Across religious groups, black Americans say topics such as race relations should religious be a priority groups, for sermons; most white Amer icans disagree How important is it for churches and other houses of worship to offer sermons that address political topics important such as immigration and race relations?
Six-in-ten black adults (62%) say it is important for houses of worship to address “political topics such as immigration and race relations” – including 23% who say covering these topics is “essential.” By contrast, 36% of white Americans say it is important for sermons to deal with these topics, and only 8% say it is essential. Four-in-ten white Americans (42%) say these themes should not be discussed in sermons. Hispanics are more divided on this issue than black or white Americans are; about half (53%) say it is important for sermons to cover political issues.
Across religious groups, black Americans say topics such as race relations  | should religious be a priority groups, for sermons; most white Amer icans disagree  | How important is it for churches and other houses of worship to offer sermons that address political  | topics important such as immigration and race relations?  | Important, but  | NET  | Not  | Shouldn't  | Essential not essential  | Important  | important  | be done  | All ULS adults  | 43%  | 20%  | 35%  | 13%  | 30%  | White  | 8  | 28  | 36  | 20  | 42  | Black  | 23  | 39  | 62  | 16  | 18  | Hispanic  | 21  | 33  | 53  | 20  | 25  | Protestant  | 32  | 43  | 21  | 34  | 12  | 39 35 62 47 40 53  | White evangelical  | 29  | 36  | 10  | 23  | White, not evangelical 7  | 28  | 21  | 43  | 17  | Black Protestant  | 23  | 39  | 18  | Catholic  | 16  | 31  | 21  | 31  | White Catholic  | 9  | 30  | 22  | 36  | Hispanic Catholic  | 24  | 29  | 19  | 25  | Unaffiliated  | 40  | 12  | 28  | 19  | 40  | White unaffiliated  | 7  | 32  | 26  | 18  | 47  | Black unaffiliated  | 22  | 39  | 61  | 16  | 20  | Hispanic unaffiliated  | 23  | 32  | 55  | 19  | 25  | Note: Those who did not answer are not shown. Blacks and whites are not Hispanic; Hispanics are of any race.  | Source: Survey conducted Jan. 21 Feb 3, 2020, among U.S adults  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 