Results of the Pew Poll – How Do Americans View the War?

The Pew Research Center and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life performed a sample random survey from a subgroup of a poll of 1,032 adults, March 13-16. The poll showed that the average Christian American remained uninfluenced by their religious views in their opinion on the war.

Among those polled, eighty eight percent identified themselves as “religious,” encompassing Christian, Islam, Jewish, etc. Nearly half of them, 42 percent, described themselves as “born again or evangelical” Christians.

57 percent of that group says their pastor had spoken about the war, 34 percent say their leader has no position, 7 percent adamant supporters, and 14 percent opposes.

The poll also found that among evangelical Christians, 57 percent said their pastor has spoken about the war. Thirty-seven percent of pastors took no position on the war, 15 percent supported it and 3 percent opposed it. 52 percent of Mainline Protestants said their clergy addressed the war. Forty-three percent took no position, 1 percent supported it and 7 percent opposed it.

For the general American public, 77 percent said war is sometimes justified while only 12 percent said war is never morally justified. Forty-one percent of the entire sample said the media most influences their views on the war. This was followed by personal experience, 16 percent; education, 11 percent; religious beliefs, 10 percent; and friends and family, 7 percent. Thirty-three percent of all those polled say the opinions of religions leaders have had at least a "great deal" or "some" influence on their views.

By Pauline J.