A “substantial majority of Americans are deeply concerned over the country's moral direction,” says a new “Faith in America” survey conducted by Marist College and released Tuesday to Fox News Digital by Deseret News.
As many as 72% of Americans believe the nation’s moral compass has faltered, though 22% believe the needle is pointed the right way.
Other findings included that Americans continue to hold fast to their religious ideals “even as they are less attached to religious practices and institutions, such as daily prayer and attending services.”
“What really stands out for me is that America continues to be a religious country, despite headlines and trend lines [to the contrary],” Deseret National executive director Hal Boyd told Fox News Digital. “There's a strong thread of religiosity and spirituality in America — and it continues to inform and undergird the moral character of our nation.”
As far as whether or not most Americans can be considered “churchgoers” though, just 30% say they attend weekly service, with 40% saying they attend at least once a month and 60% saying they go at least a few times per year.
“When you look at [only 22% of respondents saying they ‘never attend’ church], and you compare that with other nations in terms of religious practices, the United States of America, unlike many other Western nations, has a very core contingency of the population that's religious — and a solid third that's highly religious," Boyd said. "That really makes America unique.”
But while church services may be more sparsely-attended than in decades past, Americans still have a deep-rooted belief in the Golden Rule – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” An incredible majority – 92% - believes the Golden Rule is a necessary social construct and relevant to their personal lives.
“It's hard to find out anything that 92% of Americans agree on,” Boyd observed.
Related
