Religious Right Found Likeliest to Favor War

Americans who say religion is important in their lives are more likely to support military action against Iraq than those who identify themselves as nonreligious, according to a new Gallup poll.

Those who identify with the religious right are most likely to favor it, the poll also found.

Among all adults surveyed in the poll, taken in late February, 59% favored military action against Iraq and 38% opposed it.

Among those who said religion is “not very important” in their lives, 49% said they favored a war. Among those who said religion is “very important” to their lives, 60% did.

The percentage favoring war was even higher, 70%, among those who said they considered themselves part of the religious right. Only 26% of that group said they were opposed to war.