The belief that the federal government is a threat to Americans’ religious rights has surged under Pres. Biden, beyond that of both the Trump and Obama presidencies, a new national survey reveals.
A Rasmussen survey (conducted March 21, 24-25) finds that 56% of U.S. likely voters now say that the federal government poses a threat to religious rights, up from 38% in October of 2017 (under Trump) and 48% in July of 2014 (under Obama).
Today, more than twice as many voters consider the federal government a “threat,” instead of a “protector,” of religious rights (56% vs. 26%), the survey finds. The remaining 17% say they’re not sure.
The Biden Administration has been increasingly prompting concern regarding religious freedom, particularly within the Christian community. From sending a SWAT team brandishing weapons to arrest a pro-life activist, to classifying traditional Catholics as domestic terrorists, to insulting Christians by designating Easter Sunday “Transgender Day,” the Biden regime has consistently raised fears that it is attacking religious rights.
Fully 78% of Americans who believe their rights come from God, and not from the federal government or U.S. Constitution, view the federal government as a threat to their religious rights.
Conversely, only 28% of those who say their rights are given by the federal government perceive a threat. Among those who see the Constitution as the source of their rights, just over half (53%) think the government poses a threat.
Four times as many voters say politicians do not “govern as though they believe in God” as say they do (59% vs. 15%), according to a separate question asked in the survey.
Nearly three-fourths (72%) of those who think most politicians in Washington, D.C. do not govern as though they believe in God view the federal government as a threat to religious rights. But, a 54% majority of those who believe D.C. politicians are guided by faith also consider them “protectors” of religious rights.
Among all voters, 26% say their rights come from God, 10% credit the federal government and 60% cite the U.S. Constitution. Voters under 40 are the most likely to think the government is responsible (17%) for their rights, compared to only 6% of older Americans.
Ironically, the U.S. Declaration of Independence expressly declares that all people are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable” and that governments are instituted “to secure these rights.” It goes on to express “a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.”
While 33% of Republican voters and 26% of unaffiliated voters see their rights as coming from God, just 19% of Democrats agree.
Meanwhile, Democrats (15%) are more likely than Republicans (5%) or those belonging to neither party (8%) to think their rights are handed down by the federal government. About sixty percent of Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters all share the belief that the Constitution bequeaths their rights.
President Joe Biden’s greatest supporters are least likely to think of their rights as God-given (7%), while 37% of those who “strongly disapprove” of his job performance believe God bestows rights.