Support for religious liberty in the U.S. is stronger than ever, according to a new report that found that the majority of Americans support recent Supreme Court decisions protecting parents’ rights and religious freedom.
Becket Fund’s 2025 Religious Freedom Index, the nation’s only yearly poll that tracks attitudes on religious liberty, found that the support for religious freedom hit 71 on a scale of 0 to 100.
Additionally, 57% of responders agreed that Americans should not be restricted from sharing their faith in public places while agreeing that religious freedom is inherently public. The number rose five points since 2020. The report, released on Jan. 16, also found that 73% of responders believe parents with children at public schools should have the right to opt their children out of materials that they deem inappropriate. The number climbed up 10 points since 2021.
Mark Rienzi, Becket’s CEO and president, reacted to the report, which was released on National Religious Freedom Day.
“As we celebrate National Religious Freedom Day, it’s encouraging to see that a growing number of Americans reject the idea that faith belongs behind closed doors,” said Rienzi. “The Founders recognized that our nation is stronger when we allow our neighbors to bring their beliefs into the public square without fear, even when those beliefs cut against the grain.”
The report found that 62% of Americans supported the Supreme Court ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which the court ruled that Maryland county could not withhold opt-outs from LGBTQ curriculum in the county’s public schools.
Regarding a Wisconsin case that reached the Supreme Court in June 2025, 65% supported the affirmation of religious tax exemptions for ministries who serve any person without attempting to convert people. About 77% of responders agreed to the statement that “Public funding for education should be available to all families, including those who choose religious schools.”
The index measures Americans’ support for religious freedom by asking questions within several key areas, including religion and public policy, religious sharing, religion and society, religious pluralism and religion in action. Scored on a scale from 0 to 100, the scores from the six categories are then averaged together.
“Year after year, the index has made clear that religious liberty remains one of our most cherished values,” Rienzi said. “Even amid deep divisions, our nation still believes that our first freedom belongs at the heart of our culture; not as a source of conflict, but as a foundation for overcoming it. The work before us is to see that freedom protected for our children and theirs in the years to come.”
