GALLUP POLL: CHURCHGOERS SPLIT ON OPINION OF MORMONS

Source: Religion Today

A new Gallup poll found that U.S. residents’ favorable and unfavorable views of the Mormon religion are almost evenly split. Forty-six percent say they have an unfavorable opinion of the Mormon religion in general while 42 percent have a favorable opinion. Those who attend church regularly tend to have highly negative views of Mormons. Americans who seldom or never attend church are more likely to have a favorable view. When asked what comes to mind first when they think about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the most listed term was “polygamy” among both parties who have favorable and unfavorable opinions. Those holding favorable views of the Mormon religion also listed “good people/kind/caring/strong morals” while those with unfavorable views listed “dislike their beliefs/don’t agree with their doctrine/false teachings.” The poll comes on the heels of questions about Mormon presidential candidate Mitt Romney who has also been invited as the commencement speaker at Regent University, an evangelical Christian institution in Virginia Beach, Va.