Prayer and the polls: Americans with strong religious beliefs have faith in Republicans

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | 12/17/03 | David M. Shribman

[bdeaner]

This country is divided along lines over how we live, love, tax, vote -- and pray. And now that we are about to enter a political year in which we will help decide how we will live, love and tax, there's increasing attention on how we pray.

[bdeaner]

The culture war is the decisive issue here.

[Dataman]

This is an issue that gay activists and religious conservatives alike are eager to engage, though for different reasons.

Is the only reason to oppose homo marriages a religious one? What about the gay culture of death, the reduced lifespans, the innocent victims, the rampant diseases, the mental problems? Homosexuality has been taboo throughout history, and in cultures that weren't Christian.

[bdeaner]

Homosexuality wasn't taboo for the Greeks.

[aimhigh]

Americans with strong religious beliefs have faith in Republicans>/I>

As the scriptures say, "He that trusts in man in under a curse."

[UCANSEE2]

It used to be that the Democrats were the domain of the religious.

Since they were the majority, that 'power' became a goal for evil. Evil has since moved in, taken over, and kicked out anyone that disagrees.

I pray that one day my fellow Americans who call themselves Democrats, will remove the evil that dominates the leaders of their party, and put DEMOCRACY back into the Democratic Party.

The REPUBLICANS need DEMOCRATS back. The whole idea was that the two party concepts would balance each other.

With the DEMOCRATS so far out in left field, their complaints (real issue complaints, not the crap we see now) about Republicans going off the right end of the bell curve are being ignored. In that sense, we all are on the losing end.

Save America! Get Rid of EVIL!

Want to help. Don't start at the top. (That is already being handled by President Bush. If you keep an eye out, you will notice he is quietly attacking corruption in politics. P.S. Don't tell anyone, it's a secret!)

START AT HOME. Work up from there. Start with yourself, and if successful, spread outward.

That is how we can free our country.

[newgeezer]

In the 2000 election, Bush swept more religiously observant voters by large percentages -- and, in the case of white evangelical Protestants, by a margin of more than five to one.

In other words, to the extent that we can trust the definition of "white evangelical Protestants," 1/6 of us were totally clueless!

Of course, this doesn't count those who, for various reasons, stayed home. Whenever we lose, they and the clueless ones are the difference.

[Rockitz]

Supporting article linked for reference.

http://www.intellectualconservative.com/article2925.html

[Kuksool]

No religious person in his/her right mind would vote Democratic.

[Blzbba]

"Today 81 percent of Americans say that prayer is an important part of their daily lives, ...... But a more important finding may be that 51 percent completely agree that prayer is an important part of their daily lives "



So there are 30% of people who say that prayer IS an important part of their daily lives who do NOT completely agree that prayer IS an important part of their daily lives?!?

{scratches head} That just don't make no sense!!

I stopped reading after than nonsensical clash of statistics.

[bdeaner]

Probably a likert scale with different degrees of agreement and disagreement. For example:

1 = Completely disagree
2 = Somewhat disagree
3 = Neutral
4 = Somewhat agree
5 = Completely agree
That would explain the apparently contradictory statistics.

[Rockitz]

People eat junk food, smoke, drink alcohol, (insert the vice of your choice) and, yet, will completely agree that it is bad for their health. Given that, I see no contradiction with the statistic you sited in this article.

[mikeb704]

A party for dim-witted, unpatriotic, irreligious crooks

[truthandlife]

Some trust in the Republican Party, but we will trust in God

[LTCJ]

Homosexuality wasn't taboo for the Greeks.

Given the weight of your argument, I'm not sure which side to come down on. Maybe if you'd lend me a drachm, I could flip for a winner ...

[Blzbba]

Let me show you what I found contradictory:

"Today 81 percent of Americans say that prayer is an important part of their daily lives,"

Blzbba: OK - 81% of Americans say that prayer is an important part of their daily lives. Continuing to paste from the article:

"...... But a more important finding may be that 51 percent completely agree that prayer is an important part of their daily lives "

While I'll give a nod to the other poster who mentioned the statistical usage of "Strongly Agree...Agree....Disagree...Strongly Disagree" in surveys, shouldn't the 81% of people who pray on a daily basis completely agree that prayer is an important part of their daily lives? Why do 30% of the people (81%-51%) who pray on a daily basis NOT completely agree that prayer is an important part of their daily lives? If they don't completely agree, then why are they praying?

[freedom44]

ping

[Rockitz]

Maybe it's a lottery ticket mentality?

[MEGoody]

"Homosexuality wasn't taboo for the Greeks."

That's true. . nor Romans in the Roman Empire. Look what happened to those societies.

[verity]

He that does not trust the "preview" screen is under a curse.

[Dataman]

Homosexuality wasn't taboo for the Greeks.

It was. Even the Greek words for homosexual are pejorative. The legends of Sparta are just that: legends. And who was primarily responsible for spreading them? Hint: a 20th century atheist.