White Evangelicals are the Least likely to Want to Assist Refugees Fleeing Wars & Natural Disasters

Perhaps no research that I've seen recently sums up the sad state of affairs within America's white evangelical churches than a recent survey concerning the nation's obligation to assist refugees forced to flee natural disasters, persecution, and wars. According to a survey released this week by The Pew Research Center, white evangelicals are the least likely religious group to believe that America has a moral obligation to accept refugees.

Pew Research Center: "By more than two-to-one (68% to 25%), white evangelical Protestants say the U.S. does not have a responsibility to accept refugees. Other religious groups are more likely to say the U.S. does have this responsibility."

More than half of Catholics and 63% of black protestants support refugee resettlement efforts, and non-religious individuals overwhelmingly believe we have a moral obligation to help.

Pew: "And opinions among religiously unaffiliated adults are nearly the reverse of those of white evangelical Protestants: 65% say the U.S. has a responsibility to accept refugees into the country, while just 31% say it does not."

The Pew poll is not an outlier. It confirms earlier research such as a poll by the Public Religion Research Institute showing white evangelicals are also the most likely to favor a ban on new refugees in the country.

It's likely that former President Donald Trump's anti-immigration and anti-refugee policies influenced evangelicals, but the numbers are still shocking. One of the central tenets of Christianity is assisting strangers and those in need.

The Conversation: "The idea of welcoming the stranger is central to Christianity, Judaism and Islam. It originally arose from cultures born in deserts where leaving someone outside the city gates could be a death sentence. Religious leaders of those faiths often connect that ethic to a responsibility to shield refugees and other immigrants from violence and oppression."

It's disheartening to realize how profoundly Donald Trump and the warped views of white Christian nationalists have corrupted one of America's largest religious groups.

#religion #news #research

By: Don Lam & Curated Content