The following tables compare Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and United Methodist Church respondents on a variety of attitudes and experiences using data from the 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, collected by Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
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Demographics | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | United Methodist Church |
| Percent that live in the South. | 15.1% | 47% |
| Percent that are currently a citizen of the United States | 99.5% | 98.9% |
| Percent that are 60 or older | 53.4% | 54.6% |
| Percent female | 55.4% | 56.6% |
| Percent of Hispanic origin or descent | 0.8% | 1.5% |
| Percent that are white | 95.3% | 95.5% |
| Percent born in the United States | 97.8% | 97% |
| Percent that are currently married | 61.3% | 60.4% |
| Percent with a family income of less than $40,000 a year | 24.8% | 25.9% |
| Percent that have a B.A., B.S. or other 4-year college degree | 49% | 49.9% |
Moral Attitudes | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | United Methodist Church |
| Percent that believe that there are clear and absolute standards for what is right and wrong | 32.6% | 38.4% |
| Percent that think homosexuality should be accepted by society | 72.9% | 60.1% |
| Percent that "strongly favor" allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally | 28.9% | 17.9% |
| Percent that think more women in the workforce is a change for the worse | 9.7% | 9.7% |
| Percent that think that more people having children without getting married is a change for the worse | 63.2% | 67.6% |
| Percent that believe that abortion should be illegal in all cases | 3.7% | 6.5% |
Other Beliefs and Attitudes | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | United Methodist Church |
| Percent that are very satisfied with their health | 58% | 54.8% |
| Percent that are "very satisfied" with family life | 72.7% | 75.6% |
| Percent that say they are "very happy" with life these days | 34% | 36.3% |
| Percent that believe that humans and other living beings evolved over time | 67.7% | 63.5% |
Political Attitudes | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | United Methodist Church |
| Percent Republican | 27% | 40.7% |
| Percent that are conservative or very conservative | 33.4% | 44.6% |
| Percent that are not registered to vote | 8.3% | 7% |
| Percent that personally know anyone who is gay or lesbian | 86.9% | 84.9% |
| Percent that believe that government aid to the poor does more harm than good | 45.6% | 53.7% |
| Percent that think that growing immigration is a change for the worse | 41% | 46.2% |
| Percent that believe that stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost. | 60.1% | 53% |
| Percent that would prefer a smaller government, with fewer services | 62.9% | 68.6% |
Religious Beliefs | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | United Methodist Church |
| Percent that believe in God or a universal spirit | 98.4% | 98.3% |
| Percent that believe in Heaven | 84.1% | 83.6% |
| Percent that believe in Hell | 56.8% | 61% |
| Percent that believe in reincarnation | 0% | 0% |
| Percent that say religion is a very important part of their life | 63.7% | 62.1% |
| Percent that believe their holy book is the word of God | 64.4% | 69.1% |
| Percent that believe that their church or denomination should preserve its traditional beliefs and practices | 33.9% | 39% |
| Percent that look most to "religious teachings and beliefs" when it comes to questions of right and wrong | 33.5% | 37.1% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations bring people together and strengthen community bonds | 96.4% | 95.4% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations play an important role in helping the poor and needy | 94.1% | 94.2% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations protect and strengthen morality in society | 84.1% | 88.1% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations are too involved with politics | 39% | 36.8% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations are too concerned with money and power | 41.7% | 40.8% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations focus too much on rules | 40.4% | 37.4% |
| Percent that think about the meaning and purpose of life at least once a week | 51% | 51% |
| Percent that feel a strong sense of gratitude or thankfulness at least once a week | 82.7% | 83.9% |
| Percent that feel a deep sense of wonder about the universe at least once a week | 46.8% | 43.9% |
| Percent that feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being at least once a week | 60.7% | 63.1% |
| Percent that think many religions can lead to eternal life | 87.5% | 82.5% |
Religious Practices | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | United Methodist Church |
| Percent that are members of a local house of worship | 78% | 72.6% |
| Percent that pray at least once a day | 59.9% | 61.9% |
| Percent that meditate at least once a week | 37.9% | 42.9% |
| Percent that attend religious services at least once a week | 41.5% | 46% |
| Percent that read scripture outside of religious services at least once a week | 29.3% | 38.7% |
| Percent that participate in prayer groups, Scripture study groups or religious education programs at least once a week | 18.6% | 25.1% |
| Percent that share their faith with "non-believers or people from other relgious backgrounds" at least once a week | 13.3% | 15.8% |
| Percent that did volunteer work in the last seven days | 42.6% | 40.8% |
| Percent that speak in tongues at least once a month | 7.3% | 6.2% |
