Study: Majority of American Democrats ‘Seldom or Never’ Attend Church
- Posted on November 9, 2011 at 12:44pm by
Billy Hallowell
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A new report from Gallup shows some startling revelations about American Democrats. While it’s been known for quite some time that Republicans are more likely to attend church, this new analysis from the non-partisan research group adds greater understanding the faith dynamics of those who subscribe to Democratic ideals.
A new analysis of past Gallup data examines Democrats’ stances in 2011 as opposed to their views and actions back in 2008. According to data collected earlier this summer, 52 percent of Democrats — a majority — “seldom or never” attend church. Below, see a chart that illustrates the 2008 and 2011 proportions:

This proportion is up slightly from 50 percent in 2008. Also, the proportion who attend church weekly has declined by two percentage points — from 29 percent in 2008 to 27 percent in 2011. But Republicans, too, have declined in their church attendance (as has the nation as a whole). As Gallup reported last month:
Republicans are more likely than the public at large to say they regularly attend their church or other place of worship; however, this distinction has diminished slightly since 2008. Forty percent of Republicans today say they attend church weekly, down from 43% in 2008. But there has also been a decline in weekly church attendance nationally since 2008, from 34% to 33%.
Here is a graphic that showcases these changes, comparing Republicans’ behaviors in 2008 to their church-related actions in 2011:

In addition to the decline in weekly attendance, Republicans also increased from 36 percent to 38 percent among those claiming that they “seldom or never” attend church.
Clearly, it seems both Democrats and Republicans have experienced a decline in church attendance. However, the changes are more profound among leftist adherents, seeing as the proportion that “seldom or never” attends church has now crossed the 50 percent mark.
During the three-year gap between the first and second datasets, it was also found that Democrats have become less white and more liberal. There was a two-percentage point uptick among those Democrats who called themselves “liberal” (up from 35 percent to 37 percent).
In assessing the development that more than half of Democrats rarely step foot in churches, conservative sociologist Todd Alridge says, “It’s not surprising to learn that a majority of those who have ‘liberal’ views don’t pass through the church doors very often.” He continues:
“All of the social views that politically divide us such as marriage, abortion and homosexuality are rooted in Scripture. If you don’t subscribe to a Christian worldview, or for that matter any other religious belief, then the only basis for your personal beliefs will be from what you see and experience through mass media or through your own personal experiences.”
While there have been changes among Democrats, Gallup concluded that the “demographic and ideological composition” of Republicans is very similar today to where it stood in 2008. In the study, Democrats were defined as those individuals who claim allegiance to the Democratic Party or who are independents say they lean toward the party (the same goes for Republicans).
It will be interesting to see how this pattern continues to formulate, especially considering the Obama campaign’s efforts to reach out to religious voters.
(H/T: The Christian Post)



















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Comments (131)
sbenard
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 6:33amThey’re anti-God for a reason. They take their inspiration — literally — from the wrong source. Hint: he ain’t divine! And he inspires them to stay away from Church! It is his voice that inspires them with the deception that says that either 1) “You don’t need Church to be spiritual”, or 2) “Those people at Church are flawed and therefore not worthy of your association”.
It is this same being also inspires the antagonism toward “organized religion”. “You’re too good for them”, he tells them. What these people really stand for is NO commitment! In other words — NOTHING!
They would rather drift along, creating a false god — one patterned after their own hearts, rather than conforming themselves to His. You remember — the “thy will be done” and “be one” thing. That’s not for them! Their egocentric pride leads them to have NONE of it! So they rebel instead! In the end, they will NOT be found on the right hand of God. They’re goats, not sheep! Sheep know the voice of their Master. Goats don’t!
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:25amAnd they “seldom or never” get off the couch….. Except to get the welfare check from the mail box …
Report Post »motonutt
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:58amThis is actually old news…..I first heard this a couple years ago. It’s not suprising now is it.
Report Post »The liberal democrats are the Godless party….i.e. 99%’rs. And for you old conservative southern democrats….that are still voting for the “D”….it’s time for you to wake up.
Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:30pmI know plenty of republicans who accept government help but they live in a dream world where they overlook that because they see the Repubs as Team Jesus and they want to be a part of that team so they slam handouts while taking them.
Report Post »WeDontNeedNoSteenkinBadges04
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 3:37pm“Majority of American Democrats ‘Seldom or Never’ Attend Church”
Hmm … that says and explains it all.
Report Post »WeDontNeedNoSteenkinBadges04
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 3:39pm“Majority of American Democrats ‘Seldom or Never’ Attend Church”
*keels over and dies at the shock*
Report Post »kaydeebeau
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 5:55pm@SBenard – well said
Report Post »Shiroi Raion
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:12pmVirtually all the Republicans I know around here go to church every week. I’m not one of them, but I’m trying to motivate myself. Most of the Democrats I know hang out in bars.
Report Post »The Conservative Republicans I know value family, friends, morality… They talk about values a lot. They rarely want to talk politics though. The Democrats I know seem not to care about anything but themselves… at least that’s how I perceive them from their behavior. The smartest guy I know is a Mormon Conservative with an incredible memory. Most of the Liberals I’ve known seem to practically live simply to drink and party.
It’s hard to compare Liberals vs Conservatives since most places are dominated by one or the other, but I live in a mostly Liberal area, but it still has about a 43% Conservative population – judging from the voting results (not bad for a college town). There’s also an obvious age discrepancy. College age and those about 65 and older seem to be the bulk of our Liberals here. As for the college kids, they don‘t really seem to know what’s going on. They seem to simply seem to just go along with the other kids. It appears to me that it‘s peer pressure that is driving the college kids’ ideology.
ohnomrbill
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:41pmThat is a bold face lie. You have no shame at all Glenn no shame what so ever
Report Post »ThomasNast
Posted on November 11, 2011 at 2:35pmAmen.
1 Corinthians 2: 14-15
14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
Report Post »momsense
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 5:52amWhy would you suspect that it wold be any different? The Marxist philosophy of the government is the disposer of all is their God –not to mention the this heresy has infiltrated many main line churches. The Episcopal church is not a Marxist cesspool.
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:07amWe have to remember that this poll looked at democrats vs republicans, not conservatives vs liberals. If the question were just directed at strictly liberals the numbers would be even worse.
41% of US is conservative. 19% are liberals. 6% of USA are atheists, with about 95% of them also being liberals.
Most blacks are democrats but black church attendance is rather high. The same with latinos.
Report Post »2gether
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 5:51amAs human beings we are flawed for sure. The “call” has always been to stand for what is righteous. However, the growing problem is that we have allowed certain groups to “redefine” the truth about many things. Those people who stick to their value system realize that their is no such thing as redefining the truth. The truth is the truth; otherwise it becomes an untruth. Morality and integrity are qualities necessary for the human race to not only survive but thrive as well. They are inherent traits that go hand and hand with freedom and liberty as the founding fathers noted so well in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Remove one from the group and the unraveling of a moral and just society begins. That is what we see happening now in this country. I find it rather ironic that the two things we have been told never to discuss are politics and religion. Well my friends, you can see how far this country has descended. Our founding fathers believed that future citizens of the new United States would be just as passionate about their liberty and freedom as they were on the day they signed the Declaration of Independence. I am hear to tell you that passion does not survive in a vacuum. We need to discuss religion and politics if we are going to save our country. And as many have rightly noted, if the USA falls to socialism there will be no free society for anyone to run to ever again.
Report Post »000degrees
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 7:37am@2….Very well stated. God bless our country…..
Report Post »mikee1
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 5:40amNo, most of them are SATANISTS. And most of them do not even know it.
Report Post »Morris
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:26amMuslims do not attend church,They go to the MOSQUE!
Dictator Barack Hussein Obama our Muslim-in-Chief has CONVERTED ALL DEMOCRATS TO ISLAM!
Wake up America,The Muslim Brotherhood and Dictator Obama,“CAIR” and Sadia Arabia and
the Islamic Muslim Barbaric Satan Cult of ISLAM,Thanks to Dictator Barack Hussein Obama
our Muslim -in-Chief is turning our Republic our America into there “GLOBAL NEW WORLD ORDER””,!
Saudi Arabia and Dictator Obama are working on Making our America part of there Islamic Muslim
Satan Cult of Islam, Their new “MUSLIM TOTAL WORLD DOMINATION”!
America, Do you like Islam,The KORAN and SHARIA -LAW, Well Dictator Obama is pushing with
Saudi Arabia to takeover our America!
IMPEACH DICTATOR BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA,SAVE OUR AMERICA!
GOD BLESS OUR AMERICA!
Report Post »Viet Vet
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 4:06amProblem too is that, except for the Evangelicals, most denominations have become fairly liberal.
Report Post »ecmarc
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 3:24amI stopped going to Church because the one my family went to started worshiping Israel instead of God. When I looked around at other Churches, I found all the ones that weren’t preaching Christian Zionism were full of Freemasons. Its hard to find a church without Zionists or Freemasons in it nowadays unfortunately.
Report Post »RowdieGal
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 5:41amSeriously, Ecmarc? I know that some Christian churches may focus on Israel extensively but “Zionist?” Ever read Paul’s letter to the Romans carefully? (Chapter 11 is pretty clear.) Or maybe you don’t realize that as Christians, we’re still considered Gentiles. We’ve been grafted into Judaism with the difference being we believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah. But our religious tenets are Judaic in their roots. The Ten Commandments is the main conveyor of them. I don’t know how one can be a Christian and not understand our connection to Israel or disdain that connection.
Report Post »SecularConservative
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 6:38amFirst of all, what does Freemasonry have to do with you going to church? Secondly, What church you belong to or don’t belong to does not label you as supporting one political or economic system over another. Religion/church is a personal choice. IMHO I believe that you can have faith without religion/church anyway. Stupid Poll.
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 8:46amZionist. Huh. That’s the antisemitic catchword du jour these days.
Let’s try to break down to the base argument:
You didn’t like attending churches with a staunchly pro-Israel stance. In His Word, God is exceedingly clear:
“Those who bless (Israel) will be blessed and those who curse (Israel) will be cursed.” Gen. 12:3
I read that to mean that God wants us to be unfailingly behind Israel if we want to be in line with Him.
In other words, I believe your problem isn’t without. It’s within. It’s in your feelings toward Israel and, in my estimation, your failure to read God’s Word so you can know what He wants of you.
I suggest you read your bible, pray, and repent of your bias against Israel. Everything else should come into line quickly after that.
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 8:52amOh, and for the record, here are definitions that I think you should know before you use the words as pejoratives:
Zi·on·ist [ z ənist ] (n) Supporter of Jewish state: a supporter of Zionism
Zi·on·ism [ z ə nìzzəm ] (n) Movement establishing and developing Jewish state: a worldwide movement, originating in the 19th century, that sought to establish and develop a Jewish nation in Palestine. Since 1948 its function has been to support the state of Israel.
As I read it, there is absolutely notihing wrong with being a Zionist. I’m a Baptist and a Zionist.
Ani Yisraeli.
here’s nothing wrong with being a Zionist.
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:41amGod is clearly a zionist, ECMARC, so your choice to fight against God is, to say the least, dimwitted at best.
Report Post »ImChiquita
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:48amNot only that, but the Book of Revelation “turns” Jewish after the letters written to the Seven Churches. If you don’t understand the Jewish roots, then the names of Jesus and His acts when He returns at the Second Coming won’t make sense.
Israel will be restored.
We’re not being Zionists, just protective.
Report Post »grayling646
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 3:01amconcerning the comments ppl posted on their website….LOL and you can quote me on that “LOL”.
Report Post »Soul Leister
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 2:40amReligious minded lefties might want to revisit the arab proverb: the enemy of my enemy is my friend (for now)… your so called friends on the left will deal with you later… after they have used you to get rid of your real friends (other religious minded folks).
Blessed are the shortsighted, for they know not what they do (unable to see the big picture… useful idiots for the left to exploit).
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 8:57amUh- not so sure that’s an Arab proverb.
I‘m pretty sure that’s a Corleone proverb.
Just Sayin’.
Report Post »Steve0218
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 2:15amseperating the wheat and tares
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 1:57amI’m shocked that those who did the study believe that the Democrat Party is still around. It’s really the Progressive, Socialist, Communist Party now.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 3:35amThank-you. I believe in calling a spade a spade. They are progressives and progressives are socialist. Amen! I am not shocked by this report. Sort of figured that out already.
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 5:01amOne of the guiding priciples of Communism is the rejection of God and religion.
OMG
Report Post »sbenard
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 6:16amProgressivism is just a collectivist cousin to communism, marxism, and socialism. Mark Levin calls it “statism”. It’s all the same ideology with only subtle differences. The individual is irrelevant and the end justifies the means.
But the bottom line is that 1) progressivism doesn’t recognize INDIVIDUAL rights or liberty. Only the “collective” has rights, as in Obama’s “collective salvation”. And 2) progressives recognize NO limits on the power or reach of the state (little “s”). This is a perfect prescription for bigger, more costly, and more intrusive government. In other words, it is tyranny! Progressivism IS tyranny!
Democrats don’t care about liberty because the poor one care only about getting “free stuff”. What value is freedom to them? They just want government “freebies” paid for by someone else. And the super-rich elitist Dems want POWER because they see themselves as better than everyone else and therefore they believe they have a “right” to rule!
In any case, it’s demonic!
Report Post »sick n tired
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 1:33amI would encourage church attending Catholics to ask their parish priest if they are registered to vote, and if so, in what party. I bet the majority of priest, including bishops, if registered are registered in the pro-abortion party. I checked the registration of the priest in my Republican county of Orange in CA and found of those registered, the majority were Democrats. That’s why we get so much social justice and “immigration” lectures in the homilies, and very little about the intrinsic evil issues supported by the Democrat Party. And that is why there is a drop off in attendance – people want and need meat in the sermons, and we get tofu, instead.
Report Post »vicsemprini
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 1:32amWell, to be fair, Sunday IS abortion coupon day…
Report Post »RelyPrepareLead
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 1:21amComplaining about evil being evil is like inspecting crap and asking, “How can we get it to stop stinking?”
The nation wide leadership starts now! It would be so easy to turn this nation around. A courageous church must do it!
1. pastors can still legally train great leaders to defend the public.
2. the church can still legally be trained how to vote, not just who to vote for.
Let’s Change the Conversation in 2012! Inspired by this article: http://www.washingtondeclaration.org/blog/nation-wide-leadership-search-starts-now
Report Post »sick n tired
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 1:35amYou are SOOOOOOOO right!
Report Post »MachIV
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 6:07amI never had to be told by clergy, preachers, pastors, etc. how to vote. It came natural from simply studying scripture and understanding what a righteous life was about. I’ve understood for over 30 years since I was 14 that the Democrat party was the refuge of atheists, Communists, and pretty much everything else that is an afront to God.
Report Post »SHOWMESTATEGUY
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 1:17amReally,
The party that believes in the murder of unborn children, the party that believes homosexuality is okay, the party that believes you really aren’t responsible for anything you do, the party that has been trying for 70 years to wipe the name Jesus from the history books, the party that has changed the Christmas season to the holiday season, the party that believes you are dumb and they know what’s best for you.
So now you tell me the dem libs don’t go to church? I hope this STUDY didn’t cost a lot of federal dollars to complete.
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 1:00amHow many times has BO and MO been to church???? POINT PROVEN!!!!!!
Report Post »Chet Hempstead
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 5:08amMore often than George W. Bush or Reagan, but so what? The President is a busy guy, and whenever he goes anywhere it’s a lot of work for the Secret Service, and a major inconvenience for members of the general public who happen to be going to the same place that day.
Report Post »Wannabfree
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 8:09amI believe George W started every day with devotions. Attendance for his cabinet was optional but I believe most attended. The reason you did not hear about him going to church is that he did not make a photo op out of it – he went to worship.
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:48am[Chet Hempstead
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 5:08am
More often than George W. Bush or Reagan, but so what?]
“Smith said Obama also has worshipped a couple of times at Evergreen Chapel, a nondenominational church at Camp David in Maryland, which the president has chosen as his primary place of worship, according to a July Time magazine report. Bush attended St. John’s periodically, but worshipped fairly regularly at Evergreen Chapel, Smith said.”
Chet is obviously misinformed.
Report Post »Cosmos102
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:48amI have noticed a change in our values, from a time when most people held a religious view such as Baptist, Jewish, Catholic, Presbyterian…to now, when people are actively giving up their religions. To be sure, these people were weak in their spiritual beliefs to begin with. Seems the pressure by the ungodly Dems and the ACLU have weakened our society and made it ripe for a takeover. It proves the propaganda by the media and indoctrination in our schools is working.
Report Post »Wannabfree
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 8:20amNot true about being weak in our beliefs. I am stronger now than ever but my church has left me. The governing bodies subscribe to all the liberal causes so how can you call them biblical any longer. The national governing body of my church recently approved practicing gays to be ordained ministers. I do not believe that is the kind of leadership and role model people want for their children. Some congregations have left and are now on their own – will probably form a new synod. I have written the head of the ELCA questioning their wisdom and was told to please be patient and hang in there. It is as if they know it is wrong but political correctness forced them to do it – I would not call that very strong faith, would you?
Report Post »I still go every Sunday and just deal with it. I have my own beliefs and I am comfortable with them – so I just ignore the propoganda as such, read some more scripture and move on.
The Church is under attack from within as well as on the outside. Tough battle to win but similar to the early Christians.
Viet Vet
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:55am@Wannabfree
Very true.
Report Post »bbailey
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:47amThis goes hand in hand with charitable giving on the part of registered democrats. Of course I see plenty of church goers who don’t give a whole lot either, but it’s a heck of lot more than the paltry amount freely given by the dems./liberals.
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:53amThe dems are happy to give more of your money, to themselves.
Report Post »Aerocog
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:45amAs time progesses it seems that all nations are spliting up into two groups: the faithful and the faithless.
Report Post »tbl10
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:33amJohn 8:42-47 pretty much sums up the democrats pretty well.
Report Post »South Philly Boy
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:31amThat’s why there BIG on ABORTIONS
Report Post »garclar
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:18amwhy would you expect the Dim Dems would be attending church for any reason anytime soon other than political points when running for this office or that. They do not believe in God, they worship the material world. Isn’t that what they are after, more power more money to worship at the alter of me? They build statues of themselves, name roads and streets after each other, set up foundations named after themselves, stay in office as long as they can seeking even more power and influence, run rough shod over anyone that gets in their way, and when asked about anything concerning God they will talk in generalities like there are many Gods not just one. I frind them to be the most crass and base people in existence, there are many more interesting people right here in my home town that would put these people to shame with what they know of God and where we are headed. These clowns certainly could not tell you. Money is their God and power and influence is the name of the game in the beltway, just ask any lobbyist, a good start would be Jack Abramhoff……..
Report Post »thepatriotdave
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:26amStudy: Majority of American Democrats ‘Seldom or Never’ Attend Church
=====================================================
Well Duuhhh!
Report Post »I didn’t need a study to know this.
Alastair
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:14amWhen asked for a comment, God replied “Tell me something new”
Report Post »ImChiquita
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:49amAWE-sum!!
Report Post »zheng ye
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:14amLiberal Democrats are not without faith. It is just that instead of an irrational faith in a primitive pie-in-the-sky fairy tale, they put their faith in big gooberment, equally irrational. Foolish, really.
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:56amMy faith is in the most intelligent being in the universe, known to most as God. Why is that foolish to put one’s faith in the most intelligent being in the universe. And what gives with the stupidity about the location of where the most intelligent being in the universe is likely to be? In the sky? Well, since every bit of matter no matter how large or small happens to be “in the sky” or, in other words, in space somewhere, why does that bother you idiots so much?
Report Post »B-Neil
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:07amWhat does this little tid bit have to do with the price of tea in China? Its this kind of crap thet cheepens and distors are Government structure and its ability to fuction. I don’t want to hear Freedom of speach or Freedom of the press on this one. CARRY ON McDUFF
Report Post »Alastair
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:21amI would venture to say that this points to the premise that going to church and believing in God and having a belief that you will one day meet this God and have to face judgement according to how you lived on Earth (and if you followed Christ, had to throw that in there for the Christians) – all of this ties in to being responsible for your own actions, not making government and society responsible for your actions. Typically Democrats trend towards the latter, and this study provides an interesting tie-in
Report Post »conservativewoman
Posted on November 9, 2011 at 11:53pmWell, Duh! It is pretty obvious by their behavior.
Report Post »wheels
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:13amTotal Shocker there!!! Who pays for studies like this? It’s like having a research project that shoelaces keep your damn shoes on, cmon, these Libs cant even stomach us having Christmas displays within our communities. Which is weird in itself because nobody loves giving/getting “gifts” (handouts) more than the Dems (dependant creating bribes I mean). God is convenient for His support of eat the rich “jobs plan” or possible tax on Christmas trees, when it suits some left wing hacks agenda. That is all.
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