Two-thirds of Protestant Pastors Consider Islam 'Dangerous'

Adelle M. Banks ©2010 Religion News Service

Two out of three Protestant pastors believe Islam is a "dangerous" religion, according to a new survey from a Southern Baptist-affiliated research group.The survey of more than 1,000 Protestant clergy by LifeWay Research, released December 14, found that 45 percent strongly agree with the statement "I believe Islam is a dangerous religion" and another 21 percent agree somewhat with it.

Evangelical pastors were more likely to agree with the statement than mainline Protestant pastors - 77 percent to 47 percent. Likewise, pastors with a bachelor's degree or less education are more likely to strongly agree than those with a master's degree - 64 percent to 37 percent.

"It's important to note our survey asked whether pastors viewed Islam as 'dangerous,' but that does not necessarily mean 'violent,"' said Lifeway president Ed Stetzer in a statement about the survey results. "'Dangerous' can be defined in a variety of ways, including from the perspective of spiritual influence. Regardless of the definition, the numbers tell us that Protestant pastors are concerned."The results of the telephone survey were based on a random sample of 1,002 senior pastors taken in October 2008 and had an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.