Almost half of all American reportedly believe "being Christian" is part of being "truly American" in a recent survey released by the Public Religion Research Institute last week.
The Christian Headlines said 43% of Americans find "being Christian" a "significant part" and "critical trait" of being "truly American." This means that over four in every ten Americans hold that belief.
As reported last week, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) recently released the results of their "2021 American Values Survey," which aimed to gauge the "cultural change and anxiety in America."
The survey was conducted on 2,508 Americans from September 16 to 29 through online interviews. It also checked participants beliefs on the "special role" the United States has in the world.
The recent result of Americans believing that "being Christian" is part of being "truly American" actually declined by 10% compared to the results of a similar survey in 2015, but it showed a 39% increase compared to 2018.
PRRI specifically asked respondents on the "American identity" and "What makes someone 'truly American'?" The results showed that the belief varies by Christian denomination and ethnicity, with White Evangelical Christians holding the highest ranking at 76%. This is immediately followed by Black Protestants at 75%, Hispanic Catholics at 52%, White mainline (non-evangelical) Protestants at 49%, and White Catholics along with other Christians at 46%.
The study highlighted that "only one in ten religiously unaffiliated Americans" (12%) and "members of non-Christian religions" (9%) believe that Christianity "is important to being truly American."
This belief also varies by political party or affiliation, with 63% of Republicans, 37% of Independents, and 35% of Democrats agreeing on the importance of Christianity to being truly American.
The PRRI also gauged beliefs of respondents on one's heritage having significance in the identity of an American besides checking on the importance of Religion, particularly Christianity. The survey asked respondents if they "believe that being of Western European heritage is important for being truly American" to which 17% or less than one in five Americans agreed.
"About one in five or fewer Americans across party and religious affiliations think that Western European heritage is important to being truly American. Republicans (21%) are slightly more likely to say this than independents (15%) and Democrats (17%)," PRRI said in its analysis of the survey data.
When the survey asked on the matter of capitalism as "the best economic system," 59% of Americans believe that it is "very or somewhat important to being truly American."
When asked regarding capitalism and the belief in God in line with the American identity, the poll showed that a majority of religious groups held both beliefs while non-religious people rated it poorly.
"Most religious groups have similar beliefs, but members of non-Christian religions and religiously unaffiliated Americans are less likely than Christian groups to say that believing capitalism is the best economic system (50% and 44%, respectively) and believing in God (40% and 21%, respectively) are important to being truly American," PRRI highlighted in its analysis.
The survey also showed that, on the same vein of belief, 77% of Republicans believe that "capitalism is the best economic system" while 78% of them said "belief in God" is important "to being truly American" as against the Democrats, scoring 50% and 45% respectively.
