| Results of SurveyUSA News Poll #19230 |
| 1 | Should public schools start their school day with a spoken prayer? A moment of silence for silent prayer? Or nothing at all? |
| 500 Adults | All | Gender | Age | Race | Pray | Religion | |||||||||||||
| Margin of Sampling Error: ± 4.5% | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | White | Black | Hispanic | Other | Regularl | Occasion | Almost N | Protesta | Catholic | Other Ch | Jewish | Somethin | None | |
| Spoken Prayer | 36% | 36% | 36% | 39% | 31% | 40% | 36% | 19% | 64% | ** | 42% | 33% | 3% | 41% | 51% | 36% | ** | 6% | 1% |
| Silent Prayer | 38% | 33% | 42% | 32% | 41% | 40% | 37% | 51% | 21% | ** | 40% | 40% | 21% | 39% | 34% | 38% | ** | 40% | 21% |
| Nothing | 25% | 31% | 19% | 27% | 27% | 19% | 26% | 29% | 10% | ** | 17% | 24% | 75% | 19% | 14% | 24% | ** | 49% | 76% |
| Not Sure | 2% | 0% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 6% | ** | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 3% | ** | 5% | 1% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 49% | 51% | 31% | 38% | 31% | 85% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 70% | 18% | 11% | 38% | 19% | 29% | 2% | 5% | 6% |
| 2 | Should public meetings of organizations like city councils begin with a spoken prayer? A moment of silence for silent prayer? Or nothing at all? |
| 500 Adults | All | Gender | Age | Race | Pray | Religion | |||||||||||||
| Margin of Sampling Error: ± 4.5% | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | White | Black | Hispanic | Other | Regularl | Occasion | Almost N | Protesta | Catholic | Other Ch | Jewish | Somethin | None | |
| Spoken Prayer | 46% | 45% | 47% | 50% | 41% | 48% | 46% | 22% | 66% | ** | 54% | 43% | 2% | 59% | 55% | 40% | ** | 14% | 7% |
| Silent Prayer | 24% | 21% | 27% | 18% | 27% | 27% | 23% | 48% | 16% | ** | 25% | 28% | 13% | 21% | 25% | 28% | ** | 15% | 7% |
| Nothing | 28% | 33% | 24% | 30% | 31% | 23% | 30% | 29% | 13% | ** | 20% | 26% | 85% | 19% | 19% | 29% | ** | 66% | 86% |
| Not Sure | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 5% | ** | 1% | 3% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 2% | ** | 5% | 0% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 49% | 51% | 31% | 38% | 31% | 85% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 70% | 18% | 11% | 38% | 19% | 29% | 2% | 5% | 6% |
| 3 | How about government meetings like the state legislature? |
| 500 Adults | All | Gender | Age | Race | Pray | Religion | |||||||||||||
| Margin of Sampling Error: ± 4.5% | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | White | Black | Hispanic | Other | Regularl | Occasion | Almost N | Protesta | Catholic | Other Ch | Jewish | Somethin | None | |
| Spoken Prayer | 47% | 45% | 49% | 45% | 45% | 51% | 48% | 20% | 66% | ** | 56% | 40% | 2% | 56% | 57% | 47% | ** | 17% | 7% |
| Silent Prayer | 25% | 22% | 27% | 22% | 23% | 28% | 23% | 51% | 16% | ** | 24% | 32% | 15% | 24% | 25% | 26% | ** | 16% | 8% |
| Nothing | 27% | 32% | 22% | 27% | 32% | 20% | 27% | 29% | 16% | ** | 18% | 25% | 83% | 18% | 18% | 25% | ** | 61% | 85% |
| Not Sure | 2% | 1% | 3% | 5% | 0% | 1% | 2% | 0% | 1% | ** | 2% | 4% | 0% | 2% | 0% | 2% | ** | 6% | 0% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 49% | 51% | 31% | 38% | 31% | 85% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 70% | 18% | 11% | 38% | 19% | 29% | 2% | 5% | 6% |
| 4 | In a public meeting where the majority of citizens are Christian, but where some citizens are not, is it acceptable? Or unacceptable? for the prayer to mention Jesus? |
| 500 Adults | All | Gender | Age | Race | Pray | Religion | |||||||||||||
| Margin of Sampling Error: ± 4.1% | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | White | Black | Hispanic | Other | Regularl | Occasion | Almost N | Protesta | Catholic | Other Ch | Jewish | Somethin | None | |
| Acceptable | 71% | 69% | 73% | 76% | 68% | 70% | 73% | 58% | 54% | ** | 77% | 75% | 30% | 75% | 74% | 81% | ** | 51% | 28% |
| Unacceptable | 22% | 24% | 21% | 21% | 23% | 22% | 21% | 26% | 45% | ** | 20% | 13% | 54% | 17% | 23% | 13% | ** | 34% | 64% |
| Not Sure | 6% | 7% | 6% | 3% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 16% | 1% | ** | 3% | 12% | 16% | 8% | 3% | 6% | ** | 15% | 8% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 49% | 51% | 31% | 38% | 31% | 85% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 70% | 18% | 11% | 38% | 19% | 29% | 2% | 5% | 6% |
| 5 | In a public meeting where the majority of citizens are Muslim, but where some citizens are not, is it acceptable? Or unacceptable for the prayer to mention Allah? |
| 500 Adults | All | Gender | Age | Race | Pray | Religion | |||||||||||||
| Margin of Sampling Error: ± 4.5% | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | White | Black | Hispanic | Other | Regularl | Occasion | Almost N | Protesta | Catholic | Other Ch | Jewish | Somethin | None | |
| Acceptable | 34% | 37% | 31% | 47% | 27% | 30% | 33% | 49% | 39% | ** | 33% | 43% | 26% | 33% | 36% | 34% | ** | 34% | 30% |
| Unacceptable | 54% | 56% | 53% | 44% | 59% | 59% | 55% | 34% | 56% | ** | 56% | 45% | 59% | 55% | 56% | 51% | ** | 45% | 64% |
| Not Sure | 12% | 7% | 16% | 9% | 14% | 11% | 12% | 17% | 6% | ** | 11% | 12% | 15% | 12% | 9% | 14% | ** | 21% | 6% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 49% | 51% | 31% | 38% | 31% | 85% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 70% | 18% | 11% | 38% | 19% | 29% | 2% | 5% | 6% |
| 6 | Is a prayer less meaningful when it is not specific to a certain faith? |
| 500 Adults | All | Gender | Age | Race | Pray | Religion | |||||||||||||
| Margin of Sampling Error: ± 4.5% | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | White | Black | Hispanic | Other | Regularl | Occasion | Almost N | Protesta | Catholic | Other Ch | Jewish | Somethin | None | |
| Yes | 25% | 26% | 24% | 29% | 20% | 28% | 23% | 28% | 35% | ** | 29% | 22% | 8% | 25% | 26% | 31% | ** | 18% | 11% |
| No | 49% | 50% | 48% | 51% | 54% | 42% | 51% | 59% | 25% | ** | 47% | 50% | 61% | 47% | 47% | 45% | ** | 68% | 55% |
| Not Sure | 26% | 24% | 27% | 20% | 26% | 30% | 26% | 13% | 40% | ** | 24% | 28% | 31% | 28% | 28% | 24% | ** | 13% | 35% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 49% | 51% | 31% | 38% | 31% | 85% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 70% | 18% | 11% | 38% | 19% | 29% | 2% | 5% | 6% |
| 7 | Is public prayer more for substance? Or more for show? |
| 500 Adults | All | Gender | Age | Race | Pray | Religion | |||||||||||||
| Margin of Sampling Error: ± 4.3% | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | White | Black | Hispanic | Other | Regularl | Occasion | Almost N | Protesta | Catholic | Other Ch | Jewish | Somethin | None | |
| Substance | 63% | 57% | 68% | 60% | 59% | 71% | 62% | 47% | 82% | ** | 72% | 64% | 6% | 71% | 75% | 66% | ** | 42% | 0% |
| For Show | 30% | 37% | 22% | 36% | 33% | 19% | 30% | 51% | 13% | ** | 22% | 27% | 81% | 22% | 21% | 26% | ** | 52% | 76% |
| Not Sure | 7% | 5% | 9% | 4% | 8% | 10% | 7% | 2% | 5% | ** | 6% | 9% | 14% | 7% | 4% | 8% | ** | 5% | 24% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 49% | 51% | 31% | 38% | 31% | 85% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 70% | 18% | 11% | 38% | 19% | 29% | 2% | 5% | 6% |
| 8 | Would it be a good idea? Or a bad idea for public buildings like the state capital to have a prayer or meditation room? |
| 500 Adults | All | Gender | Age | Race | Pray | Religion | |||||||||||||
| Margin of Sampling Error: ± 4.3% | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | White | Black | Hispanic | Other | Regularl | Occasion | Almost N | Protesta | Catholic | Other Ch | Jewish | Somethin | None | |
| Good Idea | 65% | 59% | 71% | 69% | 61% | 66% | 67% | 58% | 67% | ** | 74% | 54% | 31% | 78% | 63% | 67% | ** | 41% | 27% |
| Bad Idea | 29% | 35% | 22% | 31% | 31% | 23% | 27% | 35% | 32% | ** | 21% | 37% | 61% | 16% | 33% | 26% | ** | 52% | 63% |
| Not Sure | 6% | 6% | 7% | 0% | 8% | 11% | 6% | 6% | 1% | ** | 5% | 9% | 7% | 6% | 4% | 7% | ** | 7% | 10% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 49% | 51% | 31% | 38% | 31% | 85% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 70% | 18% | 11% | 38% | 19% | 29% | 2% | 5% | 6% |
| 9 | Would you be willing to listen to a public prayer in a religion other than your own? |
| 500 Adults | All | Gender | Age | Race | Pray | Religion | |||||||||||||
| Margin of Sampling Error: ± 4.4% | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | White | Black | Hispanic | Other | Regularl | Occasion | Almost N | Protesta | Catholic | Other Ch | Jewish | Somethin | None | |
| Yes | 58% | 53% | 63% | 65% | 51% | 60% | 58% | 54% | 65% | ** | 61% | 62% | 37% | 59% | 78% | 50% | ** | 66% | 38% |
| No | 29% | 37% | 22% | 22% | 36% | 28% | 29% | 39% | 34% | ** | 25% | 29% | 59% | 26% | 17% | 34% | ** | 29% | 60% |
| Not Sure | 12% | 9% | 15% | 13% | 13% | 11% | 13% | 7% | 1% | ** | 14% | 9% | 4% | 15% | 5% | 17% | ** | 6% | 1% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 49% | 51% | 31% | 38% | 31% | 85% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 70% | 18% | 11% | 38% | 19% | 29% | 2% | 5% | 6% |