Study Reveals Christian Nationalist Views Held by Almost 30% of Minnesotans, Majority among Republicans
ICARO Media Group
According to a recent survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), nearly three in ten residents of Minnesota, including a majority of Republicans, hold Christian nationalist views. The survey aimed to gauge support for an aggressive fusion of church and state, with an emphasis on the belief in "Christian primacy in politics and law."
The PRRI study categorized respondents based on their levels of agreement with five statements related to Christian nationalism. These statements included: the declaration of America as a Christian nation, the foundation of U.S. laws on Christian values, the potential loss of the country without Christian foundations, the importance of Christianity in being truly American, and the belief that Christians are called to hold dominion over all areas of American society.
Among the 450 Minnesotans surveyed, 8% were classified as adherents to Christian nationalism, while an additional 20% were identified as sympathizers. On the other hand, 39% were labeled as skeptics, and 29% rejected all five notions entirely. The breakdown of these categories among Americans as a whole closely mirrored the Minnesota findings.
Regarding political affiliations, the survey showed that 53% of Republicans in Minnesota were adherents or sympathizers of Christian nationalism. Independents, on the other hand, were mostly skeptical of these views, with 50% falling into this category. Notably, a significant majority of Democrats in the state rejected Christian nationalism.
The study also revealed that Christian nationalists in comparison to other Americans were less likely to possess a four-year degree, more likely to be over the age of 50, more likely to identify as Republicans, and more likely to identify as born-again or evangelical Christians. Additionally, support for Christian nationalism was particularly strong in conservative rural states, like neighboring North Dakota, where half of the adult population espoused such views. Support was also evident in Republican strongholds along the Gulf Coast and parts of Appalachia.
The PRRI report highlighted that Christian nationalists tend to view political struggles through an apocalyptic lens of revolution and violence. Approximately half of adherents and sympathizers believe that a storm is imminent, which will overthrow the current elites and restore the rightful leaders. This belief was shared by only 22% of skeptics and a mere 7% of rejectors. Furthermore, over one-third of Christian nationalists agree that "true American patriots may have to resort to violence to save the country," while only 17% of skeptics and 7% of rejectors expressed the same sentiment.
The study's findings shed light on the prevalence of Christian nationalist views among Minnesotans and the political landscape in the state. However, it is important to note that the margin of error for the Minnesota sample was +/- 5.8 percentage points, while for the national sample it was +/- 0.8 percentage points.
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