Among attenders, Democrats much more likely than Republicans to say their house of worship should be closed Among U.S. adults who typically attend religious services at least monthly or attended in person in the last month, % who say the house of worship they attend most often should currently be on
When asked what they think their own house of worship should be doing, the survey finds substantial differences between Republican and Democratic religious attenders – but majorities in both groups favor some level of caution about the virus. (In this analysis, regular attenders are those who said before the pandemic that they typically attend services at least once or twice a month, as well as those who attended in person in the last month prior to when the survey was conducted July 13 to 19.)
Among regularly attending Democrats, 44% think their house of worship should not be open to the public at all – much larger than the share of Republicans who say the same (16%). But most Republican attenders (64%) say that their house of worship should be open with precautions in place due to the coronavirus outbreak, such as requiring that congregants remain 6 feet apart or wear masks, or limiting the number of people who can attend at one time. About half of Democratic congregants (48%) prefer this approach.
Among attenders, Democrats much more likely than  | Republicans to say their house of worship should be  | closed  | Among U.S. adults who typically attend religious services at least  | monthly or attended in person in the last month, % who say the  | house of worship they attend most often should currently be on  | holding Open to the public and  | Open to the public and  | holding services in same  | public NOT popen in-person to the  | holding services, but with  | holding way that it did before  | public for in-person  | changes as a result of  | religious services in-person  | coronavirus outbreak  | the coronavirus outbreak  | 13%  | 57%  | 28%  | Total  | 19  | 64  | Rep./lean Rep.  | 16  | Dem./lean Dem.  | 6  | 48  | 44  | Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.  | Source: Survey conducted July 13- 19, 2020, among U.S. adults  | "Americans Oppose Religious Exemptions From Coronavirus Related Restrictions  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 