Right to Worship Among Americans’ Most Prized Freedoms
But Many Less Sure about Church-State Separation, National Survey Finds

   RICHMOND, Va. (September 14, 2004) – Most Americans place a high value on both religious freedom and religious tolerance, although almost one in two have doubts about the need to maintain one of the nation’s founding principles – the strict separation of church and state.
    The findings were among the results of a first-ever national survey commissioned by the Council for America’s First Freedom, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, celebrating and educating citizens about religious liberty. The results reflect a populace that cherishes its right to worship (although not enough to fight for it), dismisses the notion of an “official” faith and yet is uncertain about the source of our religious freedom. And while a majority of Americans indicated that it is important to understand the religions of others, the survey suggests that most have some misperceptions about the predominance and beliefs of particular faiths.
   "At a time when religious differences around the world are cleaving nations and abetting conflict, this survey provides telling insight into Americans’ views about religion, particularly religious freedom," said Stephen Elliott, executive director of the Council for America's First Freedom. "The results are at the same time heartening and disquieting. They show a public that holds religious liberty as among our most prized freedoms, yet in an apparent contradiction, is ambivalent about the Constitutional tenet that keeps church and state separate. Still, despite a society that discourages public discourse about religion, Americans have strong opinions on matters of faith."

Among the notable findings:

- Besides freedom of speech, 52% of respondents ranked freedom of religion as the most important Constitutional right over freedom of the press (19%), the right to bear arms (16%) and freedom of assembly (10%).

- 83% rejected the idea of an "official religion" for the nation.

- 84% said that religious liberty was more important than or as important today as when the law was first established in the late 1700s.

- 59% indicated that it was important to understand the religious beliefs of others.

   "Despite an overwhelming sentiment that embraces religious freedom, only half of all respondents said that maintaining the separation of church and state was important. A combined 49 percent said they believed that keeping religion and government separate was either unnecessary or should be less strictly interpreted. And when asked if they lived in a country where they were denied the right to worship as they saw fit, only 11 percent of those surveyed would “fight existing laws, including taking up arms.” Four times as many would either move to another country where religious freedom was guaranteed (42%) or worship privately (37%).
   "Most respondents were uncertain about which document guarantees their religious freedom. A total of 47 percent correctly identified the First Amendment of the Constitution, with 32 percent pointing to the Declaration of Independence, 9 percent the Ten Commandments and 2 percent the Emancipation Proclamation.
   “One of the underlying findings of this survey is the influence of education on people’s attitudes about religion and religious freedom,” Elliott said. “Americans with the most schooling place a greater value on religious liberty and are the most tolerant of others’ religious beliefs. It is a finding that underscores the importance of the core mission of the Council for America’s First Freedom – to raise our nation’s collective understanding of and appreciation for religious liberty.”
   On survey questions that gauged respondents’ perceptions about particular religions, the results were mixed.

- 37% correctly identified Islam as the world’s fastest-growing religion, with an equal number surmising that it was Christianity.

- 37% said “religious differences” were the primary root cause of armed conflict around the world, with 19% thinking it was the “overthrow of dictatorships,” 17% believing it to be the “struggle for civil rights” and 10% choosing “race related.”

- 32% knew that Christianity was practiced by one-third of the world’s population, with 27% indicating that about half the world was Christian, 18% thinking two-thirds were Christian and 16% believing one in five were Christian.

- 16% were aware that the Old Testament was considered sacred in Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Survey Methodology:
The survey was conducted by telephone by the Opinion Research Corporation, which polled 1,000 Americans (500 men/500 women) by telephone during the week of Aug. 9, 2004. The results have a margin of error of +/- 5 percent.

About the Council for America’s First Freedom:
The Council for America’s First Freedom (CAFF) is a non-denominational, non-political, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization based in Richmond, Va. Established in 1984, CAFF’s mission is to champion religious freedom worldwide through education and to strengthen appreciation for America’s protection of this fundamental human right. Currently, CAFF is developing the First Freedom Center, a world-class facility that will offer a dynamic visitor experience with state-of-the-art, interactive exhibits exploring the development of religious freedom in America, and today’s related national and international issues. The Center will be the first of its kind anywhere in the world. In addition, CAFF sponsors the following annual initiatives: Presidential Proclamation of National Religious Freedom Day (January); First Freedom Awards; and America’s First Freedom Student Competition. For more information, please visit www.firstfreedom.org.