Bad news for Communists – they’re even less popular than Muslims

When asked to rate their feelings for atheists and Muslims, fewer than one-third of U.S. adults fell on the favorable side of the scale.

As part of its 2013 American Values Survey, the Public Religion Research Institute asked respondents to use a 1 to 100 scale, with 100 being the most favorable, to rate how they feel about various groups.

Twenty-nine percent rated atheists 51 or higher, while 27 percent rated Muslims above 50.

Muslims received an average rating of 42.4, ranking them second-from-last on the list, just below atheists but above communists. Christians received the highest average rating, 74.6.

Average ratings for various groups:

Christians: 74.6

Jews: 67.8

Catholics: 64.8

Gay people: 56.8

Immigrants: 55.8

Atheists: 43.0

Muslims: 42.4

Communists: 26.1

Researchers say the Sept. 21 to Oct. 3 online survey of 2,317 adults has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

Columbus Dispatch, 8 November 2013