A slight majority of Americans now support public school teachers leading prayers in classrooms, according to a new Pew Research Center poll, fueling Republican-led efforts across several states to introduce religious elements into education despite constitutional challenges, the Independent reported.
A new Pew Research Center report released this week reveals that 52% of American adults favor policies allowing public school teachers to lead Christian prayers in the classroom. This development coincides with renewed legislative pushes from Republicans seeking to bring religious instruction into schools.
According to the poll, which surveyed nearly 37,000 adults between July 2023 and March 2024, support rises slightly to 57% when prayers reference God without specific ties to any particular religion.
The findings arrive as Republican lawmakers in over a dozen states — primarily in the South — are actively introducing legislation designed to integrate religious teachings into public schools. Recently, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed laws mandating Bible readings and requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, intensifying the national debate on the role of religion in public education.
Abbott's approval coincided with a conflicting federal ruling in New Orleans, where an appeals court struck down a similar Louisiana statute mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, declaring it unconstitutional.
Such legal battles highlight ongoing tensions regarding interpretations of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
These legislative efforts have sparked fierce debate, with proponents framing their stance as a defense of religious freedom.
Supporters express confidence that the current conservative-leaning Supreme Court will align with their views, despite the court recently splitting evenly on an Oklahoma case, which ultimately upheld a ban against establishing the nation's first religious public charter school.
Pew's survey indicates sharp regional divides.
Southern states exhibit robust support for teacher-led Christian prayers, with Mississippi showing the highest level of support at 81%. Similar sentiments are echoed in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and South Carolina, where support ranges from 71% to 75%. Midwestern states, including South Dakota and North Dakota, also demonstrated solid majorities in favor of Christian prayers in schools.
In contrast, significant opposition is evident in parts of the Northeast and West Coast. Oregon, Washington, and California show clear majorities opposing teacher-led Christian prayer, with Oregon leading at 65%. Northeastern states, including Vermont, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, also demonstrate strong resistance. The District of Columbia reports one of the highest opposition rates at 69%.
Nationally, the poll found that 46% oppose teacher-led prayers that explicitly reference Jesus, revealing a closely divided populace. Within this group, 22% strongly oppose such prayers.
The survey's enormous scope — addressing residents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia — offers robust insights into regional attitudes. Pew researchers mailed invitations to 205,100 addresses, achieving a response rate of nearly 37,000 adults who participated via online surveys, mail, or telephone interviews.
Pew reported a national margin of sampling error of plus or minus 0.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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