Nearly half of Gen Z adults say Christian support for Trump keeps them from church
A Billy Graham Center Research Institute survey of 2,365 adults aged 18 to 28 found that 48 percent are less inclined to attend church because of the backing some Christians have given Donald Trump
Forty-eight percent of Generation Z adults say they are less inclined to attend church because of the support some Christians have shown for Donald Trump, according to a study by the Billy Graham Center Research Institute.
The survey polled 2,365 adults between the ages of 18 and 28 from August 9 to September 26, 2024. It used the AmeriSpeak panel run by NORC, a research organization at the University of Chicago, with funding from the Lilly Endowment. Rick Richardson, a professor at Wheaton College in Illinois, directed the research.
About one in five respondents said they "strongly agreed" that Christian support for Trump has made them less likely to attend church. Another 21 percent strongly disagreed.
Political affiliation shaped the answers. Two-thirds of Democrats said the association between Trump and Christians has kept them from attending church, rising to 76 percent among those who identify as "strong Democrats." Among Republicans, 25 percent said the connection has affected their attendance. Independents fell in between, with 42 percent saying Christian support for Trump has made them less likely to attend religious services.
Religious affiliation also made a difference. Among Gen Z atheists, 72 percent said Christian backing for Trump has reduced their interest in attending church, as did 65 percent of agnostics. Among those who describe their religion as "nothing in particular," a slight majority agreed.
The findings do not show that this is the only reason some young adults stay away from church, and several factors may contribute. Among young Christians who attend church weekly, 38 percent said support for Trump has been an obstacle to their attendance, compared with 40 percent of those who never attend.
The study suggests church attendance among young adults could rise if the association between Christianity and the Republican Party weakened. About 20 percent of Generation Z attends church regularly, while the remaining 80 percent are divided over whether Christian support for Trump has influenced their decision not to attend.
