90 Percent of Americans Believe in God

[miir]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 00818.html

More than 90 percent of Americans -- including one in five people who say they are atheists -- believe in God or a universal power, and more than half pray at least once a day, according to results of a poll released today that takes an in-depth look at Americans' religious beliefs.


The poll, by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, also found that nearly three-fourths of Americans believe in heaven as a place where people who have led good lives will be eternally rewarded. And almost 60 percent believe in hell, where people who have led bad lives and die without repenting are eternally punished, the poll found.

Majorities also believe that angels and demons are at work in the world and that miracles occur today as they did in ancient times.

"These are common beliefs among the American public," said Gregory A. Smith, a research fellow at the Pew Forum, a D.C. think tank.

This is the organization's second report that is based on one of the largest polls of Americans' religious beliefs ever conducted, with more than 36,000 adults interviewed.

The first report released in February took a broad look at the American religious landscape, while this report dives deeply into the faith and politics of religious, and non-religious, Americans.

On the political side, for example, it found, among Jews who pray daily, 36 percent are politically conservative -- more than twice as many as those who pray less often. Among evangelical Christians, 56 percent who pray daily are politically conservative, compared to 40 percent of all other evangelical Christians.

On the whole, though, that difference holds true more for Christian faiths than non-Christian faiths, the poll found. "Members of non-Christian faiths," the report says, "tend to be much more moderate or liberal."

Two-thirds of Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists are Democrats or lean Democratic, compared with 22 percent of Mormons. Also, 77 percent of historically black churches are Democrats or lean Democratic, while only one-third of evangelical churches are Democrats or lean Democratic.

It also found some agreement among the most faithful and the least faithful. While it confirms that those who attend church and pray frequently are most likely to oppose legalized abortion and believe that homosexuality should be discouraged, it finds less of a divide on other issues.

More than 60 percent of Americans across the religious and secular spectrum want the government to do more to help the needy and support stronger environmental laws, for example. And majorities in most religions believe the United States should concentrate more on problems at home and pay less attention to problems overseas, according to the report.

On these issues, "we can see a kind of consensus that exists across a great variety of religious groups," said Smith.

The study confirmed what is already known about the United States -- that it is a deeply religious nation. But it fleshes out that stereotype with myriad details that add depth and complexity, and some surprises, to the picture.

For example, along with 21 percent of the people who describe themselves as atheists but express a belief in God or a universal spirit, more than half of those who say they are agnostic express a similar conviction.

But most Americans -- even many of the most religiously conservative -- have a non-exclusive attitude toward other faiths. Seventy percent of those affiliated with a religion believe that many religions, not just their own, can lead to eternal salvation. Just about one-quarter believe there is only one true way to interpret their own religion's teachings.

"Even though Americans tend to take religion quite seriously and are a highly religious people, there is a certain degree of openness and a lack dogmatism in their approach to faith and the teachings of their faith," said Smith.

Some interesting findings... not very surprising, but interesting nonetheless.

[Canelek]

The poll, by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, also found that nearly three-fourths of Americans believe in heaven as a place where people who have led good lives will be eternally rewarded. And almost 60 percent believe in hell, where people who have led bad lives and die without repenting are eternally punished, the poll found.

I totally get all of my accurate polls from these guys. They rock!

[Spang]

It's been awhile since we've had a poll.

[Siji]

The poll, by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life

You lost me here.

[Kaldaur]

The control for this poll was the last ten numbers in George Bush's "Received Calls" list. Karl Rove was the odd man out.

[cadalano]

i ran a poll- 99% of women want to ride my dick

[Canelek]

Of course the margin for error is +/- 99%. You should make another pole!

[Boogahz]

Of course the margin for error is +/- 99%. You should make another pole!

Maybe if you stopped dancing on it!

[Canelek]

You sir, have a vivid imagination, and I want no part of it!

[Hesten]

Lol, funny you should find that particular subject, just a week after a friend send me this link:

http://kspark.kaist.ac.kr/jesus/intelli ... ligion.htm

Ill just quote the conclusion:

Conclusion

The consensus here is clear: more intelligent people tend not to believe in religion. And this observation is given added force when you consider that the above studies span a broad range of time, subjects and methodologies, and yet arrive at the same conclusion.

This is the result even when the researchers are Christian conservatives themselves. One such researcher is George Gallup. Here are the results of a Fall 1995 Gallup poll:

Percentage of respondents who agreed with the following statements:

Religion is Religion can
"very important "answer all or most
Respondents in their life" of today's problems"
------------------------------------------------------------
Attended college 53 percent 58 percent
No college 63 65

Income over $50,000 48 56
$30,000 - $50,000 56 62
$20,000 - $30,000 56 60
Under $20,000 66 66
Why does this correlation exist? The first answer that comes to mind is that religious beliefs tend to be more illogical or incoherent than secular beliefs, and intelligent people tend to recognize that more quickly. But this explanation will surely be rejected by religious people, who will seek other explanations and rationalizations.

A possible counter-argument is that intelligent people tend to be more successful than others. The lure of worldly success and materialism draws many of these intellectually gifted individuals away from God. After all, who needs God when you (apparently) are making it on your own?

However, this argument does not withstand closer scrutiny. Most of the studies outlined above describe the religious attitudes of students, who have yet to enter the working world, much less succeed in it. Some might then argue that the most intelligent students are nonetheless succeeding in school. But "success" in school (for those who may have forgotten!) is more measured in terms of popularity, sports, physical attractiveness, personality, clothes, etc. Grades are but one of many measures of success in a young person's life -- one that is increasingly becoming less important, as many social critics point out.

The simplest and most parsimonious explanation is that religion is a set of logical and factual claims, and those with the most logic and facts at their disposal are rejecting it largely on those grounds.

[Xouqoa]

So with the numbers from those two polls I guess it is safe to ASSume that only 10% of Americans are intelligent.

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

So with the numbers from those two polls I guess it is safe to ASSume that only 10% of Americans are intelligent.

That's what I've always done. With swedes, too.

[Hesten]

With danes its only 7% intelligent, though that dont mean that 93% believe in God .)

[Wulfran]

With danes its only 7% intelligent, though that dont mean that 93% believe in God .)

Is that counting Denmark's rightful subjects in Sweden or just the Swedish churls that were brought over for all the menial work?

[Canelek]

Churls and Finlanders, yes. However, you may get a +/- %2 due to the Coriolis Effect.

[Lalanae]

So with the numbers from those two polls I guess it is safe to ASSume that only 10% of Americans are intelligent.

Spend an hour in your local shopping mall and you'll find that to be true

..and if you don't, then you're probably part of that 90%

[Lalanae]

More than 90 percent of Americans -- including one in five people who say they are atheists -- believe in God or a universal power

I don't get this. How can 1 in 5 atheists say they believe in God? Do they not know what atheist means?

[laneela]

More than 90 percent of Americans -- including one in five people who say they are atheists -- believe in God or a universal power

I don't get this. How can 1 in 5 atheists say they believe in God? Do they not know what atheist means?

They're in the 90th percentile.

[Boogahz]

So with the numbers from those two polls I guess it is safe to ASSume that only 10% of Americans are intelligent.

Spend an hour in your local shopping mall and you'll find that to be true

..and if you don't, then you're probably part of that 90%

If you're spending an hour in the local shopping mall, you ARE part of that 90%!

[Lalanae]

So with the numbers from those two polls I guess it is safe to ASSume that only 10% of Americans are intelligent.

Spend an hour in your local shopping mall and you'll find that to be true

..and if you don't, then you're probably part of that 90%

If you're spending an hour in the local shopping mall, you ARE part of that 90%!

Well we all can't settle for buying our clothes at Walmart...

[Arborealus]

So with the numbers from those two polls I guess it is safe to ASSume that only 10% of Americans are intelligent.

Spend an hour in your local shopping mall and you'll find that to be true

..and if you don't, then you're probably part of that 90%

Hmmmm 10% seems a bit of a high estimate to me...

[Canelek]

What aboat Pete, God of Canada?

[Boogahz]

So with the numbers from those two polls I guess it is safe to ASSume that only 10% of Americans are intelligent.

Spend an hour in your local shopping mall and you'll find that to be true

..and if you don't, then you're probably part of that 90%

If you're spending an hour in the local shopping mall, you ARE part of that 90%!

Well we all can't settle for buying our clothes at Walmart...

Most of my wardrobe comes from local merchants or eurosport.com

The last time I stepped foot in a mall was with my mom when she insisted on getting a watch battery replaced there...about 6 months ago?