Most Christians believe churches and pastors should not endorse particular political candidates, according to a survey.

Most Americans, Christian and non-Christian, feel the same.

The findings are reported by Bob Smietana of Facts and Trends magazine for Baptist Press from a new survey by Lifeway Research.

Eight out of ten Americans said pastors should not endorse a candidate in church, and three in ten said churches should not endorse candidates at all. However, if pastors or churches do endorse candidates, most Americans do not believe they should suffer any penalty.

Under what is known as the Johnson Amendment, preachers, churches and all charities have been banned in law from endorsing candidates during church services since 1954. 

Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, told Smietana: "Americans already argue about politics enough outside the church. They don't want pastors bringing those arguments into worship."

Jerry Falwell Jr, President of Liberty University, has aroused some controversy for his endorsement of Republican candidate Donald Trump at the start of the year.

Some pastors challenge the ban annually in Pulpit Freedom Sunday and the event organiser, the Alliance Defending Freedom, is among the organisatons that want the Johnson Amendment dropped from the statute books. On its website the Alliance says: "Sign up to Preach an Election Sermon - Help us challenge the Johnson Amendment in court. When you sign up to preach an election sermon, you are doing what the Constitution has always protected, and if the IRS chooses to use the Johnson Amendment against you, contact us. We've been waiting to take it to court."