New survey: Christians are less motivated to address racial injustice this year than last year

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – While the police killing of George Floyd sparked a nationwide and international conversation about racism and its effects, a new survey has found that practicing US Christians are less likely to acknowledge racial injustice this year (43%) than they were in 2019 (46%). Moreover, there was an increase in the percentage of those who said race is not a problem in America at all (19% in 2020, up from 11% in 2019), Barna reports.

The study surveyed 1,525 American adults online between June 18 and July 6 2020 via a national consumer panel. Respondents were separately classified as “Practicing Christians” if they said their faith is very important in their lives and had participated in a church service during the past month. Others who said they were of the faith were classified as “Self-identified” Christians.

When asked how motivated they are to “address racial injustice in our society,” respondents who self-identified as Christians were found to be less motivated this year than last year (2019: 10% unmotivated, 9% not at all motivated; 2020: 12% unmotivated, 18% not at all motivate). A total of 30% are unmotivated overall in 2020.

The number of practicing Christians who were not motivated has also increased to 30% in 2020. In 2019, 9% were unmotivated and 8% were not at all motivated. The figures for this year are 12% unmotivated, 18% not at all motivated.

Therefore, Barna said in its report: “In one year, that’s more than a 11 percentage point increase overall in Christians who are uninspired to address racial injustice, including a doubling of those who say they are not at all motivated in both the practicing and self-identified groups.”

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