Views on Religion, the Bible, Evolution and Social Issues (PEW)

http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/26/section-5-views-on-religion-the-bible-evolution-and-social-issues/

From larger PEW report on "Political Typology"

JUNE 26, 2014

BEYOND RED VS. BLUE: THE POLITICAL TYPOLOGY

Section 5: Views on Religion, the Bible, Evolution and Social Issues

There are deep divisions in the political typology over religious beliefs, views of the Bible and social issues such as homosexuality and abortion. And while the right and left differ over these issues, in many cases they also divide both parties’ coalitions.




On fundamental views related to belief in God, 53% of the public says it is not necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values, while 45% believes it is necessary. While overall opinion is fairly evenly split, opinion among the typology groups is not: Large majorities of all groups are on one side or the other of this question.

About nine-in-ten of the Next Generation Left (91%) and Solid Liberals (89%) say that belief in God is not necessary to be moral and have good values. But among the Faith and Family Left – a group that shares much in common politically with the other Democratic-oriented groups – 91% take the opposite view and say it is necessary to believe in God to be moral and have good values. Most Hard-Pressed Skeptics (66%) also say belief in God is needed to be a moral person.

There is a similar dynamic on the right. While nearly seven-in-ten Steadfast Conservatives (69%) say it is necessary to believe in God to be a moral person, about equally large percentages of Young Outsiders (70%) and Business Conservatives (66%) say this is not necessary.

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