Beliefs, and believers, come in many shapes and sizes, and not all of
them can be described as 'religious'. This programme provides an
introduction to a fascinating range of non-religious people and their
beliefs.
In general, the public is not unduly concerned over the nation's
growing religious diversity. However, certain groups are worried about
a rise of secularism. More generally, there is fairly broad
dissatisfaction with the way the news media and Hollywood treat
religion and religious people.
Less than half of Americans (45%) say the news media is fair in its
portrayal of people who share their religious faith. Even fewer (35%)
say Hollywood and the entertainment industry are fair in this regard.
White evangelical Protestants are among the most likely to feel that
they are mistreated by major media outlets. More than half of white
evangelicals (53%) think that the news media is unfair in its portrayal
of people who share their religious faith, compared to less than
one-third of white Catholics and white mainline Protestants. This view
is especially prevalent among highly-committed evangelicals; 62% say
they are portrayed unfairly.
An even bigger concern among white evangelicals is how they are
portrayed in movies and entertainment television programs. More than
two-thirds (68%) think Hollywood and the entertainment industry are
unfair to them. By comparison, white mainline Protestants and Catholics
are significantly less concerned, though a substantial 46% of Catholics
also feel their religion is portrayed unfairly by the entertainment
industry. Black Protestants fall somewhere in the middle, with 58%
saying they are portrayed unfairly in movies and on TV.
It is the most committed membership within all of these major
religious traditions who are most likely to feel they are
misrepresented by Hollywood. Two-thirds (65%) of the most highly
religious Americans -- those who go to church and pray regularly and
for whom religion is an important part of their life -- believe that
the way their religion is portrayed by Hollywood and the entertainment
industry is unfair. Just one-third of those with relatively weak
religious ties feel the same. Nearly three-quarters of highly committed
white evangelicals think Hollywood portrays them unfairly.
