Most Americans say churches have a positive effect on the direction of America.
The findings come from a new study by Pew Research.
It found that overall, 59 percent of Americans say churches and other religious institutions have a positive effect on the way things are going in the country. Only 26 percent say churches have a negative effect.
For churches, however, their biggest fans are already in their pews. Almost three-quarters of those who attend at least weekly say the church is a positive influence.
For those who attend occasionally, the number drops to 66 percent. And for those who seldom or never attend, it falls even further.
Among those who attend the least, more see the church as a negative influence than a positive.
White evangelicals and Hispanic Catholics have the highest percentage who view the church positively.
High numbers of white mainline Protestants, black Protestants and white Catholics also see the church as a positive influence.
Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated are most likely to see the church as a bad influence.
Slightly less than half of nones, those who have to religious affiliation, see religious institutions as having a negative effect, while 34 percent say they are good for the nation.
The overall numbers of Americans who say the church has a positive impact on the country have stayed fairly consistent since Pew began asking the question in 2010.
The public images of other institutions have fluctuated more in the last seven years, including a decline for colleges and universities.