October 23, 2024
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Although Americans need to have productive conversations regarding challenges in our society, there is no consensus on who is in the best position to generate healthy conversations around these issues.
According to a study from Lifeway Research, fewer than 1 in 5 Americans say their elected president is in the best position to generate healthy conversations on challenges facing society. And 14% believe local church pastors are.
“A beautiful thing in America is that anyone can seek to lead productive conversations about problems in our society,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Sadly, very few Americans agree anyone is well positioned to do so.”
Fewer than 1 in 10 say elected members of Congress, business leaders, professors at universities, or members of the media are most positively positioned to lead Americans in having healthy conversations about challenges in society.
Even though professional sports players and musicians often receive attention for public statements they make about issues Americans are facing, only 3% of Americans view athletes or musicians as thought leaders.
Nearly 1 in 3 Americans say none of the roles considered in this study are best positioned to lead healthy conversations on challenges in America.
Opinions have shifted slightly
Compared to a 2016 study conducted by Lifeway Research in September and October leading up to a major election, fewer Americans today say the president is in the best position to generate healthy conversations on challenges facing society. However, compared to the previous study, more Americans say local church pastors, elected members of Congress, professional sports players, and musicians.
And today, compared to 2016, there are a similar number of Americans who are looking to business leaders to lead healthy societal conversations.
By comparison, fewer Americans view university professors or members of the media as generators of healthy conversations.
“Anticipation of a new president in 2016 likely led to more people hoping the elected president could lead healthy conversations,” McConnell said. “Midway through the next president’s first term, hopes for that office have faded with even less agreement on who could start or moderate needed discourse.”
Americans hold varying opinions
There are several key indicators of who Americans will view as holding the best position to generate healthy conversations on challenges in society. Males are more likely than females to say business leaders are best positioned to lead these conversations, and those who are high school graduates or less are the least likely to say the same.
Older generations are more likely to look to pastors, while younger generations are more likely to look to university professors to generate healthy conversations. Those above age 50 are more likely to say local church pastors than those 49 and under. And those younger Americans are more likely to choose university professors than those 50-64.
In the South, where America is saturated with churches, Americans are more likely than those in the West to say they look to pastors to lead healthy conversations.
Views from the pews
Even those who identify with a religious group or attend worship services hold varying opinions on where conversations about issues in society should be birthed. Catholics are more likely than Protestants to say healthy conversations should start with our elected president or business leaders. Meanwhile, Protestants are more likely to say pastors of local churches should lead these conversations when compared to Catholics, people of other religions, or those who are religiously unaffiliated.
Furthermore, those with evangelical beliefs are more likely than those without evangelical beliefs to say healthy conversations should start with pastors.
Christians who attend worship services at least four times a month are the most likely to look to pastors to generate conversations about challenges in American society.
“Society certainly has its problems, and productive dialogue on these challenges has become increasingly hard to find,” said McConnell. “Many have preferred solutions to society’s ills, but with no one trusted to stimulate or moderate a healthy discussion around them, achieving consensus will be rare.”
