Pew finds most Americans are religious and political

William Atkins
Tuesday, 24 June 2008 03:29

Science - Climate

According to a Pew study, most Americans are religious with 92% believing in a universal power, nearly 75% in heaven, almost 60% in hell, and over 50% pray daily; and nearly all religious groups tend to be either Republican or Democrat.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted a poll (called the "U.S. Religious Landscape Survey") on religious beliefs in the United States. This poll by the Washington, D.C.-based think tank is the largest poll on religious beliefs ever conducted in America.

The pollsters interviewed about 36,000 adults in the United States. The results of the interviews were released on Monday, June 23, 2008.

The results of the interviews also found the following results:

Evangelical Christians

• About 25% of U.S citizens are evangelicals (which is defined as people belonging to any Protestant Christian church that strongly emphasized the power/authority of the Bible and eternal salvation only through an acceptance of Jesus)
• 56% of them pray daily and are politically conservative (Republican); 44% of them don’t pray daily and are politically liberal (Democrat)
• Evangelical Christians: overall, 50% are Republican or have Republican leanings and 34% are Democratic or have Democratic leanings
• About 33% of members of evangelical churches were Democrats or had Democratic leanings

Jews

• Among those that prayed daily, 36% are politically conservative.
• Among those that prayed less than daily, less then 18% are politically conservative
• About 67% of Jews were Democrats or had Democratic leanings
• About 24% are Republicans or have leanings toward Republican values

Catholics

• Majority are Democratic, but do not overwhelmingly support either major political party
• 48% are Democrats or have Democratic leanings
• 33% are Republicans or have values that lean toward Republicans

Mormons

• About 22% of Mormons were Democrats or had strong support toward Democratic values
• Are the most devoted Republican group of all religious groups, with 65% supporting Republican or identifying with Republican values.

Non-Christians

• Non-Christian faiths were more moderate or liberal than Christian faiths
• About 67% Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists were Democrats or had strong support toward Democratic values.

Black-based church members

• About 77% of members of black-based churches were Democrats or had Democratic leanings
• Blacks in historically based black churches have highest percentage of Democrats of all religious organizations

Atheists/agnostics

• About 21% who consider themselves atheists still believe in some type of a universal power
• About 50% who consider themselves agnostics still believe in some type of a universal power
• 65% of atheists are Democrats or Democratic leanings
• 62% of agnostics are Democrats or Democratic leanings

What did we believe overall--without differentiating between our various religious affiliatins? Please read on.