Opinion of non-religious people (Demographic Patterns)

Thinking about specific religious groups, what is your overall opinion of: people who are not religious? (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

Opinion of non-religious people by Age (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65 +	Missing	TOTAL
Very favorable	12.6% 13	9.8% 16	9.4% 19	6.5% 11	9.8% 12	6.3% 11	2	8.8% 82
Mostly favorable	47.6% 49	49.7% 81	44.6% 90	48.5% 82	41.0% 50	31.6% 55	2	43.6% 407
Mostly unfavorable	13.6% 14	18.4% 30	17.3% 35	17.2% 29	18.9% 23	24.7% 43	3	18.6% 174
Very unfavorable	9.7% 10	9.8% 16	8.4% 17	9.5% 16	6.6% 8	13.2% 23	1	9.6% 90
Never heard of	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.5% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.6% 1	0	0.2% 2
Can't rate	11.7% 12	9.8% 16	16.8% 34	15.4% 26	16.4% 20	14.4% 25	2	14.3% 133
Refused	4.9% 5	2.5% 4	3.0% 6	3.0% 5	7.4% 9	9.2% 16	1	4.8% 45
Missing	136	155	207	210	146	187	17	1058
TOTAL	100% 103	100% 163	100% 202	100% 169	100% 122	100% 174	28	933

Opinion of non-religious people by Gender (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Male	Female	TOTAL
Very favorable	8.9% 38	8.9% 46	8.9% 84
Mostly favorable	47.1% 200	40.3% 209	43.3% 409
Mostly unfavorable	19.3% 82	18.3% 95	18.8% 177
Very unfavorable	6.1% 26	12.5% 65	9.6% 91
Never heard of	0.0% 0	0.4% 2	0.2% 2
Can't rate	13.6% 58	14.8% 77	14.3% 135
Refused	4.9% 21	4.8% 25	4.9% 46
Missing	497	561	1058
TOTAL	100% 425	100% 519	944

Opinion of non-religious people by Political party (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Republican	Democrat	Independent	No preference	Other party	Don't know/Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	5.5% 16	8.2% 23	11.4% 32	14.1% 9	0.0% 0	16.0% 4	8.9% 84
Mostly favorable	44.0% 129	45.4% 127	47.0% 132	26.6% 17	100.0% 1	12.0% 3	43.3% 409
Mostly unfavorable	25.6% 75	17.5% 49	14.9% 42	10.9% 7	0.0% 0	16.0% 4	18.8% 177
Very unfavorable	8.9% 26	9.3% 26	9.3% 26	20.3% 13	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	9.6% 91
Never heard of	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.7% 2	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.2% 2
Can't rate	10.9% 32	14.3% 40	14.2% 40	23.4% 15	0.0% 0	32.0% 8	14.3% 135
Refused	5.1% 15	5.4% 15	2.5% 7	4.7% 3	0.0% 0	24.0% 6	4.9% 46
Missing	360	314	295	57	3	29	1058
TOTAL	100% 293	100% 280	100% 281	100% 64	100% 1	100% 25	944

Opinion of non-religious people by Household income (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Less than $20,000	$20,000 to under $40,000	$40,000 to under $75,000	$75,000 to under $100,000	$100,000 or more	Don't know/Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	7.8% 13	8.7% 18	7.7% 19	11.5% 11	7.1% 6	11.9% 17	8.9% 84
Mostly favorable	31.7% 53	48.3% 100	46.3% 114	52.1% 50	56.5% 48	30.8% 44	43.3% 409
Mostly unfavorable	22.2% 37	16.9% 35	18.3% 45	10.4% 10	21.2% 18	22.4% 32	18.8% 177
Very unfavorable	16.8% 28	6.8% 14	8.5% 21	9.4% 9	7.1% 6	9.1% 13	9.6% 91
Never heard of	0.6% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.7% 1	0.2% 2
Can't rate	15.0% 25	16.4% 34	15.0% 37	12.5% 12	4.7% 4	16.1% 23	14.3% 135
Refused	6.0% 10	2.9% 6	4.1% 10	4.2% 4	3.5% 3	9.1% 13	4.9% 46
Missing	145	265	275	104	110	159	1058
TOTAL	100% 167	100% 207	100% 246	100% 96	100% 85	100% 143	944

Opinion of non-religious people by Education (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Less than high school	High school graduate	Some college	College +	Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	8.6% 8	9.3% 28	7.9% 18	9.2% 29	25.0% 1	8.9% 84
Mostly favorable	34.4% 32	38.4% 116	44.1% 101	50.3% 159	25.0% 1	43.3% 409
Mostly unfavorable	14.0% 13	20.2% 61	22.3% 51	16.5% 52	0.0% 0	18.8% 177
Very unfavorable	15.1% 14	12.3% 37	8.3% 19	6.6% 21	0.0% 0	9.6% 91
Never heard of	1.1% 1	0.0% 0	0.4% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.2% 2
Can't rate	22.6% 21	14.9% 45	14.4% 33	10.8% 34	50.0% 2	14.3% 135
Refused	4.3% 4	5.0% 15	2.6% 6	6.6% 21	0.0% 0	4.9% 46
Missing	90	344	296	324	4	1058
TOTAL	100% 93	100% 302	100% 229	100% 316	100% 4	944

Opinion of non-religious people by Marital status (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Married	Divorced	Separated	Widowed	Never been married	Don't know/Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	7.9% 39	12.7% 15	11.5% 3	3.3% 3	11.1% 23	16.7% 1	8.9% 84
Mostly favorable	44.4% 220	39.0% 46	38.5% 10	28.3% 26	50.7% 105	33.3% 2	43.3% 409
Mostly unfavorable	20.0% 99	20.3% 24	7.7% 2	27.2% 25	12.6% 26	16.7% 1	18.8% 177
Very unfavorable	9.3% 46	10.2% 12	15.4% 4	18.5% 17	5.8% 12	0.0% 0	9.6% 91
Never heard of	0.2% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.5% 1	0.0% 0	0.2% 2
Can't rate	14.1% 70	11.9% 14	23.1% 6	15.2% 14	14.5% 30	16.7% 1	14.3% 135
Refused	4.0% 20	5.9% 7	3.8% 1	7.6% 7	4.8% 10	16.7% 1	4.9% 46
Missing	557	159	23	86	227	6	1058
TOTAL	100% 495	100% 118	100% 26	100% 92	100% 207	100% 6	944

Opinion of non-religious people by Church attendance (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	More than once a week	Once a week	Once or twice a month	A few times a year	Seldom	Never	Missing	TOTAL
Very favorable	9.6% 12	8.9% 23	4.5% 7	10.2% 18	9.4% 13	13.8% 11	0	9.0% 84
Mostly favorable	28.0% 35	34.1% 88	50.3% 79	50.8% 90	55.8% 77	48.8% 39	1	43.6% 408
Mostly unfavorable	21.6% 27	25.2% 65	20.4% 32	16.4% 29	10.9% 15	10.0% 8	1	18.8% 176
Very unfavorable	19.2% 24	12.4% 32	10.8% 17	4.5% 8	2.9% 4	6.3% 5	1	9.6% 90
Never heard of	0.0% 0	0.4% 1	0.6% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0	0.2% 2
Can't rate	17.6% 22	12.8% 33	9.6% 15	15.3% 27	15.9% 22	16.3% 13	3	14.1% 132
Refused	4.0% 5	6.2% 16	3.8% 6	2.8% 5	5.1% 7	5.0% 4	3	4.6% 43
Missing	186	274	165	181	155	91	6	1058
TOTAL	100% 125	100% 258	100% 157	100% 177	100% 138	100% 80	15	935

Notes

This project investigated the public's attitudes on religion and public life. The survey was commissioned by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (www.people-press.org) and produced two reports. The first report addressed America’s struggle with religion in the post 9-11 climate. The second report examined the public’s attitudes about genetic research.