Thursday, October 16, 2003
God's approval ratings skyrocket
According to a recent Opinion Dynamics poll, when asked, more than 91 percent of Americans believe in God. Some 85 percent of Americans believe in Heaven and an afterlife, 78 percent believe in Hell and 71 percent believe in the devil. Interestingly, while America's belief in God has remained more or less steady, belief in the devil has enjoyed a strong resurgence – up 7 percent in five years.
The poll found that younger people are much more likely to believe in Hell and the devil than older people and that Republicans are more likely to believe in God than Democrats. Interestingly, the poll also found that Democrats are more likely to believe in astrology, reincarnation, ghosts and UFOs than are Republicans, by margins of 15 points.
Sixty-nine percent of Americans say religion plays too small a role in people's lives today – probably because only a third of them attend church or synagogue weekly.
In any case, it would seem pretty clear – if the Opinion Dynamics poll is to be believed – that virtually all Americans believe in God. From a statistical point of view, God has much higher approval ratings among the American people than any president in history. Far more people know who God is than can name the sitting vice president of the United States, according to other recent polls.
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