New Poll Proves Importance of Religious Freedom to Vast Majority of Americans Heading into Key Election

TUPELO, Miss. — Religious freedom is an important issue for 80% of Americans, a figure that may stand in rebuttal of the past year’s surge of intolerant, hostile and violent movements taking aim at the foundations of the country’s Western heritage, including the nuclear family, which the American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net) says is ordained by God.

The importance of religion to 8 out of 10 Americans emerged from a poll conducted in February by The University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Since then, state government reactions to the health crisis threatening the free exercise of religion — targeting churches throughout the country — have continued to highlight the importance of religious freedom to many Americans.

American Family Association President Tim Wildmon says that voters need to understand the right to religious freedom is at stake this November.

“While the battle to preserve religious freedom continues, it is encouraging to see that many Americans still take note of its importance,” Wildmon said. “But with an aggressive atheistic and Marxist movement making clear its intention to turn this nation into a secularist state, Christians need to continue being vigilant. That means fighting back against ‘progressive’ encroachments on the First Amendment and, perhaps above all, making sure they vote this November.”

According to the poll, 35% of US adults overall believe that their right to freedom of religion is somewhat threatened, while 46% of evangelical Protestants feel their religious freedom has been threatened. An AP article cites the date of the poll, which was conducted in February, well before the chaos of the past five months and suggests that the numbers may have increased due to the restrictions of freedoms that have ensued since then. With an election looming in three months, the issue of religious freedom is on the forefront of the minds of evangelical voters.

With the 2020 election looming and the future of our country at stake, AFA calls on the country’s Christian families to exercise their right to vote and maintain religious freedom for generations to come.  

 For over 40 years, AFA has operated within the mission to inform, equip, and activate individuals to strengthen the moral foundations of American culture and give aid to the church here and abroad in its task of fulfilling the Great Commission. Visit AFA Action Alerts here.

 View the media page for AFA here. For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or Twitter @AmericanFamAssc.

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 To interview a representative from the American Family Association, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or ext. 102.