The following tables compare Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Atheist (do not believe in God) 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.
Return to the selection page to change the comparison groups.
Demographics | Atheist (do not believe in God) | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) |
| Percent that live in the South. | 25.8% | 15.1% |
| Percent that are currently a citizen of the United States | 96.6% | 99.5% |
| Percent that are 60 or older | 21.5% | 53.4% |
| Percent female | 30.1% | 55.4% |
| Percent of Hispanic origin or descent | 8.1% | 0.8% |
| Percent that are white | 85.5% | 95.3% |
| Percent born in the United States | 88.4% | 97.8% |
| Percent that are currently married | 42.3% | 61.3% |
| Percent with a family income of less than $40,000 a year | 26% | 24.8% |
| Percent that have a B.A., B.S. or other 4-year college degree | 60.3% | 49% |
Moral Attitudes | Atheist (do not believe in God) | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) |
| Percent that believe that there are clear and absolute standards for what is right and wrong | 14.7% | 32.6% |
| Percent that think homosexuality should be accepted by society | 94.4% | 72.9% |
| Percent that "strongly favor" allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally | 65.2% | 28.9% |
| Percent that think more women in the workforce is a change for the worse | 1.7% | 9.7% |
| Percent that think that more people having children without getting married is a change for the worse | 25.7% | 63.2% |
| Percent that believe that abortion should be illegal in all cases | 2.6% | 3.7% |
Other Beliefs and Attitudes | Atheist (do not believe in God) | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) |
| Percent that are very satisfied with their health | 55.5% | 58% |
| Percent that are "very satisfied" with family life | 67.2% | 72.7% |
| Percent that say they are "very happy" with life these days | 30.2% | 34% |
| Percent that believe that humans and other living beings evolved over time | 95.6% | 67.7% |
Political Attitudes | Atheist (do not believe in God) | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) |
| Percent Republican | 5.6% | 27% |
| Percent that are conservative or very conservative | 8.4% | 33.4% |
| Percent that are not registered to vote | 16.5% | 8.3% |
| Percent that personally know anyone who is gay or lesbian | 94.4% | 86.9% |
| Percent that believe that government aid to the poor does more harm than good | 20.9% | 45.6% |
| Percent that think that growing immigration is a change for the worse | 13% | 41% |
| Percent that believe that stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost. | 83.3% | 60.1% |
| Percent that would prefer a smaller government, with fewer services | 37.2% | 62.9% |
Religious Beliefs | Atheist (do not believe in God) | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) |
| Percent that believe in God or a universal spirit | 7.3% | 98.4% |
| Percent that believe in Heaven | 3.8% | 84.1% |
| Percent that believe in Hell | 2.8% | 56.8% |
| Percent that believe in reincarnation | 0% | 0% |
| Percent that say religion is a very important part of their life | 2% | 63.7% |
| Percent that believe their holy book is the word of God | 1.4% | 64.4% |
| Percent that believe that their church or denomination should preserve its traditional beliefs and practices | 0% | 33.9% |
| Percent that look most to "religious teachings and beliefs" when it comes to questions of right and wrong | 0.6% | 33.5% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations bring people together and strengthen community bonds | 74% | 96.4% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations play an important role in helping the poor and needy | 72% | 94.1% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations protect and strengthen morality in society | 30% | 84.1% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations are too involved with politics | 85% | 39% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations are too concerned with money and power | 76.9% | 41.7% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations focus too much on rules | 79.1% | 40.4% |
| Percent that think about the meaning and purpose of life at least once a week | 35.1% | 51% |
| Percent that feel a strong sense of gratitude or thankfulness at least once a week | 61.7% | 82.7% |
| Percent that feel a deep sense of wonder about the universe at least once a week | 53.7% | 46.8% |
| Percent that feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being at least once a week | 32.7% | 60.7% |
| Percent that think many religions can lead to eternal life | 0% | 87.5% |
Religious Practices | Atheist (do not believe in God) | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) |
| Percent that are members of a local house of worship | 2.8% | 78% |
| Percent that pray at least once a day | 1.5% | 59.9% |
| Percent that meditate at least once a week | 19.9% | 37.9% |
| Percent that attend religious services at least once a week | 1.3% | 41.5% |
| Percent that read scripture outside of religious services at least once a week | 2.4% | 29.3% |
| Percent that participate in prayer groups, Scripture study groups or religious education programs at least once a week | 1% | 18.6% |
| Percent that share their faith with "non-believers or people from other relgious backgrounds" at least once a week | 0% | 13.3% |
| Percent that did volunteer work in the last seven days | 31.9% | 42.6% |
| Percent that speak in tongues at least once a month | 0% | 7.3% |
