fear of prosecution from the FBI or the U.S. Justice Department were also embraced by 100% of those surveyed.
A majority of respondents (68%) said they had “experienced verbal or physical abuse or bias because of [their] faith in Jesus Christ or for [their] conservative Christian views.” Even larger majorities opposed establishing a definition of “hate speech” to be monitored by the federal government (92%), pursuing an “open borders” immigration policy (97%) and codifying a right to abortion into federal law (98%).
Additional questions related to schools and education revealed strong opposition to sex education that includes information about homosexuality (89%), allowing students to “choose” their pronouns without parental consent (90%) and sex education that teaches about “transgender exploration and surgery” (92%).
When asked to identify “serious threats” to the U.S., 100% selected Iran and open borders, while 97% picked China, 94% chose radical Islam and Hamas and socialism, 90% named Russia, 87% cited the United Nations and 84% pointed to North Korea.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
