November 30, 2007

More Americans Believe In Hell Than Evolution

More Americans believe in a literal hell and the devil than Darwin's theory of evolution, according to a new Harris poll released on Thursday.

It is the latest survey to highlight America's deep level of religiosity, a cultural trait that sets it apart from much of the developed world.

It also helps explain many of its political battles which Europeans find bewildering, such as efforts to have "Intelligent Design" theory -- which holds life is too complex to have evolved by chance -- taught in schools alongside evolution.

The poll of 2,455 U.S. adults from Nov 7 to 13 found that 82 percent of those surveyed believed in God, a figure unchanged since the question was asked in 2005.

It further found that 79 percent believed in miracles, 75 percent in heaven, while 72 percent believed that Jesus is God or the Son of God. Belief in hell and the devil was expressed by 62 percent.

reuters

4 comments:

  1. Scary, very scary!
    Why not pixies, trolls, zombies??

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  2. I would think that the numbers of people who believed in hell and the devil would equal those who believe in jesus and heaven. Interesting. Who believes in one and not the other?

    How come these pollsters never call me?

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  3. I was thinking that too Karen. I think it's evidence of this "pick 'n mix" attitude to religion we have now. People profess to be a believer while at the same time only taking out the bits they like or agree with and ignoring the rest.

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  4. this is distressing news. i hope after bush the climate of rational thinking in the US changes for the better

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