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.