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Six in 10 Americans (59 percent) say churches and religious organizations have a positive effect on the way things are going in the country, but people’s responses vary widely depending on political affiliation, educational background and attendance at religious services, according to a new Pew Research Center report.

Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults who are or lean Republican (73 percent) say churches have a positive effect on society, compared to only half of left-leaning or Democratic adults, Pew reported. Around 60 percent of people with a college degree or less view religious institutions positively, but only 48 percent of adults with post-graduate degrees feel the same.

An even larger perception gap exists between people who attend religious services at least weekly and those who rarely find themselves in a house of worship. Fewer than 4 in 10 adults who seldom or never attend church (38 percent) view religious organizations positively, compared to 74 percent of Americans who regularly find themselves in a house of worship, according to the report.

The survey was conducted from June 8-18, 2017, among 2,504 U.S. adults. The margin of error for the full sample is plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.

To read the full article on the Deseret News, click here