This is from a synopsis of a recent study by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). “According to PRRI’s 2026 American Values Survey, Democrats (84%) and Independents (70%) are more likely than Republicans (53%) to see empathy as a benefit to society, while 43% of Republicans view it as a danger if it leads society away from God.” The chart that accompanies this thought breaks it down into a couple different streams of religion, comparing it with those not affiliated with a religious group. As you can see, it shows that unaffiliated people are twice the number of white evangelicals in America. White evangelicals are also far more likely to be Republican than any other political affiliation. While I expected something like this, I didn’t think the numbers would be so far apart; and to be clear, I know a lot of really empathetic Republicans and non-empathetic Democrats and Independents. Still, the numbers are the numbers. And it points to a trend most of us have seen in recent years – the loss of empathy.
I don’t mean to say that every situation requires empathy. Cold-blooded murder? Abusing children? Non-self-defense violence? No empathy. Do the crime, do the time. In many situations, however, the lack of empathy; that is, not considering the circumstances around events, can lead to injustice. The recent ad demonizing Amy Acton, Ohio governor candidate, is a recent example. As a child, she was sexually abused by her stepfather, and her mother sided with him, so Dr. Acton cut ties completely. Her opponent turned it into an attack ad – zero empathy. Meanwhile, Texas senate candidate Ken Paxton has committed dozens of immoral acts, but he is receiving a lot of empathy from white evangelicals and Republicans. And again, empathy can sometimes be misplaced, so we have to carefully consider the facts in each case.
What is most disturbing to me is that the vast majority of people who disrespect empathy say they are followers of the king of empathy, Jesus. They proclaim their steadfast devotion to Him while, at the same time, ignoring most of His teachings. And He taught lessons from His faith, Judaism, lifting out of obscurity a lot of teachings that had been ignored over time. Love your neighbor – treat the immigrant, documented or not, with respect – treat all people equally – share your stuff. Jesus saw the pain and suffering beneath the rules; like the woman with a 12-year hemorrhage – someone He should not have touched, much less spoken to – He ended the prohibition connected with blood contact, and He healed her. For Jesus – for those who follow Him – empathy matters more than restrictive rules. Love, the embodiment of empathy, wins over doctrine and legalism. You cannot believe in God and not be empathetic. Not being empathetic is narcissism; narcissism is not a faith value – but empathy is.
Prayer – Teach us, God, to see beyond the surface and understand the injustice that lurks within so many difficult situations. Amen.
Today’s image is a chart from the recent PRRI report.