Is Being Christian a Key Part of Being American?

The survey was conducted last spring, after Trump first called for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration but before last week's executive order temporarily blocking travel to the U.S. from seven majority-Muslim countries. Still, the survey reveals substantial generational and demographic gaps over the role Christianity plays in American identity. Older Americans, for example, were much more likely to see religion as important: Respondents ages 50 or older were far more likely to view being a Christian as important to being American than citizens under 25 (44 percent for older Americans vs 18 percent for younger ones). More women also felt Christianity was more important to American identity than men.