|
|
Article: Pollster links plunge in confidence in religion to Catholic scandal.
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- January 24, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 National Catholic Reporter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Pollster George H. Gallup Jr. said a 30-point plunge last year in American religious attitudes and practices plainly reflected "the 2002 Catholic sexual abuse scandals and the decline in positive attitudes of Catholics toward their church and clergy."
The 641 points on the 2002 Gallup Index of Leading Religious Indicators marked the lowest level in the 51-year history of the annual index, based on eight measures of Americans' religious views and practices. The 30-point drop in one year was also a record.
In a Jan. 7 column Gallup said, "The two specific items driving the index's drop clearly speak to the impact of the sex abuse scandal plaguing the ...