The following tables compare Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Unitarian (Universalist) 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 | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | Unitarian (Universalist) |
| Percent that live in the South. | 15.1% | 32.1% |
| Percent that are currently a citizen of the United States | 99.5% | 99.4% |
| Percent that are 60 or older | 53.4% | 48.5% |
| Percent female | 55.4% | 62.4% |
| Percent of Hispanic origin or descent | 0.8% | 4.8% |
| Percent that are white | 95.3% | 92.1% |
| Percent born in the United States | 97.8% | 95.8% |
| Percent that are currently married | 61.3% | 50.9% |
| Percent with a family income of less than $40,000 a year | 24.8% | 19.4% |
| Percent that have a B.A., B.S. or other 4-year college degree | 49% | 77.6% |
Moral Attitudes | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | Unitarian (Universalist) |
| Percent that believe that there are clear and absolute standards for what is right and wrong | 32.6% | 15.2% |
| Percent that think homosexuality should be accepted by society | 72.9% | 95.2% |
| Percent that "strongly favor" allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally | 28.9% | 69.1% |
| Percent that think more women in the workforce is a change for the worse | 9.7% | 3% |
| Percent that think that more people having children without getting married is a change for the worse | 63.2% | 33.9% |
| Percent that believe that abortion should be illegal in all cases | 3.7% | 0.6% |
Other Beliefs and Attitudes | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | Unitarian (Universalist) |
| Percent that are very satisfied with their health | 58% | 48.5% |
| Percent that are "very satisfied" with family life | 72.7% | 66.7% |
| Percent that say they are "very happy" with life these days | 34% | 37% |
| Percent that believe that humans and other living beings evolved over time | 67.7% | 91.5% |
Political Attitudes | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | Unitarian (Universalist) |
| Percent Republican | 27% | 3.6% |
| Percent that are conservative or very conservative | 33.4% | 3.6% |
| Percent that are not registered to vote | 8.3% | 7.3% |
| Percent that personally know anyone who is gay or lesbian | 86.9% | 97% |
| Percent that believe that government aid to the poor does more harm than good | 45.6% | 12.1% |
| Percent that think that growing immigration is a change for the worse | 41% | 15.2% |
| Percent that believe that stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost. | 60.1% | 86.1% |
| Percent that would prefer a smaller government, with fewer services | 62.9% | 22.4% |
Religious Beliefs | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | Unitarian (Universalist) |
| Percent that believe in God or a universal spirit | 98.4% | 64.8% |
| Percent that believe in Heaven | 84.1% | 17% |
| Percent that believe in Hell | 56.8% | 6.7% |
| Percent that believe in reincarnation | 0% | 0% |
| Percent that say religion is a very important part of their life | 63.7% | 27.9% |
| Percent that believe their holy book is the word of God | 64.4% | 6.1% |
| Percent that believe that their church or denomination should preserve its traditional beliefs and practices | 33.9% | 6.7% |
| Percent that look most to "religious teachings and beliefs" when it comes to questions of right and wrong | 33.5% | 3.6% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations bring people together and strengthen community bonds | 96.4% | 86.7% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations play an important role in helping the poor and needy | 94.1% | 86.7% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations protect and strengthen morality in society | 84.1% | 47.3% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations are too involved with politics | 39% | 61.8% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations are too concerned with money and power | 41.7% | 72.1% |
| Percent that believe that churches and other religious organizations focus too much on rules | 40.4% | 77% |
| Percent that think about the meaning and purpose of life at least once a week | 51% | 54.5% |
| Percent that feel a strong sense of gratitude or thankfulness at least once a week | 82.7% | 83% |
| Percent that feel a deep sense of wonder about the universe at least once a week | 46.8% | 63.6% |
| Percent that feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being at least once a week | 60.7% | 56.4% |
| Percent that think many religions can lead to eternal life | 87.5% | 84.2% |
Religious Practices | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | Unitarian (Universalist) |
| Percent that are members of a local house of worship | 78% | 59.4% |
| Percent that pray at least once a day | 59.9% | 23% |
| Percent that meditate at least once a week | 37.9% | 50.3% |
| Percent that attend religious services at least once a week | 41.5% | 27.3% |
| Percent that read scripture outside of religious services at least once a week | 29.3% | 6.7% |
| Percent that participate in prayer groups, Scripture study groups or religious education programs at least once a week | 18.6% | 6.7% |
| Percent that share their faith with "non-believers or people from other relgious backgrounds" at least once a week | 13.3% | 7.9% |
| Percent that did volunteer work in the last seven days | 42.6% | 53.3% |
| Percent that speak in tongues at least once a month | 7.3% | 0% |
