Fundamentalist Religious Affiliation and Support for Civil Liberties: A Critical Reexamination

The perceived connection between theological and political conservatism has motivated many scholars to test its implications using quantitative data analysis. However, those studies have yielded quite contradictory findings. One reason lies in the way the religious orientation variable is typically operationalized. Researchers often select respondents for the analysis based on their denominational affiliation, further restricting the group based on religious beliefs or participation. In contrast, this study will utilize the 2000 General Social Survey (GSS) data and logistic regression analysis to assess if fundamentalist religious affiliation independently of other religious or demographic characteristics correlates with low support for civil liberties. The findings suggest that fundamentalist religious affiliation itself does not show a statistically significant effect in most cases. Instead, the demographic composition of religious groups and belief in the literal truth of the Bible are largely responsible for the variation in attitudes of their adherents.