In a column for The Plain Dealer, religion writer David Briggs points out that research shows religious leaders have a range of prejudices to overcome. At a recent meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Religious Research Association, Michigan State sociologist Ralph Pyle presented new findings that show:
-Moderate Protestants have the strongest anti-black views, followed by liberal Protestants.
-Black Protestants were the most prejudiced against immigrants, followed by conservative Protestants.
The “good news” about all this, says Briggs, is that those who regularly attend church services are less likely to be prejudiced. And the “bad news”?: People without a religious affiliation were much less likely to be prejudiced than individuals who attend services once a month.