When it comes to coping with the stress and uncertainty of a pandemic, most Americans are turning not to God, but to TV.
That’s just one of the findings of a Pew Research Center survey released on Friday on how the novel coronavirus pandemic has impacted the worship habits of Americans.
PICTURE: Mollie Sivaram/Unsplash/Creative Commons
Pew surveyed 10,211 American adults online between 13th and 19th July.
Here’s what the non-partisan fact tank found.
TV is our best friend.
To help them cope with the pandemic, most Americans said they are staying home to watch Netflix and chill: 89 per cent reported that they are watching TV or movies daily or weekly. This includes 90 per cent of all Christians, 87 per cent of Jews and 88 per cent of the religiously unaffiliated, according to Pew.
Many Americans (84 per cent) also are spending time outdoors or talking by phone or video with family and friends (70 per cent), the survey said.
But fewer are turning to their faith for support.
More than half (55 per cent) reported praying at least weekly, followed by reading Scripture (29 per cent), meditating (26 per cent) and practicing yoga (eight per cent, despite the popularity of YouTube’s Yoga with Adriene in quarantine).
Those most likely to seek comfort in spirituality at least once a week – prayer, Scripture reading and meditation – are members of historically Black Protestant churches, followed by evangelical Protestants.
Churches shouldn’t get exceptions.
Months into the pandemic, some houses of worship are reopening. Americans overwhelmingly (79 per cent) think they should be following the same social distancing rules that other businesses and organisations in their areas are, according to Pew.
That includes about three-quarters (74 per cent) of all Christians.
And among those who attend services online or in person at least monthly, most think their houses of worship should be open with precautions (57 per cent) to keep from spreading COVID-19, including requiring social distancing (51 per cent) and masks (44 per cent), restricting attendance (41 per cent) and limiting communal singing (29 per cent). Those numbers closely mirror what attenders say their houses of worship actually are doing.
Evangelical Protestants (82 per cent) and Catholics (70 per cent) were most likely to say their churches were open, with or without precautions, the survey said.
Still, among those who regularly attend services, most reported they have watched services online or on TV (72 per cent) instead of gathering in person (33 per cent) in the past month.
Many are helping neighbours directly.
The pandemic has brought out the best in some Americans.
About four in 10 adults (39 per cent) reported they have helped a friend or neighbor by delivering groceries, running errands or helping with childcare, according to Pew. About three in 10 (29 per cent) said they had volunteered or made a donation through a nonreligious organization and 18 per cent, through a religious organisation.
Broken out by religious affiliation, Black Protestants (48 per cent) and Hispanic Catholics (43 per cent) were most likely to support someone directly. Jews (45 per cent) and agnostics (41 per cent) were most likely to support a nonreligious organization, and evangelical (32 per cent) and Black (31 per cent) Protestants were most likely to support a religious organization, according to survey data.
Clergy are speaking out on the pandemic and protests, not politicians.
Between a pandemic, protests against systemic racism and police brutality and a looming presidential election, Americans have had plenty to talk about in the last month.
Most (76 per cent) who have attended or watched a religious service in that time reported they have heard sermons about the importance of taking steps to limit the spread of the coronavirus, according to Pew.
More have heard sermons expressing support (41 per cent) for Black Lives Matter protests than opposition (25 per cent) to the protests.
And while 40 per cent have heard messages about the importance of voting, protesting and other forms of political engagement, few have heard President Donald Trump or his challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, called out by name.
Just nine per cent heard sermons supporting Trump and seven per cent opposing him, while six per cent heard sermons supporting Biden and four per cent opposing him.
Giving is down.
More than half (54 per cent) of Americans who regularly attend services say they are giving the same amount of money to their houses of worship.
About one in five (18 per cent) are giving less, though, and just eight per cent said they are giving more, according to Pew data.
