'Very religious' atheists and born agains believing in astrology
No surprise that these theologically confused folk are our friends on the other side of the Atlantic, although the survey I am referencing was found at Harris.fr.
God remains the number one concept for belief, at 82%, unchanged on 2005, while miracles, angels and Heaven have progressed between five and six percentage points on the period. Conversely, belief in the survival of the soul after death has eased a point to 69%.
Sieving the data down to Protestants, Catholics and Born Agains throws our some distinct oddities. 97% of Born Agains believe in God, so presumably the remainder do not or are unsure. 11% of Catholics cannot muster belief in Jesus as the son of God, 13% in the Resurrection, 21% in the survival of the soul or 28% in the virgin birth. However, 47% believe in ghosts and 36% in both UFOs and astrology - all significantly higher figures than for the other demographics. A shade under a quarter believe in re-incarnation, as do 15% of Protestants and 8% of Born Agains.
As to which texts they believe to be the word of God, there appears to be some confusion over the Old Testament and the Torah - there being a disconnect of 29% of Catholics, 46% of Protestants and 55% of Born Agains between those thinking that the former is and the latter is the Word....
11% of Atheists / Agnostics consider themselves 'very / somewhat religious' (I would have thought 'confused' would be more apt) , although the 1% of Born Agains considering themselves 'Not at all religious' is pretty odd too.
For public service purposes, here is the Nicene Creed, which failure to accept, to say the least, puts one outside the mainstream of Christian faith.
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
God remains the number one concept for belief, at 82%, unchanged on 2005, while miracles, angels and Heaven have progressed between five and six percentage points on the period. Conversely, belief in the survival of the soul after death has eased a point to 69%.
Sieving the data down to Protestants, Catholics and Born Agains throws our some distinct oddities. 97% of Born Agains believe in God, so presumably the remainder do not or are unsure. 11% of Catholics cannot muster belief in Jesus as the son of God, 13% in the Resurrection, 21% in the survival of the soul or 28% in the virgin birth. However, 47% believe in ghosts and 36% in both UFOs and astrology - all significantly higher figures than for the other demographics. A shade under a quarter believe in re-incarnation, as do 15% of Protestants and 8% of Born Agains.
As to which texts they believe to be the word of God, there appears to be some confusion over the Old Testament and the Torah - there being a disconnect of 29% of Catholics, 46% of Protestants and 55% of Born Agains between those thinking that the former is and the latter is the Word....
11% of Atheists / Agnostics consider themselves 'very / somewhat religious' (I would have thought 'confused' would be more apt) , although the 1% of Born Agains considering themselves 'Not at all religious' is pretty odd too.
For public service purposes, here is the Nicene Creed, which failure to accept, to say the least, puts one outside the mainstream of Christian faith.
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Labels: Men and women of the cloth, surveys, United States
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on Wednesday, December 05, 2007 at 8:24 am.
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Some people believe it, some people do not, but my point was that faith in it is, without doubt, in dispute with the position of the Catholic church:
"All forms of divination should be rejected … Behind horoscopes, astrology, palm-reading, fortune-telling, and the consultation of a medium lies the will to power over time, history, and finally over people, as well as the desire to put the secret powers at one’s disposal. This contradicts the loving awe-filled respect which we owe God alone". 1993 Catechism
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