ABC News: Religious freedom in America: popular and polarizing
UC Scholar Andrew Lewis weighs in religious freedom in America
In an Associated Press story shared by dozens of media outlets, the University of Cincinnati’s politics and religion expert Andrew Lewis speaks to a new religious freedoms poll conducted by the University of Chicago Divinity School and Tthe Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Lewis, an associate political science professor who focuses on religion, said a “polarization of religious freedom” has developed over the last two decades, with potentially negative consequences.
In the poll, 77% of liberals said Muslims’ freedoms were threatened at least somewhat, compared with 32% of conservatives. Liberals also were roughly three times more likely than conservatives to perceive threats to atheists and Buddhists, and somewhat more likely to perceive threats to Jews, 56% to 41%.
By contrast, by roughly two to one, more conservatives than liberals said evangelical Protestants, Catholics and other Christians face threats to their religious freedom.
The article appears in other outlets, samples linked below:
https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2020/08/religious-freedom-in-america-popular-and-polarizing/
https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/Religious-freedom-in-America-popular-and-15460385.php
Featured image of chuchgoer with hymn book. Photo/Unsplash
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Social media linked to student loneliness
February 20, 2026
Inside Higher Education highlighted a new study by the University of Cincinnati that found that college students across the country who spent more time on social media reported feeling more loneliness.
Before the medals: The science behind training for freezing mountain air
February 19, 2026
From freezing temperatures to thin mountain air, University of Cincinnati exercise physiologist Christopher Kotarsky, PhD, explained how cold and altitude impact Olympic performance in a recent WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 news report.
Discovery Amplified expands research, teaching support across A&S
February 19, 2026
The College of Arts & Sciences is investing in a bold new vision for research, teaching and creative activity through Discovery Amplified. This initiative was launched through the Dean’s Office in August 2024, and is expanding its role as a central hub for scholarly activity and research support within the Arts & Sciences (A&S) community. Designed to serve faculty, students, and staff, the initiative aims to strengthen research productivity, foster collaboration, and enhance teaching innovation. Discovery Amplified was created to help scholars define and pursue academic goals while increasing the reach and impact of A&S research and training programs locally and globally. The unit provides tailored guidance, connects collaborators, and supports strategic partnerships that promote innovation across disciplines.