78 Percent of Black Christians but 38 Percent of White Christians Say ‘U.S. Has a Race Problem,’ Barna Finds

Twice as many black Christians as white Christians believe the United States has a race problem, according to a Barna survey that also shows a big difference in opinion about whether the U.S. has historically been oppressive to minorities.

Barna posted the data on its website Wednesday, although the survey was taken in 2019 and “can’t account for any shift due to the present, heated national discussion surrounding racism and white supremacy,” Barna said.

Still, “these recent responses point to a disconnection that has led us to this moment: disagreement about whether there is an issue in the first place,” Barna said. The survey was conducted with the Racial Justice and Unity Center.

According to the poll, 78 percent of black practicing Christians but 38 percent of white practicing Christians agree that the U.S. has a race problem. Overall, 46 percent of all practicing Christians in the United States agree with the statement.

Practicing Christians, according to Barna, are self-identified Christians who have attended a worship service within the past month and agree strongly that “their faith is very important in their life.”

Meanwhile, 75 percent of black practicing Christians either agree or strongly agree that, “historically, the U.S. has been oppressive to minorities.” By comparison, 42 percent of white practicing Christians…