(Florence Taylor) The new study examined society’s current perceptions of faith and Christianity. Forty-five percent of atheists, agnostics, and religiously unaffiliated in America agree with the statement that “Christianity is extremist”. Only 14 per cent of this group strongly disagreed that Christianity is extremist, with 41 per cent only disagreeing ‘somewhat’.

The study acknowledges the current political climate as an influencing factor in an increased concern about religious extremism. Three quarters of all Americans – and nine out of 10 American adults with no faith affiliation – agree that “being religiously extreme is a threat to society”. The study also examined what people considered extremist, which ranged from religiously justified violence, to just reading the Bible. More than 40 per cent of those asked considered protesting government policies that conflict with religious views extreme and at least a fifth considered speaking in tongues an extremist activity. READ MORE