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Older Americans Most Likely to
Believe Religious Differences are Biggest Hurdle to Peace
Majority of Americans Agree With Their Seniors
June 23, 2004 Older Americans are the most likely
to believe that religious differences are the biggest hurdle to global
peace, although a majority of Americans (69 percent) agree, according to
a survey by Harris Interactive.
But seniors seem to have more faith in our ability
to overcome these differences, with more than four in five adults in the
45-54 bracket (84%) and 55+ bracket (82%) believing that Christians and
Jews can find a common ground for a respectful relationship compared to
only 72 percent of the 18-34 bracket and 75 percent of the 35-44
bracket.
While opinions appeared to be mixed as to how
tolerant Americans feel they are when it comes to religious views other
than their own (only 46 percent considered Americans very tolerant),
nearly three in five (59%) said that they personally take the time to
learn about other religions. More than two-thirds of Americans (69
percent) were in favor of having their children learn about other faiths
in their chosen house of worship, and half (50%) said they actively
teach their children to respect other faiths.
Religious Tolerance Factors Among Older Americans
Interestingly, the survey found that older
Americans tend to be more open to and interested in other faiths.
Americans 45 years and older are more likely to take the time to learn
about different religions. Nearly two in three adults in the 45-54 age
bracket (63%) and the 55+ age bracket (64%) said they take time to teach
their children about other faiths versus 30% of the 18-34 bracket and
48% of the 35-44 bracket. Similarly, 73% of the 45-54 bracket and 79% of
the 55+ bracket believe their church or synagogue should teach children
about other faiths whereas only 58% of the 18-34 bracket and 65% of the
35-44 bracket agreed.
Another age-related aspect is the way Americans
feel about religious tolerance. Fifty-eight percent of the 55+ bracket
believe that Americans are very tolerant of different religious
perspectives while only 38% of the 18-34 bracket felt so.
The survey was conducted by Harris Interactiveฎ
from May 25-27, 2004 and sponsored by ReachingCommonGround.com, a
nonprofit organization started this year to foster understanding and
dialogue among people of different faiths, with an initial focus on
Christians and Jews.
The initiative was founded by 25-year-old Elizabeth
Goldhirsh, a magazine heiress and graduate student in theological
studies at Harvard University, in memory of her parents. Goldhirsh
teamed up with Baltimore's Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies to
launch Reaching Common Ground in the wake of the immense tension created
between Christians and Jews by Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.
The survey found that 78 percent of U.S. adults
believe that Christians and Jews can find common ground between their
faiths to develop a mutually respectful relationship. Goldhirsh hopes to
cultivate this belief into a stronger understanding between the two
faiths.
"While the media often focus on conflicts between
the faiths, the major religions have more in common than most realize,"
explains Goldhirsh. "It is our hope to use the religious values,
beliefs, and experiences that we do share to help forge a better
understanding among people of all faiths."
To promote interfaith understanding,
ReachingCommonGround.com has also launched an essay competition for
students 16-22 years of age. This contest offers young scholars $100,000
in prize money for essays illuminating the common origins and spiritual
bonds between Christianity and Judaism. The grand prize is $25,000.
Contest winner will also be eligible for a number of fellowships awarded
by the Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies. There is no entry fee,
and the essays must be no longer than 2,500 words and written in
English. The official rules are posted on the group's Web site,
http://www.ReachingCommonGround.com, and entries must be submitted
no later than July 30, 2004.
The competition is being administered and judged by
The Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies (http://www.icjs.org).
ICJS addresses the contemporary challenges of religious pluralism by
helping to shape a more productive relationship between Christians and
Jews.
Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted online by Harris
Interactive from May 25-27, 2004 using a nationwide sample of 2,148 U.S.
adults. The data were weighted to be representative of the total U.S.
adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education,
household income, and race/ethnicity. The margin of error for the total
sample is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points. Data tables are available
in the pressroom at http://www.ReachingCommonGround.com. |
