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
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.
