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More Americans Believe in the Devil, Hell and Angels than in Darwin's Theory of Evolution
MarketWatch.com ^ | Dec. 10, 2008

Posted on 12/10/2008 8:04:15 AM PST by Alex Murphy

Some of the interesting findings in this new Harris Poll include:
-- 80% of adult Americans believe in God - unchanged since the last time we asked the question in 2005. Large majorities of the public believe in miracles (75%), heaven (73%), angels (71%), that Jesus is God or the Son of God (71%), the resurrection of Jesus (70%), the survival of the soul after death (68%), hell (62%), the Virgin birth (Jesus born of Mary (61%) and the devil (59%).
-- Slightly more people - but both are minorities - believe in Darwin's theory of evolution (47%) than in creationism (40%).
-- Sizeable minorities believe in ghosts (44%), UFOs (36%), witches (31%), astrology (31%), and reincarnation (24%).

Differences between Catholics and Protestants
There are no significant differences between the large percentages of Catholics and Protestants who believe in God, miracles, heaven and hell, that Jesus is the Son of God, angels, the resurrection of Jesus, the survival of the soul after death, the Virgin birth and the devil. However, Catholics are more likely than Protestants to believe in Darwin's theory of evolution (by 52% to 32%), ghosts (by 57% to 41%), UFOs (by 43% to 31%), and astrology (by 40% to 28%). Protestants are slightly more likely than Catholics to believe in creationism (by 54% to 46%).

Which Religious Texts Are the "Word of God"
Slender majorities of all adults believe that all or most of the Old Testament (55%) and the New Testament (54%) are the "Word of God." However, only about a third of all adults (37% and 36%) believe that all of these texts are the word of God.

(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...


TOPICS: Apologetics; Religion & Culture; Religion & Science; Theology
KEYWORDS: nobragjustidiocy
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There are no significant differences between the large percentages of Catholics and Protestants who believe in God, miracles, heaven and hell, that Jesus is the Son of God, angels, the resurrection of Jesus, the survival of the soul after death, the Virgin birth and the devil.

However, Catholics are more likely than Protestants to believe in Darwin's theory of evolution (by 52% to 32%), ghosts (by 57% to 41%), UFOs (by 43% to 31%), and astrology (by 40% to 28%). Protestants are slightly more likely than Catholics to believe in creationism (by 54% to 46%).

Less than a quarter of Americans describe themselves are "very religious." However, a large majority (68%) describe themselves as either very (23%) or somewhat (45%) religious.

A quarter (27%) of adult Americans claim that they attend church once a week or more often, compared with 36% who say they attend less than once a year or never (18% each).

I got this hilarious warning message when I tried to post the article in it's entirety:

Body of Thread must be no longer than 300 words if excerpt (you are using 666.)

1 posted on 12/10/2008 8:04:17 AM PST by Alex Murphy
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To: Alex Murphy

What discomforts me is that a lot of these self-professed Christians have no doubts voting for demoncraps and Obama.


2 posted on 12/10/2008 8:11:06 AM PST by SolidWood (Sarah Palin - Everything that is Sweetness and Light! WE STAND WITH HER!)
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To: Alex Murphy
, and astrology (by 40% to 28%). Protestants are slightly more likely than Catholics to believe in creationism (by 54% to 46%).

Nearly half of Catholics believe in creationism and astrology? Wow, surprising in the sense that the media usually tries to paint evangelicals as the anti-science mystics of American religion.

3 posted on 12/10/2008 8:11:33 AM PST by GunRunner
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To: Alex Murphy
"Body of Thread must be no longer than 300 words if excerpt (you are using 666."

LOL! Cue the thunderclap and the ominous music!

4 posted on 12/10/2008 8:12:31 AM PST by labette ( Humble student of Thinkology)
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To: GunRunner

All the lapsed Catholics I know (and I know quite a few) are hugely superstitious.


5 posted on 12/10/2008 8:14:00 AM PST by LongElegantLegs (Deplore the profligate scattering of corpses!)
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To: Alex Murphy

“reincarnation (24%). “

This is the number that blows me away.


6 posted on 12/10/2008 8:14:06 AM PST by mothball
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To: mothball
Yeah, I'm a Greek god that came back as a bald fat man.
7 posted on 12/10/2008 8:27:33 AM PST by chuckles
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To: LongElegantLegs
-- Sizeable minorities believe in ghosts (44%), UFOs (36%), witches (31%), astrology (31%), and reincarnation (24%).

Maybe this explains why the US is contributing a declining number of scientists and engineers to the global market. They're too busy studying to become paranormal investigators and Ufologists. It also explains why the Dalai Lama has such a huge following here.

8 posted on 12/10/2008 8:27:40 AM PST by GunRunner
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To: Alex Murphy

Headline should be “More Americans believe in Darwin’s theory of Evolution than in Creationism”.

— Slightly more people - but both are minorities - believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution (47%) than in creationism (40%).

I wonder what the other 13% believe.


9 posted on 12/10/2008 8:31:33 AM PST by allmendream (Wealth is EARNED not distributed.... so how could it be Redistributed?)
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To: allmendream

Probably theistic evolution or aliens did it. hehe


10 posted on 12/10/2008 8:35:32 AM PST by DonaldC
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To: mothball

Geez they left out Al Gore’s religious movement... global-warming-earth-mother worshipers.


11 posted on 12/10/2008 8:49:08 AM PST by antceecee (Bless us Father.. have mercy on us and protect us from evil.)
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To: Alex Murphy

I certainly hope nobody believes in evolution. No scientific theory should be taken on belief. Accept it as the current best scientific explanation of the biodiversity on the planet, yes. Believe, no.


12 posted on 12/10/2008 9:59:26 AM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: author

Fire up the ovens. Maher to the rescue.


13 posted on 12/10/2008 11:21:04 AM PST by DPMD (~)
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To: antiRepublicrat

I use the phrase “confidence in the evidence that supports the theory” rather than belief. Belief doesn’t really come into it with science, either you have confidence in the evidence that supports the theory or you do not.


14 posted on 12/10/2008 1:13:44 PM PST by allmendream (Wealth is EARNED not distributed.... so how could it be Redistributed?)
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To: Alex Murphy

Well, we are members of that 80% that believe and tonight at 6 p.m. we will be at church in a Bible study class.


15 posted on 12/10/2008 1:16:46 PM PST by RetiredArmy (I vote for freedom, liberty and the way the USA was founded. Not the way the Marxists want it.)
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To: Alex Murphy

Well, we are members of that 80% that believe and tonight at 6 p.m. we will be at church in a Bible study class.


16 posted on 12/10/2008 1:16:47 PM PST by RetiredArmy (I vote for freedom, liberty and the way the USA was founded. Not the way the Marxists want it.)
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To: allmendream
I use the phrase “confidence in the evidence that supports the theory” rather than belief. Belief doesn’t really come into it with science, either you have confidence in the evidence that supports the theory or you do not.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
- Hebrews 11:1

17 posted on 12/10/2008 1:29:36 PM PST by Alex Murphy ( "Every country has the government it deserves" - Joseph Marie de Maistre)
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To: Alex Murphy

Heb 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.


18 posted on 12/10/2008 1:43:52 PM PST by allmendream (Wealth is EARNED not distributed.... so how could it be Redistributed?)
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To: allmendream
— Slightly more people - but both are minorities - believe in Darwin's theory of evolution (47%) than in creationism (40%).

I wonder what the other 13% believe.

Intelligent design? Haven't we been told it's not Creationism or Darwinism?

Alternatively "-- Sizeable minorities believe in ... reincarnation (24%)"

Turtles: all the way down

19 posted on 12/10/2008 4:58:04 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (Zero tolerance does not mean putting up with Barack for the next 4 years - that's just punishment)
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To: Alex Murphy
However, Catholics are more likely than Protestants to believe in Darwin's theory of evolution (by 52% to 32%), ghosts (by 57% to 41%), UFOs (by 43% to 31%), and astrology (by 40% to 28%). Protestants are slightly more likely than Catholics to believe in creationism (by 54% to 46%).

Do tell?

20 posted on 12/10/2008 6:12:50 PM PST by Zionist Conspirator ("Lo' Ya`aqov ye'amer `od shimkha ki 'im-Yisra'el; ki sarita `im-'Eloqim ve`im-'anashim vatukhal.")
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