September 29, 2022
Extra folks approve than disapprove of a current Supreme Court docket choice permitting a public highschool soccer coach to hope on the sector. Greater than 6 in 10 suppose a coach who leads the workforce in prayer, a participant who leads the workforce in prayer or a coach who prays on the sector with out asking the workforce to hitch in ought to be allowed in public sports activities highschool occasions.
Few Individuals fear that the Supreme Court docket's choice will make college students really feel pressured to take part in prayer or that college students will really feel much less welcome to take part in highschool sports activities. Most don’t suppose the court docket's ruling will result in extra public college officers praying with college students throughout college hours. And solely 30% of the general public really feel that faith has an excessive amount of affect on what youngsters be taught in school.
In relation to skilled sports activities, extra folks approve than disapprove {of professional} athletes praying on the sector or publicly expressing their religion. 45 % approve {of professional} athletes sporting non secular symbols on the sector. Nevertheless, solely 30% approve {of professional} athletes kneeling throughout the nationwide anthem.
Most individuals didn't pay shut consideration to the Supreme Court docket's choice a couple of highschool coach praying on the sector after video games. Solely 32% have learn or heard about it. Sixty-eight % hadn't heard a lot about it, together with 45% who stated they hadn't heard or learn something in any respect.
After receiving an outline of the end result, extra folks approve than disapprove of the Supreme Court docket's choice, particularly born-again Christians, individuals who take into account faith necessary, and Republicans.
Democrats are extra seemingly than Republicans to say they’re involved about how the Supreme Court docket choice may have an effect on public schooling. Thus, adults and not using a school diploma and those that favor faith will not be involved in regards to the potential penalties of this choice.
Though most individuals will not be fearful in regards to the implications of the current Supreme Court docket choice, there’s disagreement about which non secular practices ought to be allowed in public colleges. Democrats are extra seemingly than Republicans to oppose academics main a classroom prayer, college students main a classroom prayer, academics praying with out asking the category to hitch in, or non secular leaders praying at commencement.
Individuals are additionally divided on whether or not faith has an excessive amount of affect on what youngsters be taught in class. Democrats and those that don’t personally favor faith usually tend to say that non secular affect on schooling is simply too nice. However only one in 4 adults imagine faith has an excessive amount of affect on public highschool sports activities, school sports activities {and professional} sports activities.
Extra folks favor than oppose skilled sports activities groups taking part in “God Bless America” and the nationwide anthem earlier than sporting occasions. Republicans are extra seemingly than Democrats to favor “God Bless America” (84% vs. 32%) and the nationwide anthem (88% vs. 54%) performed earlier than video games.
Few adults disapprove {of professional} athletes praying on the sector or publicly expressing their religion. Nevertheless, opinions on skilled sports activities gamers kneeling throughout the nationwide anthem are extra divided: 30% approve of this type of protest and 37% disapprove.
Almost 3 in 10 adults really feel that God or prayer can play a task in figuring out which workforce wins a sporting occasion. 1 / 4 declare that superstitions or rituals can affect which workforce wins the sport.
Greater than half of born-again Protestants really feel God and prayer play a task in figuring out which sports activities workforce wins a sport. This compares with a couple of quarter of mainline Protestants and a couple of third of Catholics.
Nineteen % of the general public prays for what occurs within the center, excessive or skilled video games. Amongst mother and father of a school-age youngster, 33% pray for the end result of their youngster's sporting occasions.
A couple of quarter of Catholics and born-again Protestants say they prayed for the end result of a highschool or school sporting occasion, in comparison with about 1 in 10 of mainline Protestants and folks with no non secular affiliation.
The statewide survey was performed September 9-12, 2022 utilizing the AmeriSpeak® Panel, a probability-based NORC panel on the College of Chicago. On-line and phone interviews utilizing landlines and cellphones had been performed with 1,054 adults. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.9 proportion factors.