A new survey finds evangelical Ohioans are less likely to see poverty as a problem that government needs to handle than people who have no religious affiliation.
The poll found that of all the groups to voice their concerns, only six percent of evangelicals chose poverty as a top issue. That compares with 18.6 percent of nonreligious people who cited poverty and inequality as concerns.
John Green runs the University of Akron's Bliss Institute, which helped conduct the poll. He says the survey found evangelicals think outreach to help low-income people should be handled by the private sector, not the government.
"For some people, it's a matter of both the public and the private sector stepping up and providing direct assistance to those who are in need. But for other people, really what needs to happen is for the economy to grow faster," Green said.
Green says the poll surveyed 1000 Ohioans. It has a margin of error of three percent.