Survey finds strength in religious left

A divide is developing in America about what it means to be a religious person, with a majority believing that it’s about acting morally but a strong minority equating it with faith and the right beliefs.

Nearly six out of ten Americans (59 percent) say that being a religious person “is primarily about living a good life and doing the right thing,” as opposed to a little over one-third (36 percent) who hold that being religious “is primarily about having faith and the right beliefs.”

The findings are part of a report, released July 18, by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution that aims to paint a more nuanced picture of the American religious landscape, with the religious left particularly in mind.