Religious liberty regaining public support, survey reveals, as more Americans support religious freedom 

Support for religious liberty is rising in sectors ranging from healthcare to education, a new report reveals.  

Becket, a religious liberty group, released its sixth annual Religious Freedom Index on Jan. 16, which is National Religious Freedom Day.  

The index compiled survey responses from 1,000 adults in the fall of 2024 discussing six categories:  

• Religious Pluralism  

• Religion and Policy 

• Religious Sharing  

• Religion in Society  

• Church and State 

• Religion in Action  

The 2025 Index found the highest overall support in six years: 70 out of 100.  

Categories scoring highest included Religious Pluralism (86), Religious Sharing (72) and Religion in Action (79). The lowest score was Church and State (58).  

Respondents expressed concerns about government interference in matters of faith. For example, most Americans didn’t support religious groups being forced to provide for abortions.  

“Americans drew a line in the sand in this year’s Index: government doesn’t get to push people around for keeping the faith,” said Mark Rienzi, Becket’s president and CEO. “From coast to coast, we witnessed a groundswell of support for Americans to live out their faith in public, even when their beliefs cut against the grain.” 

The consensus was especially strong in the sphere of education. 

Nearly 70% of survey participants agreed parents are the primary teachers of their children, and 77% agreed parents should be able to opt-out of lessons relating to gender or sexuality. 

Few said such lessons were appropriate for elementary school, and one-third thought they should be left out of K-12 education altogether.  

When considering religion’s role in public policy, 73% of respondents agreed “religious organizations that provide services to help in the community (e.g., soup kitchens, homeless shelters, etc.) should be just as eligible to receive government funds as non-religious organizations.”  

Such support is important for the school choice movement, as many families seek to use the money from state programs to attend parochial schools. The Supreme Court has even taken up a case on whether Oklahoma can establish a Catholic public charter school without violating the First Amendment.  

Speaking of the Supreme Court, Americans also had more faith in the courts to protect religious liberty than other branches of government.  

“Americans were more likely to believe the President should be taking the lead in protecting religious freedom,” the index said, “but, when asked who was doing the best job of protecting religious freedom, they were more likely to identify the judicial system.”  

This shouldn’t be surprising, especially on the federal level, since the Supreme Court is entirely composed of religious justices, including six Catholics.  

While there is widespread support for people to use their faith to guide their vote, not all demographics want religion to intersect with public policy.  

Indeed, when discussing Religion in Policy, the survey found an ideological division. The groups most supportive of religion intersecting with public policy were those who attend a religious institution weekly (83%), conservatives (78%) and Republicans (77%).  

Those in favor of bisecting religion and public policy were primarily irreligious Democrats (62%), liberals (57%) and irreligious members of the LGBT community (42%).  

Nevertheless, the average was still high (68%).  

“Even in a time of deep division, most Americans still believe religion – and the freedom to practice it – is crucial to overcoming our disagreements,” Rienzi concluded. “As we celebrate Religious Freedom Day, we should take heart that our nation remains committed to forging a future where faith is a cornerstone of our culture.”