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More than 90% of Americans believe in God
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| HardTranceProd |
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...062300813.html
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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.
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| jerZ07002 |
u
unsurprising. i believe in god, just not religious institutions.
did you want to add anything to this - besides the nervous smiley? |
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| HardTranceProd |
| quote: | Originally posted by jerZ07002
u
unsurprising. i believe in god, just not religious institutions.
did you want to add anything to this - besides the nervous smiley? |
I wanted to add that it's pretty frightening
I don't know about you, but it alarms me that the vast majority of people who surround me hold irrational beliefs and don't understand evolution.
What is even more frightening is that "seemingly innocent" moderate religiosity can tacitly tolerate and even encourage more extreme forms. It is indeed a slippery slope, as has been shown in the Middle East. |
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| Shakka |
| I thought the statistic was something like 99% of the world population believes in a God. Obama believes in God. |
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| Zild |
| Stupid assumption to say that people don't understand evolution if they believe in a God/higher power. |
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| jerZ07002 |
| quote: | Originally posted by HardTranceProd
I wanted to add that it's pretty frightening
I don't know about you, but it alarms me that the vast majority of people who surround me hold irrational beliefs and don't understand evolution.
What is even more frightening is that "seemingly innocent" moderate religiosity can tacitly tolerate and even encourage more extreme forms. It is indeed a slippery slope, as has been shown in the Middle East. |
i hardly think most people who believe in god are irrational. I'm sure most people who consider themselves religious actually believe in evolution, and only the extremely relgious believe in creationism. Also, it's pretty common knowledge that religious institutions in this country are losing followers. |
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| Capitalizt |
God/higher power = yes
religion = no |
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| Moongoose |
| quote: | Originally posted by jerZ07002
i hardly think most people who believe in god are irrational. |
Doesn't belief require you to throw rationality out of the window? I mean that's why you believe, because if you thought rationally about it , it wouldn't make any sense. So one could argue that not only are most of the people that believe in god irrational, but that all of the people that believe in god are irrational.
OffTopic:GrammarCheck
Which is correct?
are most of the people that believe in god
or
are most of the people who believe in god
I really cant remember, so i went with "that", but i would like to know if i made the wrong choice. So if there is a grammar nazi lurking here, please let me know. |
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| jerZ07002 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Moongoose
Doesn't belief require you to throw rationality out of the window? I mean that's why you believe, because if you thought rationally about it , it wouldn't make any sense. So one could argue that not only are most of the people that believe in god irrational, but that all of the people that believe in god are irrational. |
why is it irrational that someone believes in something that has yet to be disproved? If it was disproved I would agree with you. However, having faith does not mean irrationally believing, it means believing without proof (which isn't the same as irrational). It all depends on how you view the world and if you need solid evidence to believe in something.
| quote: |
OffTopic:GrammarCheck
Which is correct?
are most of the people that believe in god
or
are most of the people who believe in god
I really cant remember, so i went with "that", but i would like to know if i made the wrong choice. So if there is a grammar nazi lurking here, please let me know. |
Since your phrases don't have subjects to make them complete sentences it is difficult to determine which is correct. However, I suspect your subject (to which that/who is referring) is a human because things can't believe, so 'who' appears to be correct. generally, 'who' will be correct if it refers to a person (or people); however, that is correct if it refers to a thing (or things). |
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| Shakka |
| quote: | | Originally posted by jerZ07002 ... because things can't believe, so 'who' appears to be correct. generally, 'who' will be correct if it refers to a person (or people); however, that is correct if it refers to a thing (or things). |
My dog believes I will feed him tonight. He's probably correct. |
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| jerZ07002 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Shakka
My dog believes I will feed him tonight. He's probably correct. |
touche. ;) |
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| adi_hanson |
sorry for being a non american or non american religous person , but faith is a personal choice and that article had to bring politics into it, what the has the local,state and national government of any nation got to do with your PERSONAL choice of faith?.Ok some pattern may emerge of voting , but in all , is it confirming religon is a major vote swinging factor in the USA?
Is it confirming when the politicans were growing up (as 70% are home schooled , spoilt ,born into power, pure nerd geeky type person)and in high or private school , were outcast and now getting there revenge on the school bullies using religon to get there kicks on you who picked on them because of those comments on there thick rimmed glasses.
So my view on this article is purely political , not religous and hopefully you will vote the dems as it says so many times
:stongue:
I want to go into politics and become leader so some swift ass kicking can begin |
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