Millions of Americans, particularly evangelicals, feel religious freedoms have grown worse in the US during the past 10 years. They also foresee further restrictions in the years to come.
According to a new study reported by ChristianPost.com, slightly more than half of adults say they are very or somewhat concerned that religious freedom in the U.S. will become more restricted in the next five years.
The study, conducted by the California based Barna Group, shows that those who are religious are more concerned than those who aren't.
Examining religious groups separately, the survey found that 71 percent of evangelicals, 46 percent of practicing Protestants, and 30 percent of practicing Catholics are "very concerned" about their religious freedoms.
David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group, believes that societal changes are creating increasing tension about how freedom of religion ought to work itself out in the real world.
The study found that more than half of Americans believe “religious freedom has become more restricted in the U.S. because some groups have actively tried to move society away from traditional Christian values."
So how should we respond to research like this? Well, certainly we should make sure that our First Amendment rights are never violated, and learn about what Christian legal groups are doing to protect those rights. But I also thought about these words from the Apostle Peter:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).
I’m Bill Maier for WBCL.