A new poll published by Pew on Wednesday provides many revelations about views on God in the United States.
The poll says that previous surveys have shown the number of people who absolutely believe in God has declined in recent years, while the number of those who have doubts of God’s existence or don’t believe in it at all is rising. But despite the trends of the numbers, the results of the latest poll show that there is still ample reason to believe that God is still a major force in American life.
When U.S. adults were asked whether or not they believe in God, four-in-five (80 percent) said that they do. More specifically, 56 percent of adults surveyed said that they believe in God “as described in the Bible.”
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Interestingly enough, belief in a deity or higher power is common among people without religious affiliation, as close to three quarters (72 percent) of them still believe in God or some other higher power.
Focusing on the other side, less than one-in-five (19 percent) adults surveyed said that they do not believe in God. However, some adults (9 percent) say that while they don’t believe in God, they do believe in some spiritual being or higher power. Only one-in-ten adults (10 percent) surveyed do not believe in any God or higher power.
The adults surveyed also answered questions regarding their thoughts on predestination.
About half of Americans (48 percent) believe that God plays a significant role in determining the course of events in their life. Respectively, a little over a quarter (27 percent) of Americans believe that God is in control of what happens all the time while about one-in-five (21 percent) think that God is in control most of the time.
Another 18 percent believe that God at least sometimes determines what happens to them, while less than a quarter (23 percent) think God hardly ever determines outcomes or never does at all.
Close to eight-in-ten (77 percent) of American adults believe that God or some other higher power has protected them and two-thirds (67 percent) say that their deity has rewarded them.
A majority of U.S. adults believe that God is judgmental, as 61 percent believe that God will judge all that they have done. However, far fewer Americans—well less than half (40 percent)—believe that God or another spiritual being has punished them for bad deeds.
When it comes to communicating with a higher power, people have very different views of how it happens.
The predominant opinion, held by a little less than half of U.S. adults (47 percent), is that they talk to God or another spiritual force, but their higher power does not talk back to them. However, more than a quarter of Americans (28 percent) believe that communication with God is a two-way street.
Additionally, an extremely small number of adults—less than one percent to be exact—believe that they don’t talk to God, but that God talks to them. There are also quite a few adults (15 percent) that believe that they don’t communicate with God in any way.
I have never prayed and heard a voice back. I can say there have been a few times, in some of my more honest and earnest prayers where I have felt God’s presence inside and out–a few times ( I know it sounds nuts to a non-believer) I have even felt a “touch” on my shoulder or on top of my bowed head–it always scares me a bit ( as well as being comforting.)
I KNOW my steps are guided sometimes. For instance, I once went a way I did not usually go and met a woman who needed my help. She was very distressed and I was able to give her information (about a medical procedure) that soothed most of her fears. Sometimes I can FEEL this guidance, it’s something like deja vu.
Sadly, the god that most Americans worship is the state.
I like the concept that god works through people. Even people with gap tooth grins have appeared in my life, showing me a way to go forward. I loosely call them angels at times.
It is part of my god/good dimorphism. Good people do god’s work. And hopefully, god people do good works. The devil is always in the details.
F.U. Godless Commies
Breaking the crosses off war memorials and demolishing Confederate monuments is bad ju-ju.
I am convinced God saved my daughter’s life this past Christmas.
I put the following link over on the ADL/SPLC article also.
Europe is close to being an atheist society unless you count the Muslims.
What’s going on in Europe is just a harbinger of what will happen here if we do not get more of our citizens aroused.
Jean Claude Juncker,the head of the European Union,is celebrating the 200th bday of Karl Marx.
Very short article from Armstrong Economics.
It’s refreshing to know people still believe. One of the problems with Christianity, I think, is there are so many different sects all teaching different things. It’s hard to know which is the right course to take.
Vic,
You’ll never go wrong following the cul,er,denomination of Tampa.
For 1st level initiates your annual tithe is only $100.
I’ll let you know about the rest as we go along.
$100 for salvation, Simon?
Not as hard as it might seem, just compare what they teach to what is actually in the Bible instead of what they tell you is in the Bible.
Different sects, what about different Gospel verses? There might not be a perfect sect. Christians read the Gospel etc, pray for guidance, talk to folks. We try to follow Jesus on that path between the two ditches that we spend a lot of the time climbing back out of. Let’s talk about it in Heaven! PS: The Shroud of Turin and the Face Cloth of Oviedo validate the Crucifixion stories (the latest Carbon Dates came out around 30AD).
Where’s the outrage over (white) Christians getting mowed down in Ukraine, the Balkans, Middle East, and (South) Africa?
Too many flag waving fake-Christian fake conservatives cheering for the global MIC money machine.