June 23, 2008America's nondogmatic faithfulThe Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has released a new report on the findings of its survey on religion and American life, taken between May 8 and Aug. 13, 2007. The first report, released in February, focused on Americans' religious affiliations. This second report supplies data on core religious beliefs and practices plus the social and political views of people who identify themselves as belonging to various religions in the U.S. and of people who aren't affiliated with any particular religion. Some interesting stuff. More than half of Americans say religion is very important in their lives -- no surprise there. But I was glad to see that, overheated rhetoric aside, most Americans have a nondogmatic approach to faith and that this is true in nearly all faith traditions. For example, 70 percent of the 35,000 Americans surveyed who are affiliated with a religion agreed with the statement: "Many religions can lead to eternal life." When broken down by faith, majorities of Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu believers agreed. In only two faiths listed did minorities hold this view: Mormons (39 percent) and Jehovah's Witnesses (16 percent). The same pattern held true for the statement: "There is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of my religion." |
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Comments
[June 23, 2008 5:03 PM]
HenryJust make up your own belief. When you die, you'll find out if you were wrong or right. A Christian who believes non-Christians are going to Heaven generally doesn't care if they do or not. If they go to Hell, it doesn't cost him anything. Whatever.
[June 23, 2008 6:51 PM]
JoshThe Pew survey is bogus. It obviously reflects only what people call themselves; not whether or not they adhere to the beliefs of the faith they claim.
How can I tell? When I look at Catholics' views on abortion in the survey, it falls in with the liberal line that "most Catholics are pro-life."
Last year, a Roper poll trumpeted similar results, that a majority of Catholics were "pro-choice." Closer examination revealed that barely half the "Catholic" respondents say they attend Mass every week.
We should get one thing straight; if you do not attend Mass and you do not believe in the teachings of the faith, you are not representative of practicing members and are not entitled to represent yourself as such in polls.
I'd bet Massachusetts is full of people like this.
[June 23, 2008 7:25 PM]
BUDso maybe the "extra chromosone right wing" and the bible thumpers as depicted by the MSM don't really exist in the numbers it has portrayed.. Maybe a philosophy exists among the "faithful " of live and let live- just don't ask me to subsidize and vote for the counterculture??