Poll Finds Overlap Between Tea Party, Christian Right

Certain members and proponents of the tea-party movement may claim that diversity abounds among their ranks, but through the magic of polling, the Public Religion Research Institute has sketched out a shared belief system that bears resemblance to another, more established political coalition in the U.S. –KA

MSNBC:

The survey found significant overlap between the Tea Party, made up mostly of Republicans, and the religious right, which has played a significant political role for decades.

“Members of the Tea Party are certainly potential supporters of a Christian conservative agenda,” said Robert Jones, an author of the study.

But Tea Party supporters report a stronger opposition to government than Republicans or Christian conservatives as a whole, Jones said.

Nearly half of those who identify with the Tea Party believe that the Bible is the literal word of God, and a similar proportion thinks that public officials do not pay enough attention to religion, the survey found. They are more likely than the population as a whole to view America as a Christian nation.

Read more