More numbers behind the headlines

Recent LifeWay research that says United Methodists have the most favorable rating of several religious groups in the United States has been a source of self-congratulations and scorn of late.

Here’s the fullest summary of the survey findings I’ve come across if you want to dig into the numbers yourself. (LifeWay is an arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, which explains some of the questions if you read the report.)

Here’s an example of one interesting bit. The percentage of Americans ages 18-29 who are not familiar enough with the UMC to have either a favorable or unfavorable opinion: 24%.