Religious demographer Ryan Burge published interesting data yesterday on the mean political ideology of various religious groups.
Here is the mean political ideology of 47 different "religious" groups.
Of those, 12 are clearly left of center. 27 of them are clearly right of center.
Did you know the average United Methodist has the same political ideology as the average Mormon? pic.twitter.com/KSMxMNeFfo
— Ryan Burge 📊 (@ryanburge) May 11, 2022
While Latter-day Saints are often painted as far-right on the political spectrum, Burge’s data suggests a more moderate conservatism.
This should come as little surprise to those who have observed younger Latter-day Saints struggling to identify with conservatism over the last seven years.
One, perhaps concerning note. Latter-day Saints are almost identical to Methodists, a denomination that is currently in the process of splintering over religious differences. While Burge’s data is particularly high level and does little to reveal tensions beneath the mean, it is a good reminder of the need for continued unity.
