Gallup Index Shows Public's Negative Rating for Organized Religion

January 10, 2003

Source: Religious News Service

http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=1894

On January 10, 2003 the Religious News Service reported that "the Gallup Index of Leading Religious Indicators has reached its lowest level ever, demonstrating the public's most negative overall rating for organized religion since the index began in 1940... The index, a broad assessment of the religiosity of Americans, is based on eight measurements of religious beliefs and practices. A 'perfect score' would be 1,000. The 2002 figure is 641, a 30-point drop from the 2001 figure of 671, the Gallup Organization announced Tuesday (Jan. 7)... Researchers attribute the decrease to the influence of the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal. In 2002, 52 percent of Americans gave very high or high ratings to ethical standards of clergy, compared to 64 percent in 2001."