Poll: Americans Tolerant of Other Faiths... Except Islam

According to Religion News Service, Americans consider religious freedom a cornerstone of society, but fall short in their tolerance of Muslims, according to a poll released Tuesday that probes Americans' attitudes toward immigrants and the nation's safety 10 years after 9/11. The "What It Means to Be American" poll found that a small majority (53 percent) say the country is safer now than before the 9/11 attacks. Attitudes toward Muslims, however, are far less straightforward. More than 8 in 10 Americans say that self-proclaimed Christians who commit violence in the name of Christianity are not really Christians. By contrast, less than half (48 percent) say that self-proclaimed Muslims who commit acts of violence in the name of Islam are not really Muslims. "Interestingly, we find that Americans basically have a double standard when it comes to evaluating religious violence," said Robert P. Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute.

Religion Communicators Call for Civil Discourse about 9/11

A religion communicators group is calling for responsible discussion of faith groups in news coverage of 9/11's 10th anniversary, Religion News Service reports. The Religion Communicators Council urged journalists and bloggers to "pursue accuracy, respect and understanding of people of all faiths and faith communities." The statement is in a resolution adopted August 7 in Philadelphia by the board of governors for the 400-member interfaith council (http://www.religioncommunicators.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=128702). The 17-member board called "for responsible discussion of religion and of all faith groups, seeking the understanding and acceptance of religious communities." 


The anniversary of the 2001 attacks could "bring about painful recollections of terrorism and its effects," the resolution said. Rhetoric about the attacks "could become heated and distorted as it intermingles the religious identity of participants in those heinous acts," the measure continued. The council encourages communicators for faith groups to adhere to the highest ethical guidelines in presenting religious faith and values in public discourse. "We encourage our members to consider having their faith groups adopt similar resolutions on civil discourse," said Deb K. Christian, council president.