A majority of Americans who attend religious services regularly have heard clergy speak about at least one social or political issue in recent months, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.
Among the seven topics included in the survey, abortion, Israel and homosexuality were the most commonly discussed.
The nationwide survey, conducted April 6-12, 2026, asked 1,391 U.S. adults who attend religious services at least once or twice a month about issues addressed from the pulpit. The study found that 66% said they had heard clergy discuss at least one of the topics.
“When people hear their minister, priest, rabbi, or other clergyperson speak out about these topics, they report that they tend to hear messages against abortion, against homosexuality, or in support of Israel,” Pew Research Center reported. “Fewer Americans say they’ve recently heard the clergy at their place of worship speak in favor of abortion rights, encourage acceptance of people who are gay or lesbian, or criticize Israel.”
The report, released May 27, found that 35% of respondents had heard faith leaders discuss abortion, 34% had heard discussion about Israel, and 31% said clergy had addressed homosexuality.
The survey also found that 27% had heard discussion about immigration, 25% about the Iran war, 24% about the environment and 23% about transgender identity. While most of these topics were discussed negatively, immigration and the environment were more likely to be addressed positively, according to the report.
Pew found that views on U.S. military action in Iran were more mixed.
“About one in 10 regular attenders (8%) say they have recently heard their clergy speak in opposition to the U.S. military action in Iran, while 4% say their religious leaders have spoken in support of it,” Pew explained. “An additional 9% report their clergy has talked about the conflict without supporting or opposing it.”
Among regular worshippers, 19% said they believed their clergy were mostly Republican, while 8% said they were mostly Democrat. Another 44% said they were unsure.
By religious affiliation, white evangelicals (43%) and Catholics (49%) were the most likely to report hearing clergy discuss abortion. White evangelicals (42%) and Black Protestants (30%) were the groups most likely to report hearing discussion about homosexuality.
Catholics were the most likely to report hearing religious leaders speak about immigration, at 41%, compared with 18% of white evangelicals, Pew said.
White evangelicals were also the most likely to hear clergy discuss Israel, at 39%, but were less likely to report hearing discussion about the Iran conflict, at 20%.