FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2010, 12:01AM
Religion, Politics and the President
Growing Number of Americans Say Obama is a Muslim
Results from the 2010 Annual Religion and Public Life Survey

PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Religion, Politics and the President
Growing Number of Americans Say Obama is a Muslim
A substantial and growing number of Americans say that Barack Obama is a Muslim, while the proportion saying he is a Christian has declined. More than a year and a half into his presidency, a plurality of the public says they do not know what religion Obama follows.
A new national survey by the Pew Research Center finds that nearly one-in-five Americans (18%) now say Obama is a Muslim, up from 11% in March 2009. Only about one-third of adults (34%) say Obama is a Christian, down sharply from 48% in 2009. Fully 43% say they do not know what Obama’s religion is. The survey was completed in early August, before Obama’s recent comments about the proposed construction of a mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center.
Sharp Decline in Percentage Saying Obama is a Christian
Mar Oct Mar Aug 09-10 What is Obama’s 2008 2008 2009 2010 Change
The view that Obama is a Muslim is more widespread among his political opponents than among his backers. Roughly a third of conservative Republicans (34%) say Obama is a Muslim, as do 30% of those who disapprove of Obama’s job performance. But even among many of his supporters and allies, less than half now say Obama is a Christian. Among Democrats, for instance, 46% say Obama is a Christian, down from 55% in March 2009.
The belief that Obama is a Muslim has increased most sharply among Republicans (up 14 points since 2009), especially conservative Republicans (up 16 points). But the number of independents who say Obama is a Muslim has also increased significantly (up eight points). There has been little change in the number of Democrats who say Obama is a Muslim, but fewer Democrats today say he is a Christian (down nine points since 2009).
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religion?
Christian Muslim Other Don’t know Refused
% 47 12
%    %    % 51    48    34    -14 12    11    18    +7
2 2 1 2 +1 36    32    34    43    +9
3    3    6    2 100 100 100 100
PEW RESEARCH CENTER July 21-August 5, 2010. Figures may not add to 100% because of rounding. “Do you happen to know what Barack Obama’s religion is? Is he Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist, agnostic or something else?”
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When asked how they learned about Obama’s religion in an open-ended question, 60% of those who say Obama is a Muslim cite the media. Among specific media sources,
television (at 16%) is mentioned most frequently. About one-in-ten (11%) of those who say Obama is a Muslim say they learned of this through Obama’s own words and behavior.
Beliefs about Obama’s religion are closely linked to political judgments about him. Those who say he is a Muslim overwhelmingly disapprove of his job performance, while a majority of those who think he is a Christian approve of the job Obama is doing. Those who are unsure about Obama’s religion are about evenly divided in their views of his performance.
The new poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life – conducted July 21- Aug. 5 among 3,003 respondents reached on landlines and cell phones, and interviewed in both English and Spanish –finds that despite increasing uncertainty about Obama’s religion, the public generally says he handles his religious beliefs appropriately.
The public sees Obama as less influenced by religion compared with George W. Bush when he was president. Yet relatively small percentages say Obama mentions his faith too infrequently or that he relies too little on his religious beliefs when making policy decisions.
Currently, 41% say Obama relies on his religious beliefs “a great deal” (14%) or a “fair amount” (27%) when making policy decisions; in August 2004, 64% said Bush relied on his
Perceptions of Obama’s Religion Linked to Job Approval
Obama job performance Approve Disapprove Don’t know
N
Say Obama’s religion is…
Don’t Total    Christian Muslim know
%    % 47    62
41    29
12    9 100    100
3003    1121
%    % 26    44
67    40 7    17 100    100
558    1213
PEW RESEARCH CENTER July 21-August 5, 2010. Q1 & Q58. Figures may not add to 100% because of rounding.
Presidents and Religion: Comparing Obama and Bush
Relies on his religious beliefs when making policy decisions… A great deal
A fair amount Not very much Don’t know
Relies on his religious beliefs when making policy decisions… Too much
Too little Right amount Don’t know
Mentions his religious faith and prayer…
Toomuch Too little Right amount Don’t know
Bush 2004
% 26 38 28 8 100
Bush 2004 15
21 53 11 100
Bush 2006
Obama 2010    Diff
% 14    -12 27    -11 43    +15 16    +8
100
Obama 2010    Diff
11    -4 21 0 48    -5 20    +9
100
Obama 2010    Diff
24 10 -14
100    100
PEW RESEARCH CENTER July 21-August 5, 2010. Q23-25. Figures may not add to 100% because of rounding.
14 52 10
19    +5 53    +1 17    +7
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER
religious beliefs either a great deal (26%) or a fair amount (38%).
Nonetheless, as was the case with Bush, the public generally says that Obama relies on his religious beliefs the right amount when making policy decisions. Roughly half of Americans (48%) think that Obama relies on his beliefs the right amount when making policy, while 21% say he relies too little on his beliefs and 11% too much; in 2004, slightly more (53%) said Bush relied on his beliefs the right amount when making policy. In addition, about as many say Obama (53%) mentions his religious faith and prayer the right amount as said that about Bush (52%) in 2006, though far fewer say Obama mentions his faith too much (10% vs. 24% for Bush).
The survey also finds about half of the public (52%) says that churches should keep out of politics, while 43% say churches and other houses of worship should express their views on social and political questions. That is largely unchanged from 2008, but over the previous decade (from 1996 to 2006), narrow majorities had expressed support for churches’ involvement in political matters.
More Say Churches Should Keep Out of Politics
The decline since 2006 in the number saying that churches should speak out on social and political issues has been broad-based, including Democrats and Republicans and people from a variety of religious backgrounds. The percentage of black Protestants who say churches should speak out on political matters has dropped sharply, going from 69% in 2006 to 53% today.
Despite the growing opposition to political involvement on the part of churches, most people continue to say they want political leaders who are religious. About six-in-ten (61%) agree that it is important that members of Congress have strong religious beliefs. And as in previous surveys, a slight plurality (37%) says that in general there has been too little expression of religious faith and prayer by political leaders.
80% 70
60 54 50
40 30 20
51
Churches should…
Keep out of political matters
5151 52 52
3
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
43    43    4446 45 4
Express views on social and political questions
PEW RESEARCH CENTER July 21-August 5, 2010. Q20.
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The survey also finds:
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER
    The Republican Party continues to be more widely viewed as friendly toward religion than the Democratic Party. However, both parties are facing declines in the percentages saying they are friendly to religion.
    The religious landscape is far more favorable to Republicans than was the case as recently as 2008. Half of white non-Hispanic Catholics (50%) currently identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, up nine points since 2008. Among religiously unaffiliated voters, who have been stalwart supporters of Democrats in recent elections, 29% currently identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, up from 25% in 2008 (the proportion identifying as Democrats has fallen seven points since then). And 33% of Jewish voters identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, up from 20% in 2008.
    Roughly six-in-ten people (58%) have heard of the “religious right,” while 41% are familiar with the “religious left.” Among those who have heard of the religious right and the religious left, sizable numbers express no opinion as to whether or not they generally agree or disagree with them.
NOTE: This report includes comparisons of opinions among different religious groups, which are based on a combination of religious tradition and race/ethnicity. The categories White evangelical Protestants, White mainline Protestants and White Catholics do not include Hispanics. Similarly, Black Protestants do not include Hispanics. Hispanic respondents can be of any race. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish.
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER
SECTION 1: OBAMA AND RELIGION
Obama’s Religious Beliefs
The share of Americans who believe Barack Obama is a Muslim – which held steady at between 11% and 12% from early 2008 through early 2009 – has jumped to 18%. There also has been a steep decline in the number of people who identify Obama as a Christian – 34% today, down from 48% in March 2009 and 51% in October 2008. A plurality (43%) now say they do not know what Obama’s religion is, up from 34% in 2009.
Increasing Number Uncertain about Obama’s Religion
Don’t know his religion
Mar    Aug 2009 2010 Change    2009 2010 Change    2009 2010 Change
%%%%%%
Obama is a Christian
Obama is a Muslim
Mar    Aug
Mar    Aug
Total
White Black
Republican Conservative Rep Mod/Lib Rep
Democrat Cons/Mod Dem Liberal Dem
Independent
Protestant White evangelical White mainline
Catholic White Catholic
Unaffiliated
48    34
50    35 56 43
47    27 44    28 53    26 55    46 51    39 67    59 45    34
47    33 39    27 51    36 51    32 61    35 47    38
-14    11    18    +7 -15    11    21    +10
-13    6 7 +1
34 43 +9 32 40 +8
36    46    +10 28    39    +11
29 34 +5 25    44    +19 32 41 +9 35    45    +10 23 31 +8 38 44 +6
33    43    +10 33 42 +9 32 40 +8 36    46    +10 26    40    +14 37 44 +7
-20    17
18
14 -9    7
9
5 -11    10
-14    13
31    +14 34    +16 24    +10 10    +3 12    +3 6    +1 18    +8
21    +8 29    +9 22    +12 18    +8 22    +13 13    +7
-16 -27
-12 -8
-12 -15 -19    10
20 10
-26 -9 6
9
PEW RESEARCH CENTER July 21-August 5, 2010. Q58.
The view that Obama is a Muslim is highest among his political opponents (31% of Republicans and 30% of those who disapprove of his job performance express this view). It is lower among his supporters (10% among both Democrats and those who approve of his job performance). The share of Republicans who say Obama is a Muslim has nearly doubled over the past year and a half – from 17% to 31%.
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Currently, about as many Republicans believe Obama is a Muslim (31%) as believe he is a Christian (27%); a plurality of Republicans (39%) say they do not know Obama’s religion. In March 2009, far more Republicans said Obama was a Christian (47%) than a Muslim (17%).
The impression that Obama is a Muslim is also more widespread today among independents – 18% say this today, up from 10% in 2009. There has been virtually no change in the share of Democrats who say Obama is a Muslim (10% today, 7% in 2009). But even among Democrats, fewer than half (46%) now identify his religion as Christian, down from 55% last year.
There is also a wide racial divide in the perception that Obama is a Muslim. The number of whites who believe this rose from 11% to 21% since March 2009, while there has been virtually no change in blacks’ views on this question (7% say Obama is Muslim today, compared with 6% in 2009). But both blacks and whites are less likely today to say Obama is a Christian.
Among religious groups, a higher proportion of white evangelical Protestants say Obama is a Muslim than any other religious group surveyed; 29% hold this view today, up from 20% in 2009. But the share of people saying Obama is a Muslim has increased across all religious groups. Indeed, both white mainline Protestants and white Catholics are roughly twice as likely today as in 2009 to say the president is a Muslim. And significantly fewer people in nearly all religious groups say Obama is a Christian than did so in 2009.
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Obama, Bush and Religion
Obama is perceived as being much less reliant on his faith than was George W. Bush; a plurality (43%) says Obama is not very reliant on his religious beliefs in making policy decisions, compared with just 28% who said that about Bush in 2004.
While Obama is seen as less reliant on his religious beliefs than Bush, the public expresses roughly similar levels of satisfaction with Obama’s approach to religion as compared with his predecessor. Nearly half (48%) say Obama relies on his religious beliefs about the right amount when making policy decisions, and 53% say that Obama mentions his faith and prayer about the right amount. Roughly similar numbers said the same thing when asked in 2006 about Bush’s mentions of faith and prayer and in 2004 when asked about Bush’s reliance on religion in making policy decisions.
Substantial majorities of Democrats say Obama mentions his faith about the right amount (69%) and that he relies on it the right amount when making policy decisions (67%). This compares with just 34% of Republicans who say he mentions his faith the right amount and 26% who say he relies on his religious beliefs the right amount when making policy decisions. And higher proportions of white evangelical Protestants than other religious groups say Obama mentions his faith and prayer too little and relies on his beliefs too little when making policy.
Views of Obama’s Approach to Religion
Mentions his religious faith and prayer..Relies on religious beliefs to make policy decisions..Too Too About Too Too About much little right much little right
%%%%%% Total    101953112148
White 121950122345
2 14 69 3 13 67 9    26    51    10    18    55
Republican Democrat 6 Independent    11
Protestant    9 Wh evang    10 Wh mainl    12 Black Prot.    2
Black Hispanic
16    30    34    14    40    26 13 69 6 10 67 19    55    12    18    51
26    49    11    29    42
38    34 15    56 14    71 16    60    12    16    57
14    44    27 13    17    48 4    16    64
Catholic    9 Wh Catholic 10 Unaffiliated    14
14    59 9    61    99    55
12    19    55
PEW RESEARCH CENTER July 21-August 5, 2010. Q23F2 & Q24F1.
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER
In addition, views of Obama’s approach to religion are linked with perceptions of his own religious beliefs. Only about three-in-ten of those who think Obama is a Muslim say he mentions his faith the right amount (30%) and relies on his beliefs the right amount when making policy decisions (31%).
By comparison, large majorities of those who say he is a Christian say he mentions his faith the right amount and relies on his beliefs when making policy decisions the right amount (68%, 66% respectively).
The survey also finds some discomfort with the idea that Obama relies a great deal on his faith when making policy decisions, especially compared with Bush in 2004. Among those who say that Obama relies on his religion a great deal when making policy decisions, 50% say he relies on his beliefs the right amount while 39% say that Obama relies on his faith too much.
In 2004, by contrast, the balance of opinion was much more positive for Bush; 63% of those who said he relied on his beliefs when making policy said this was appropriate while 27% said he relied on his beliefs too much.
Those Who See Obama as Muslim Are More Critical of His Approach to Religion
Among those who say Obama’s religion is…
Don’t Christian    Muslim    know
Mentions his religious faith and prayer… Toomuch 6 24    9
%    %    %
Too little Right amount Don’t know
Relies on religious beliefs to make policy decisions… Too much Too little Right amount Don’t know
N top N bottom
12    31    20 68    30    51 14    14    21 100    100    100
3    29    9 18    25    21 66    31    43 13    14    27 100    100    100
572    282    599 543    276    614
PEW RESEARCH CENTER July 21-August 5, 2010. Q23F2, Q24F1 & Q58.
Obama’s Reliance on Faith Viewed Less Positively than Bush’s
Among those saying president relies on beliefs a great deal..Bush % saying this is…    2004
Too much    27 Too little    7 Right amount    63 Don’t know    4
100
N    200
PEW RESEARCH CENTER July 21-August 5, 2010. Q24F1 & Q25F1.