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Surprising
religion surveys - 20081107
J-W Staff and Wire Reports
Among the provocative findings of two recent
surveys of religious faith is that a majority of Americans
who claim to be atheists are inclined to pray, one-third of
them “often.” About the same number of atheists
profess a belief in Satan, hell and demons. Half of them believe
in angels and ghosts, according to a Baylor University study.
A nationwide survey by the Pew Forum on Religion
and Public Life reveals yet another mystery: that one-fifth
of people who say they are atheists also say they believe
in God.
Some other findings:
• 45 percent of Americans report having
had at least two mystical experiences in their lives. Conservative
Protestants, women, African-Americans and Republicans are
more apt to report such experiences.
• Faith versus superstition: The Baylor
survey reports that holding the traditional Christian faith
sharply reduces credulity. Beliefs in Bigfoot, UFOs, the occult
and paranormal, haunted houses and astrology do not comfortably
coexist with Christianity.
• Four-fifths of Americans believe in
miracles. That’s more than believe the Scriptures to
be the word of God (63 percent) or believe that heaven exists
(74 percent).
• Americans as a whole are about evenly
divided on whether churches should become involved in political
issues. At the same time, 40 percent of Americans wish the
government would do more to improve the morality of American
life.
• Church attendance. Slightly fewer than
two in five Americans (39 percent) worship weekly with a congregation.
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