A newly released survey shows that a majority of Americans support recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that strengthened parental rights and religious freedom. Becket released its 2025 Religious Freedom Index on International Religious Freedom Day, based on a nationwide survey of 1,002 adults conducted by Heart+Mind Strategies in fall 2025.
The study found that 62 percent of respondents supported the Court’s decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which ruled that a Maryland public school violated parental religious freedom by denying opt-outs from LGBT-related instruction. Support was higher for Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin, with 65 percent agreeing that Catholic Charities’ service to the poor qualified as religious activity under state law.
Opinion was closely divided on Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond, with 51 percent opposing the outcome that barred a Catholic charter school from participating in the state program. The survey also measured views on pending cases, including Chiles v. Salazar, where 47 percent said the Court should rule in favor of a Christian counselor, compared to 29 percent supporting the state.
Becket reported an overall Religious Freedom Index score of 71, the highest recorded since 2019.
