Politics Hijacks Science & Religion

In a well-functioning social order, science and religion would both be regarded as entirely apolitical cultural institutions. But in the United States today, both have taken on the character of political identity markers. It seems that Americans’ professed attitudes toward science and religion increasingly tell us more about their politics than about their actual attitudes toward science and religion, which is itself stark evidence of how politically obsessed we’ve become.

A recent piece by Carol Kuruvilla published by the Religion News Service highlights the fascinating trends that have been observed over time pertaining to the public’s perception of science and religion as spheres of authority. She points to the work of the sociologists Timothy O’Brien and Shiri Noy, who examined the last 50 years’ worth of data collected by the General Social Survey, along with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, on Americans’ confidence in cultural institutions. “The researchers found that in the 1970s, Republicans were more likely to place their confidence in science than religion, while the opposite was true of Democrats. By 2018, these attitudes had completely reversed.”

About the Author

Cameron Hilditch

Cameron Hilditch was a 2020-2021 William F. Buckley Fellow in Political Journalism at National Review Institute.

Featured Tags

Manage following

Science

In a well-functioning social order, science and religion would both be regarded as entirely apolitical cultural institutions. But in the United States today, both have taken on the character of political identity markers. It seems that Americans’ professed attitudes toward science and religion increasingly tell us more about their politics than about their actual attitudes toward science and religion, which is itself stark evidence of how politically obsessed we’ve become.

A recent piece by Carol Kuruvilla published by the Religion News Service highlights the fascinating trends that have been observed over time pertaining to the public’s perception of science and religion as spheres of authority. She points to the work of the sociologists Timothy O’Brien and Shiri Noy, who examined the last 50 years’ worth of data collected by the General Social Survey, along with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, on Americans’ confidence in cultural institutions. “The researchers found that in the 1970s, Republicans were more likely to place their confidence in science than religion, while the opposite was true of Democrats. By 2018, these attitudes had completely reversed.”