Pew study: prayer and literalism, actual data.

[Warren Stupidity]

Last edited Wed Oct 15, 2014, 09:29 PM - Edit history (1)

Belief that prayers are answered:

Receiving Answers to Prayers. A significant minority of Americans say their prayers result in definite and specific answers from God at least once a month (31%), with nearly one-in-five adults (19%) saying they receive direct answers to specific prayer requests at least once a week. More than half of Mormons (54%) say they receive responses to prayer at least once or twice a month, as do half or nearly half of members of historically black churches (50%), Jehovah’s Witnesses (49%) and members of evangelical Protestant churches (46%). These are largely the same groups – Jehovah’s Witnesses are the exception – that also are most likely to say they have experienced or witnessed a divine healing of an illness or injury. By contrast, members of most other religious traditions tend to be less likely to report familiarity with this kind of direct interaction with the divine.

50% of Americans believe that their prayers are answered at least once a month. This is a belief in direct interaction with a deity and a deity that as a consequence of that interaction intercedes in the world.

literalism:

Authority of Scripture and Tradition. More than six-in-ten Americans (63%), including majorities of many religious traditions, view their religion’s sacred texts as the word of God. This belief tends to be most common among Christians. More than eight-in-ten Jehovah’s Witnesses (92%), Mormons (91%) and members of evangelical (88%) and historically black (84%) Protestant churches view the Bible as the word of God, as do majorities of Catholics (62%), mainline Protestants (61%) and Orthodox Christians (59%). Muslims, too, hold a high view of Scripture, with 86% viewing the Koran as the word of God. By contrast, Buddhists (67%), the unaffiliated (64%), Jews (53%) and Hindus (47%) are more likely to view the Scripture as the work of men than as the word of God.

While a large majority of Christians believe that the Bible is the word of God, the various Christian traditions are divided over whether or not the Bible should be interpreted literally, word for word. For example, a majority of members of historically black (62%) and evangelical (59%) Protestant churches say the Bible should be interpreted literally. By comparison, mainline Protestants, Catholics and Mormons are more likely to say the Bible, though the word of God, should not be interpreted literally

The numbers are broken out in detail in a separate table. 33% of the entire population are "word for word literalists", an additional 30% believe that their holy books are the word of god but not "word for word literally true" or "unsure if literally true". Only 28% think that these books were written by people.


Source:
Summary of Key Findings
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life / U.S. Religious Landscape Survey

http://religions.pewforum.org/reports#

[ZombieHorde]

1. I like having sociological data for sociological issues.

Thank you very much for posting this.

[edhopper]

2. No, this is wrong

it is only a teeny, tiny, itsy bitsy minority who believe that.
And in no way reflect what Christians actually think.

[Fumesucker]

3. I have one like that in my family

And they are the family member with the most formal education.

[beam me up scottie]

4. The relationship between politics and religion in the United States is particularly strong...

The Landscape Survey confirms the close link between Americans' religious affiliation, beliefs and practices, on the one hand, and their social and political attitudes, on the other. Indeed, the survey demonstrates that the social and political fault lines in American society run through, as well as alongside, religious traditions. The relationship between politics and religion in the United States is particularly strong with respect to political ideology and views on social issues such as abortion and homosexuality, with the more religiously committed adherents across several religious traditions expressing more conservative political views. On other issues included in the survey, such as environmental protection, foreign affairs, and the proper size and role of government, differences based on religion tend to be smaller.

[mr blur]

5. Wow.

What the fuck is wrong with all these people?

[trotsky]

6. This fits with what I have experienced in my life interacting with believers.

It astounds me that there are some who simply refuse to accept that so many believers are this way.

[skepticscott]

7. Impossible

We've been assured by the members of certain yachting clans that literalists are just a teensy, weensy minority, and that hardly any Christians believe that they're chatting with gawd when they pray.

[rug]

8. Actual data: 2 out of 3 believers do not accept Scripture is the lieral word of God.

http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report2religious-landscape-study-chapter-1.pdf

The chart's on page 11.

[Leontius]

9. But that leaves one and they all know him.

So it's got to be most.

[AtheistCrusader]

10. So, we're only 1/3 fucked then...

And 1/3 about medium-fucked.

Wunderbar.

[rug]

11. I don't know what's worse, your understanding of statistics or your understanding of fucking.

[AtheistCrusader]

12. Read page 11.