Pew's 2008 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey

[Achilles]

I suppose on the surface this could have just as easily have gone in Ahto, however I imagine that any conversation it generates (if any) would most likely belong here

 

Enjoy!

 

U.S. Religious Landscape Survey

 

My favorite part:

 

22% of "Unaffiliated" indicated no belief in god (e.g. atheists).

Percentage of "Unaffiliated" that pray daily: 22%

 

I'm sure that these aren't the same people, but you have to wonder how useful this data is when it churns out information like this

[Totenkopf]

Perhaps it IS the atheists......praying that there's really no God.

[Arcesious]

Very interesting... Yet somehow, unsuprising... Seems that a lot of people have contradictions in their beleifs about many different things...

[Jae Onasi]

The 22% of the unaffiliated that pray daily could be part of the 78%-80% of the unaffiliated that are not atheists. Just to make that all more clear.

[SilentScope001]

This is completely terrible. It's like hearing the stat that 10% of Americans don't even know where America is located.

 

At first, I thought that the Newsweek poll that stated that 40% of Agnoistcs and Atheists believe in God was just dumb, but this poll just takes the cake.

 

People don't know what religion they are following. Some call this tolerance, but I just call it, well, um, bad.

 

Here's an AP article with statistics and quotes about this new poll, straight from religious experts:

 

The findings, revealed Monday in a survey of 35,000 adults, can either be taken as a positive sign of growing religious tolerance, or disturbing evidence that Americans dismiss or don't know fundamental teachings of their own faiths.

 

Among the more startling numbers in the survey, conducted last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life: 57 percent of evangelical church attenders said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical teaching.

 

In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion.

 

"The survey shows religion in America is, indeed, 3,000 miles wide and only three inches deep," said D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist of religion.

 

"There's a growing pluralistic impulse toward tolerance and that is having theological consequences," he said.

 

...

 

The report argues that while relatively few people — 14 percent — cite religious beliefs as the main influence on their political thinking, religion still plays a powerful indirect role.

 

The study confirmed some well-known political dynamics, including stark divisions over abortion and gay marriage, with the more religiously committed taking conservative views on the issues.

 

But it also showed support across religious lines for greater governmental aid for the poor, even if it means more debt and stricter environmental laws and regulations.

 

By many measures, Americans are strongly religious: 92 percent believe in God, 74 percent believe in life after death and 63 percent say their respective scriptures are the word of God.

 

But deeper investigation found that more than one in four Roman Catholics, mainline Protestants and Orthodox Christians expressed some doubts about God's existence, as did six in ten Jews.

 

Another finding almost defies explanation: 21 percent of self-identified atheists said they believe in God or a universal spirit, with 8 percent "absolutely certain" of it.

 

"Look, this shows the limits of a survey approach to religion," said Peter Berger, a theology and sociology professor at Boston University. "What do people really mean when they say that many religions lead to eternal life? It might mean they don't believe their particular truth at all. Others might be saying, 'We believe a truth but respect other people, and they are not necessarily going to hell.'"

 

...

 

Roger Oldham, a vice president with the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, bristled at using the word "tolerance" in the analysis.

 

"If by tolerance we mean we're willing to engage or embrace a multitude of ways to salvation, that's no longer evangelical belief," he said. "The word 'evangelical' has been stretched so broadly, it's almost an elastic term."

 

Others welcomed the findings.

 

"It shows increased religious security. People are comfortable with other traditions even if they're different," said the Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance. "It indicates a level of humility about religion that would be of great benefit to everyone."

 

More than most groups, Catholics break with their church, and not just on issues like abortion and homosexuality. Only six in 10 Catholics described God as "a person with whom people can have a relationship" — which the church teaches — while three in 10 described God as an "impersonal force."

 

"The statistics show, more than anything else, that many who describe themselves as Catholics do not know or understand the teachings of their church," said Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput. "Being Catholic means believing what the Catholic church teaches. It is a communion of faith, not simply of ancestry and family tradition. It also means that the church ought to work harder at evangelizing its own members."

[Inyri]

"The statistics show, more than anything else, that many who describe themselves as Catholics do not know or understand the teachings of their church," said Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput. "Being Catholic means believing what the Catholic church teaches. It is a communion of faith, not simply of ancestry and family tradition. It also means that the church ought to work harder at evangelizing its own members."

Maybe people are starting to think for themselves and not just swallowing everything their priest/pastor tells them. Kudos to those people, I say.

 

Identifying yourself as member of _____ religion and believing everything that religion is academically meant to do not necessarily go hand in hand. People can think for themselves, believe it or not. I'll admit that a good part of it is people don't have the background required to understand what their religion specifically believes (I'll admit I'm not even 100% sure what my religion believes), but I don't think it really matters. I personally identify myself as Christian above whatever minor denomination I've chosen, and I'll bet you a lot of people are the same.

 

After all, it seems kind of silly to leave your church if you disagree with one or two points. If people did that they'd have to make a religion to fit their own beliefs, then how long before we have Josephism or Bobbyism? Unnecessary, really.

[Pho3nix]

Very interesting... Yet somehow, unsurprising...

I concur, not very surprising. An interesting read though.

[Rev7]

This is completely terrible. It's like hearing the stat that 10% of Americans don't even know where America is located.

 

<snip>

 

That's an interesting article. Some things just don't make sense.

[Inyri]

Why would it be interesting? Those 10% are probably the poor and uneducated. It wouldn't surprise me in the least that they wouldn't know where America is. Would you guys know where it was if you hadn't learned it in school? Not everybody is as lucky as we are to have a good education and access to the googles.

[Rev7]

I found it interesting because they they say that they are atheists, but believe in God, or know that He is real. That is what I found interesting. Yes, to me, they seem uneducated.

[Inyri]

They probably just have 'athiest' and 'agnostic' mixed up.

[EnderWiggin]

Identifying yourself as member of _____ religion and believing everything that religion is academically meant to do not necessarily go hand in hand. People can think for themselves, believe it or not.

 

Amen.

 

Thanks, Inyri.

 

_EW_

[Nedak]

Ever notice where the evangelicals are?

[Arcesious]

This also further proves that the 'intellectuals' in the world are, somewhat, a minority... Honestly, I don't see an increase in tolerance- I see a mess of conflicting beleifs and ideals that is just waiting to explode.

[PoiuyWired]

Well, depends on how you see it. Some religions have a rather interesting demographics on the chart.

 

Look at things like Buddhists.

[Jae Onasi]

This also further proves that the 'intellectuals' in the world are, somewhat, a minority.

 

Are you saying people of faith can't be intellectual?

 

I personally identify myself as Christian above whatever minor denomination I've chosen, and I'll bet you a lot of people are the same.

Me too. I happen to align mostly with evangelicals and happen to go to a Baptist church, but I don't care what the name on the door is as long as the people there are committed to doing what Christ said to do and are active in serving both within the church and out in the community around them.

[Achilles]

Are you saying people of faith can't be intellectual?

I would hope that we would all agree that people of faith can be intellectual about some things

 

Me too. I happen to align mostly with evangelicals and happen to go to a Baptist church, but I don't care what the name on the door is as long as the people there are committed to doing what Christ said to do and are active in serving both within the church and out in the community around them.

Westboro Baptists Church? I imagine they would argue that they meet all your criteria.

[KinchyB]

Westboro Baptists Church

 

Ummm...so who do these folks like exactly? wiki entry for them...

 

I have to say, if these folks were to show up at one of my family members funerals, KinchyB would be very unhappy.

[Achilles]

Ummm...so who do these folks like exactly?

Upstanding christians who are serious about serving god's will and spreading jesus' word...just like them.

 

I don't think the fact that other people have differing interpretations of what that means is the slightest bit significant.

[Nedak]

Ummm...so who do these folks like exactly? wiki entry for them...

 

I wonder how many of them actually know how to read...

 

I kid, I kid.

 

Brings a whole new meaning to "You're not from around here are you?"

[Emperor Devon]

Are you saying people of faith can't be intellectual?

 

Not theologically. Although you were probably only referring to that area, 'faith' by definition has no place in intellectualism.

 

On the topic at hand, I'm in no way surprised at hearing people don't know the definitions of their purported beliefs. Humans have certainly acted stupider.

[Arcesious]

Are you saying people of faith can't be intellectual?

 

Of course not. I'm only saying that a majority of both religious and un-religious people alike aren't all that bright.

[mur'phon]

Arc: I asume you put yourself in the "bright" category like almost everyone do. Now, asuming the majority is not very bright, odds are that you (and I for that matter) fall into that category:)

[Darth InSidious]

Maybe people are starting to think for themselves and not just swallowing everything their priest/pastor tells them. Kudos to those people, I say.

 

Identifying yourself as member of _____ religion and believing everything that religion is academically meant to do not necessarily go hand in hand. People can think for themselves, believe it or not. I'll admit that a good part of it is people don't have the background required to understand what their religion specifically believes (I'll admit I'm not even 100% sure what my religion believes), but I don't think it really matters. I personally identify myself as Christian above whatever minor denomination I've chosen, and I'll bet you a lot of people are the same.

 

After all, it seems kind of silly to leave your church if you disagree with one or two points. If people did that they'd have to make a religion to fit their own beliefs, then how long before we have Josephism or Bobbyism? Unnecessary, really.

 

Or maybe forty years of poor catechesis and a total lack of philosophical inculcation has had an effect.

[Achilles]

Or maybe forty years of poor catechesis and a total lack of philosophical inculcation has had an effect.

You make that sound like a bad thing