Christian conservatives in the United States are so angry with the state of the nation they are in danger of missing out on opportunities presented by the transition to the presidency of Donald Trump, new research suggests.
Their sense of "cultural despair" means they could fail to engage properly, which would be a "huge loss" to society, researchers are warning.
Throughout the election, research by the American Culture and Faith Institute into Christian conservatives found underlying anger about the state of America.
The institute's latest research found that many Christian conservatives are unhappy with 14 out of 15 "indicators" such as the court system and race relations in the US.
They were also unhappy with the level of spiritual commitment in US society, with the mainstream media, with quality of parenting and respect for traditional values.
A massive 98 per cent or more of Christian conservatives believed the mainstream news media were "unfair and subjective" in their reporting about the election and were not "trustworthy".
The only indicator they were mostly happy with was freedom of access to financial opportunities.
The Christian conservative demographic is seen as important because they tend to be spiritually active and politically engaged.
"As the official transition from the Obama to the Trump Administration nears, the research suggests that there is a danger of Christian conservatives being so overcome with their dissatisfaction that they miss an important window for cultural change," the institute warns.
Researcher George Barna said: "When people are beset by very low levels of trust in institutions and key social conditions, there is often a tendency toward self-protection.
"It would be a huge loss if Christian conservatives were to isolate themselves due to their sense of cultural despair and therefore refuse to engage in potential opportunities to move American society in a more positive direction."
Barna added: "One of the great benefits of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it gives us a reason to have hope.
"If Christians can place their trust in Christ, and allow Him to guide their choices and actions, the social elements that have been so discouraging to the Church can be turned around. More than any other people group, biblical Christians have a reason to have hope and to never give up.
"2017 promises to be a year in which the very foundations and boundaries of America will be uppermost in people's minds and in cultural conversation. Now, more than any time in more than a decade, Bible-driven followers of Christ must be present in that conversation, and active in the cultural struggle that will take place.
"It is a great time for Christians to be alive in America, and the nation desperately needs what they have to offer, even that is not readily apparent to many or accepted by the mainstream media."
