Many Christians believe they are subject to religious discrimination in the United States.
A new report from the Public Religion Research Institute and Brookings finds almost half of Americans say discrimination against Christians is as big of a problem as discrimination against other groups, including blacks and minorities.
Three-quarters of Republicans hold that opinion and so did nearly eight out of 10 white evangelical Protestants. Of the latter group, six in 10 believe that although America once was a Christian nation, it is no longer—a huge jump from 2012.
This survey suggests that race is not enough to explain the sense of loss some white Americans seem to feel about their country, although it’s part of the story; the same is true of age, education level, and political affiliation.
People’s beliefs seem to have a distinctive bearing on how they view changes in American culture, politics, and law—and whether they feel threatened. No group is more likely to express this fear than conservative Christians.
Other findings….Forty-six percent of those surveyed said immigration from Mexico and Central America has been too high in recent years and most Americans still believe Islam is “at odds with American values and way of life.” That includes 74 percent of white evangelical Protestants, 66 percent of white mainline Protestants, 63 percent of white Catholics, and 54 percent of Hispanic Catholics.