Politics of American churches & religions in one graph

[cbayer]

http://tobingrant.religionnews.com/2014/08/27/politics-american-churches-religions-one-graph/


Mapping out the politics of religions and churches in the United States Created by Corner of Church & State, and RNS blog

What are the political positions of religions and churches in America? This new graph maps the ideologies of 44 different religious groups using data comes from Pew’s Religious Landscape survey. This survey included 32,000 respondents. It asked very specific questions on religion that allow us to find out the precise denomination, church, or religion of each person.

How to read the graph


Each circle represents a denomination, church, or religion. There are several circles for types of Americans with no religion: self-identified “atheist”, self-identified “agnostic”, and those who say that have “no religion in particular”.

The size of the circle represents the relative size of the religion in the United States. For very small groups, I put them in groups with other similar churches. In these cases, the circle represents collections of similar churches, e.g., nondenominational evangelicals, all Baptists who aren’t in one of the larger denominations, or all Hindus. The decision for how specific to make the circle was based on the size of the group in the survey.

The color of the circle indicates the religious tradition of the group: evangelical Protestant (historically white), Mainline Protestant (historically white), historically black Protestant, Catholic, a catch-all category for other Christian groups, all other religions, and those with no religion. (yes, there are some disagreements about whether some groups should be coded as evangelical (e.g., Seventh Day Adventist) or even Christian or not (e.g., Jehovah’s Witness). We can debate these decisions in a future post.

- See more at: http://tobingrant.religionnews.com/2014/08/27/politics-american-churches-religions-one-graph/#sthash.ewezke5m.dpuf

[PotatoChip]

1. Bookmarked. This is very interesting.

I'm not surprised to see Catholics going either way; with the larger majority left leaning. There are the Paul Ryan types, of course... But anecdotally, there are also lots of very Catholic towns/small cities in my state whose voter registrations are overwhelmingly Dem. Most of the folks in these towns are of French Canadian origin.

Anabaptists don't surprise me either. But what I find interesting about them, (and I'm speaking of the Amish/Mennonite types in particular) is how they manage to live with very little outside government involvement... Nearly everything about their way of life is communal. No one family would be able to survive without the others. At least not very easily. But together, the do remarkably well. On work/financial matters especially, their way of living closely resembles Marxian economic structures. Their society is not at all the rugged individualist, anti-government Libertarian "utopia" one might think it would be.

Off topic somewhat, but- a couple of months ago, I came across an excellent documentary the BBC did on an Amish family who broke with tradition by allowing the crew to film them. It is titled 'The Amish: A Secret Life'. Have you seen it? It was so interesting, that curiosity drove me on to find more YouTube videos about the Amish in general.

It is well worth the time (in my opinion) if you can spare it:

Sorry to have gotten a little off track here...

[Brettongarcia]

2. The interesting blank area: rather high government help, with less religious moral enforcement

Where the culture is actually going....

It's the secular, not religious trend?

[PotatoChip]

3. I'm not sure that I understand your question.

What do you mean by religious moral enforcement- in this context?

ETA- Never mind, I see what you are saying now. Yes, that does appear to be the case, overall.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. "the larger majority left leaning" (of Catholics)? They're the large circle in the centre

(slightly above centre, I suppose), not 'left leaning'.

[PotatoChip]

5. That circle seems to lean more toward bigger government, more services;

arguably, a left of center economic stance...

In my opinion, most people, religious or not, tend to gravitate toward a political ideology that better reflects their economic interests. Remember Bill Clinton's "it's the economy, stupid" remark?... That continues to hold true among a majority of RCs in my state. Nationwide, as the chart demonstrates, slightly more than 50% of RCs also lean in that direction.

Additionally, while there will always be exceptions, most Maine RCs lean toward a JFK-style, social justice political ideology, while staying moderate and sometimes even left leaning on 'morality' issues. They would fall onto the 'less [government] involvement protecting morality' side of that chart. My congressman Mike Michaud is a perfect example of what I mean. He is a gay, pro-choice RC, who hopefully will be elected Governor come November. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Michaud

I agree that nationally, the circle is slightly above center on 'morality'. However, in my humble opinion, economic issues trump that slight advantage politically speaking, thus making Catholics left leaning overall.

Most Catholics in my state are left leaning Dems, but if anyone has stats on Catholics nationwide, (by party affiliation or left/right self identification) I'd love to see them...

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. It's clearly above centre; if it is to the left, it's by a pixel, no more

You can see where the centre lines marked 50% are, can't you?

[PotatoChip]

7. To my eye, it's "slightly above center", just as you said in post #4

and slightly to the left too, although less obviously so than above center.

My point still stands.

[PotatoChip]

11. Catholics: 48% Democratic/Lean Democratic vs. 33% Republican/Lean Republican

10%- Independent
9%- Don't know/refused

According to: Pew Research- Religion and Public Life Project
http://religions.pewforum.org/portraits

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. National total: 47% Democratic/Lean Democratic vs. 36% Republican/Lean Republican

They're in the centre, within the margin of error.

[cbayer]

10. Glad you enjoyed it.

I didn't find any big surprises, but had never seen it laid out like this before.

I would love to watch this documentary. I can't stream right now, but will put it on my list for when I can.

Thanks!

[PotatoChip]

15. Just as a warning- Some of it is cringe-worthy.

Even for me, as a believer... That family is waaaay out there on the upper right side of the chart.

Otoh, there is something strangely appealing about the simplicity of their lives. Also, it is a very well done documentary. I loved the music in it too.

[cbayer]

17. They are, to me, a very mysterious group.

I have spent a little time in areas of the country where they reside, but the depth of their privacy is pretty astounding. I felt as if they tolerated my presence, but that was about it.

Documentaries like this are top of my list. Will definitely save it.

[PotatoChip]

20. Good. I hope you enjoy it! (nt)

[AtheistCrusader]

8. Everything in the upper right quadrant makes me shake my damn head.

You want smaller government, but more government 'protection of morality'...

Bwuh?

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. Not necessarily 'protection' by government - they can do it by community shaming,

outcasting, boycotting - that sort of thing. Like refusing service, or employment, to gay people. That, to them, is 'religious freedom'.

[AtheistCrusader]

14. Good point.

I was thinking more of the 'of course government can regulate what goes on in your bedroom' santorum-types.

[cbayer]

18. That was what I thought it meant as well.

More of their own enforcement, not government enforcement.

[Warren Stupidity]

19. A lot of them would prefer community witch hunts, stonings, hangings, etc.

They long for the good old days circa 1500 C.E. They are our version of the Taliban.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. According to that chart agnostics are a bunch of rw-liberloons while atheists are left-libertarians

I can live with that

[AtheistCrusader]

16. Me too.

Fascinating deltas in similar groups in this chart. Not just on our end of the spectrum, either.

[rug]

24. Progressive Baptists have you beat.

[carolinayellowdog]

21. Unitarians, the only religious group more egalitarian and libertarian than atheists!

I'm in! Seriously DO feel more at home among agnostics who like to sing hymns than among atheists who hate all trappings of religion.

[cbayer]

22. I thought that was interesting as well.

The UU's are really attracting a lot of liberals and progressives these days, whether they are believers or non-believers.

[Htom Sirveaux]

23. Hooray for the inherent worth and dignity of every individual

and the interdependent web of existence!