Sponsored by the Ethics & Public Policy Center, a non-partisan think tank, and Beliefnet, the survey was based on a national sample of leaders of Evangelical organizations, ranging from churches and missionary associations to relief agencies and political groups. It was conducted in the fall of 2002 under the direction of Prof. John Green of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, and was supported with a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts. The results were released April 7, 2003.
Overall View of Islam
How Should the Evangelical Community Interact with Muslims?
Views of Samaritan's Purse*
Views of Islamic Beliefs and Practice
Views on Related Foreign Policy Issues
*Samaritan's Purse is the Christian humanitarian aid organization run by Franklin Graham.
**Survey taken before war in Iraq began.
Overall View of Islam
Favorable | Neutral | Unfavorable |
13% | 10 | 77 |
How Should the Evangelical Community Interact with Muslims?
Very Important | Some Importance | Not Important | |
Insist on Truth of the Gospel | 89% | 9 | 3 |
Evangelize U.S. Muslims | 83% | 14 | 3 |
Evangelize Muslims abroad | 81% | 16 | 3 |
Protect the rights of Muslims | 79% | 20 | 1 |
Dialogue with Muslims | 54% | 41 | 5 |
Welcome Muslims into the American community | 52% | 41 | 7 |
Views of Samaritan's Purse*
Favorable | Neutral | Unfavorable |
89% | 9 | 2 |
Views of Islamic Beliefs and Practice
Agree | Neutral | Disagree | |
Islam opposes religious freedom | 76% | 14 | 10 |
Islam opposes pluralism/democracy | 72% | 22 | 6 |
Sharia violates human rights | 72% | 21 | 7 |
Islam is a religion of violence | 70% | 9 | 20 |
Islam dedicated to world domination | 66% | 22 | 12 |
Terrorists have "hijacked" Islam | 62% | 11 | 27 |
Islam preaches justice and moral values | 52% | 16 | 32 |
American Muslims committed to Democratic values | 30% | 47 | 23 |
Muslims/Christian pray to same God | 17% | 4 | 79 |
Islam is a religion of peace | 10% | 19 | 71 |
All of the world's great religions are equally true and good | 2% | 11 | 89 |
Views on Related Foreign Policy Issues
Agree | Neutral | Disagree | |
U.S. should take all necessary steps to win the "war on terrorism" | 73% | 14 | 13 |
The war against terrorism is basically a war between the West and Islam | 45% | 10 | 45 |
Stopping religious persecution a top priority of American foreign policy | 73% | 14 | 13 |
U.S. should use military force against Saddam Hussein in Iraq** | 59% | 22 | 19 |
U.S. should back Israel over the Palestinians in the Middle East | 60% | 9 | 31 |
U.S. should support a free and independent Palestinian state | 52% | 16 | 31 |
U.S. policies are partly responsible for the attacks of September 11 | 33% | 10 | 57 |
U.S. should accept jurisdiction of new world court | 18% | 15 | 67 |
There will be no peace with Islamic nations until poverty is eliminated | 9% | 20 | 71 |
Immigrants harm society by bringing in strange customs and beliefs | 8% | 7 | 85 |
The American attack on Afghanistan was unjust and immoral | 7% | 5 | 89 |
U.S. should mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along the best they can on their own | 4% | 6 | 91 |
*Samaritan's Purse is the Christian humanitarian aid organization run by Franklin Graham.
**Survey taken before war in Iraq began.