2012-07-31-皮尤-Catholics_Share_Bishops_Concerns_about_Religious_Liberty_15页_332kb

Pew Research Center: Catholic Voters and Religious Liberty (2012)

This report analyzes findings from a June 2012 survey on Catholic voters, religious liberty concerns, and political preferences.

• Catholic Voter Support: Most Catholic voters (51%) preferred Barack Obama over Mitt Romney on social issues like abortion and gay rights, similar to overall voter trends. Among white non-Hispanic Catholics, support divided based on attendance: frequent attendees leaned toward Romney, while less frequent attendees favored Obama.

• Religious Liberty Worries: Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Catholics had heard about U.S. bishops' protests against policies restricting religious freedom, with 56% agreeing with the bishops' concerns. Those disagreeing favored Obama (78% vs. 19%). Fewer general Americans supported the bishops (41%) compared to Catholics.

• Leadership Satisfaction: Large majorities of Catholics (74% or higher) expressed satisfaction with the leadership of Catholic nuns, parish priests, and bishops, marking a rise since the child sex abuse scandal. Very or somewhat satisfied ratings were highest for nuns and priests.

• Political Divisions: Strong partisan divides existed; 85% of Catholic Republicans agreed with bishops' concerns, while only 41% of Democratic Catholics did. Independents showed moderate agreement.

Key conclusions highlight similarities between Catholics and general public on social issues, with higher concerns for religious freedom among frequent church attendees.