The majority of people in the United States have prayed for an end to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.
The survey, conducted in mid-March, found that 55% say they have prayed for the disease to stop spreading. That number rises to 73% among Christians and to 86% among people who say they pray daily.
Among specific religious groups, evangelical Protestants are the most likely to be praying about the virus, with more than 80% answering in the affirmative. Historically, black Protestants, Catholics, and mainline Protestants are all also likely to pray for deliverance, with more than two-thirds of each group responding that they have done so.
About one-third of Jews said they have prayed for the coronavirus pandemic’s end. The numbers are lowest among atheists and agnostics, but more than a third of religiously unaffiliated people said they have prayed about the virus.
Within these groups, more old people than young people, more men than women, and more Republicans than Democrats say they turned to God in the past few weeks. These differences are consistent with past polling on these demographics, the survey found.
The survey also found that most people have altered their religious practices because of state-ordered shutdowns. It reported that, among people who attend church, 59% say that they have gone less frequently because of the coronavirus outbreak. At the same time, about 57% of churchgoers say they have replaced in-person services with online services.
As the coronavirus’ spread keeps more people at home, internet searches for prayer have skyrocketed, a study from the University of Copenhagen found. Google Analytics data shows that, in the month of March, searches for prayer hit a five-year high.
The report’s author, economist Jeanet Bentzen, termed the increase “religious coping.”
