Faith and climate: navigating beliefs among worshippers
by Emily Thompson (class of ‘24)
Mid-December brought to a close the COP28 conference, or the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference. This annual convocation, a fixture since 1992, assembles leaders from almost 200 nations to address the exigencies posed by global temperature escalation and formulate adaptive strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The resulting accord signifies a collective commitment to effecting a transition “away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.” Within the United States, religious communities have assumed a pivotal role in shaping the discourse surrounding climate change, exhibiting a spectrum of perspectives ranging from fervent advocacy to outright dismissal of climate-related concerns. To comprehend the intricate dynamics linking worship attendance with climate beliefs, this analysis delves into the findings of Pew’s 2022 survey on religion and the environment and finds that worshippers who attend service more frequently are less likely to hear about climate change from the pulpit and are more likely to believe that God is in control of the climate.
Three in ten Americans (31%) agree that global climate change is an extremely serious issue, with 26% saying it is very serious, 22% believing that it is somewhat serious, and 13% and 8% reporting that it is not too serious or not a problem. Among religious communities, Protestants are the least likely to say that global climate change is an extremely serious problem, with only 22% saying it is. Nearly three in ten Protestants (25%) say it is very serious or somewhat serious. Those who identify as Catholic are more inclined to report beliefs about the severity of global climate change. Three in ten Catholics (31%) say global climate change is an extremely serious problem, with a quarter (25%) reporting that it is very serious. Unaffiliated Americans are the most likely group to report belief in the severity of global climate change, with 43% saying it is an extremely serious problem. Among other religious groups (Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu), nearly four in ten respondents (39%) say global climate change is an extremely serious problem, with 27% believing it is a very serious problem. These differences may stem from political affiliations: Protestants and Catholics are more likely to be registered as Republicans than unaffiliated Americans and other religious groups, who are more likely to be registered as Democrats.
Among respondents who say they attend a worship service more than once a week, 43% say global climate change is an extremely or very serious problem. Two in ten people from this group say it is somewhat serious, not too serious, or not a problem (22%, 17%, and 17%, respectively). Respondents who attend service once a week believe similarly: 45% say that climate change is an extremely or very serious problem, while 27% believe it is a somewhat serious problem, 16% say it is not too serious of a problem, and 12% believe it is not a problem. Those who attend services a few times a month are more likely to believe in the severity of climate change. Nearly six in ten respondents in this group (59%) say that climate change is an extremely or very serious problem, with almost a quarter (22%) believing it is a somewhat serious problem, 12% saying it is not too serious of a problem and 8% saying it is not a problem. Similarly, six in ten respondents who seldom attend services (59%) say that global climate change is an extremely or very serious problem. Almost a quarter of this group (23%) believe it is a somewhat serious problem, while 12% say it is not too serious of a problem and 6% believe that it is not a problem. Those who never attend services are the most likely to believe in the severity of climate change. Nearly seven in ten respondents in this group (68%) say that global climate change is an extremely or very serious problem. Two in ten respondents in this group (17%) report that it is a somewhat serious problem, while 10% say it is not too serious and 4% say it is not a problem.
Among respondents who do attend services regularly, very few report hearing sermons at their places of worship about climate change. Only about one in ten respondents who attend services more than once a week or once a week hear sermons discussing climate change (7% and 8%). Two in ten respondents who attend services more than once a week or once say they sometimes hear these sermons (18% and 19%). Seven in ten respondents who attend services more than once a week or once a week say they hear sermons discussing climate change a little or none of the time (74% and 72%).
Among respondents who said global climate change is not too serious a problem or not a problem, 42% completely agreed with the statement that God is in control of the climate. One in ten respondents mostly agreed, while 15% somewhat agreed, 7% agreed a little bit, and 23% did not agree at all. Respondents who attend church more than once a week are the most likely to completely agree that God is in control of the climate, with 75% saying so. Six in ten respondents who attend services once a week (63%) completely agree with the statement that God is in control of the climate. Respondents who attend services a few times a month are less likely to agree with this statement, with 34% saying they completely agree that God is in control of the climate, marking a significant difference from those who attend services more often. Only 14% of this group mostly agree with this statement, while 20% somewhat agree, 10% agree a little bit, and 20% do not agree at all. People who seldom attend services respond similarly, with 33% saying they completely agree with the statement that God is in control of the climate, while 13% mostly agree, 16% somewhat agree, 10% agree a little bit, and 25% do not agree at all. Those who never attend services are the least likely to agree with this statement. Only 15% completely agree that God is in control of the climate, while 6% mostly agree, 12% somewhat agree, 7% agree a little bit, and 57% do not agree at all.
The data suggests a correlation between religious attendance and attitudes toward climate change. Respondents who attend services more frequently express varied levels of concern, with a notable portion perceiving climate change as not very serious or not a problem. Conversely, those attending less regularly, particularly a few times a month or seldom, exhibit higher levels of concern. Strikingly, respondents who never attend services are the most likely to view climate change as extremely or very serious. However, the data reveals a gap between belief and sermon exposure, as only a small fraction of regular attendees report hearing sermons on climate change. Interestingly, among those unconcerned about climate change, a substantial portion still believe that God is in control of the climate, with this belief being most prevalent among those attending services more frequently. However, those who seldom or never attend services are less likely to agree with this statement, indicating a complex interplay between religious beliefs, attendance, and perspectives on climate change.
