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Americans increasingly support religious freedom, survey suggests

“Even amid deep divisions, our nation still believes that our first freedom belongs at the heart of our culture, not as a source of conflict but as a foundation for overcoming it,” stated Mark Rienzi, of Becket.

Supreme Court of the United States
The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. Credit: Jesse Collins via Wikimedia Commons.

Americans reported supporting religious freedom to the greatest extent—71 out of 100 on a scale—that they have in the seven years that the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has published an index on the subject.

The 57% that said in 2025 that religious freedom is “inherently public” and that Americans ought to be able to share their faith in public places also represented a five-point increase since 2020, according to Becket.

“It’s encouraging to see that a growing number of Americans reject the idea that faith belongs behind closed doors,” stated Mark Rienzi, Becket’s president and CEO. “The founders recognized that our nation is stronger when we allow our neighbors to bring their beliefs into the public square without fear, even when those beliefs cut against the grain.”

The nonprofit has released the annual Religious Freedom Index since 2019. It draws on a sample size of 1,000 American adults.

Becket also said that Americans were likelier to support school choice and U.S. Supreme Court decisions about religious freedom.

“Year after year, the index has made clear that religious liberty remains one of our most cherished values,” Rienzi stated. “Even amid deep divisions, our nation still believes that our first freedom belongs at the heart of our culture, not as a source of conflict but as a foundation for overcoming it.”

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