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Nearly half of Americans uncertain God exists: poll
AFP ^ | 10/31/06

Posted on 11/01/2006 7:56:52 AM PST by presidio9

Nearly half of Americans are not sure God exists, according to a poll that also found divisions among the public on whether God is male or female or whether God has a human form and has control over events. The survey conducted by Harris Poll found that 42 percent of US adults are not "absolutely certain" there is a God compared to 34 percent who felt that way when asked the same question three years ago.

Among the various religious groups, 76 percent of Protestants, 64 percent of Catholics and 30 percent of Jews said they are "absolutely certain" there is a God while 93 percent of Christians who describe themselves as "Born Again" feel certain God exists.

When questioned on whether God is male or female, 36 percent of respondents said they think God is male, 37 percent said neither male nor female and 10 percent said "both male and female."

Only one percent think of God as a female, according to the poll.

Asked whether God has a human form, 41 percent said they think of God as "a spirit or power than can take on human form but is not inherently human."

As to whether God controls events on Earth, 29 percent believe that to be the case while 44 percent said God "observes but does not control what happens on Earth".

The survey was conducted online between October 4 and 10 among 2,010 US adults.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: christianity; godhaters; godlessliberals; moralabsolutes; religion; religionisobsolete; yetanotherstupidpoll
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To: presidio9

Yes, we call those people Democrats....Democrats.


41 posted on 11/01/2006 8:36:00 AM PST by bpjam (Not Voting in '06? Turn in your VRWC card at exit quietly)
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To: presidio9
The survey conducted by Harris Poll found that 42 percent of US adults are not "absolutely certain" there is a God...

So? What's that prove?

42 posted on 11/01/2006 8:36:28 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: presidio9

Silly question... every one has a god... the real question is your god the real "God"?


43 posted on 11/01/2006 8:36:46 AM PST by tophat9000 (FYI To the Left: The Klu Klux Klan also started as a "terrorist insurgency" group)
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To: WKB

ping


44 posted on 11/01/2006 8:37:30 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: badpacifist

This is true: Fully one third of Americans believe that George Bush was secretly behind the 9/11 attacks. I posted a thread on this a couple of months ago.


45 posted on 11/01/2006 8:40:22 AM PST by presidio9 (Make Mohammed's day: Shoot a nun in the back.)
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To: stm

Reminds me of liberal arguments against GE food and for global warming, it’s called the precautionary principle. If there is the possibility that cars are causing global warming, we should stop using them because the alternative is disaster. If there is the possibility that GE would damage the environment, we should stop using them because the alternative is damaging the food supply. If there is the possibility that god exists we should worship him because the alternative is we go to hell.

I’m sorry, I don’t make my decisions based on logical fallacies and even if I were inclined to believe in god, it’s still a bad argument.


46 posted on 11/01/2006 8:41:37 AM PST by Raymann
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To: Little Ray

YOu proved my point. Thanks


47 posted on 11/01/2006 8:42:18 AM PST by WBL 1952
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To: presidio9
True education sould center around the purpose of human life, which is to know, love and serve God in this life and to be happy forever with Him the next. Central to such an education would be the proofs for the existence of God.

Does God Exist? (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Can You Prove That God Exists? (Peter Kreeft)

To graduate from 12 years of "education" without learning this is child abuse of the worst kind.

48 posted on 11/01/2006 8:43:45 AM PST by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
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To: WBL 1952
Another ridiculous worthless online poll.

Good catch. The perenial Gallup poll seems to be the most reliable in this regard, and it consistently shows that 90% of the public believes in God, however conceived.

49 posted on 11/01/2006 8:46:52 AM PST by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
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To: stuartcr

"Shouldn't they really be called agnostics that follow a specific faith?"

No, they should be called believers.

Faith is not absolute certitude.
There is no faith at all in absolute certitude.


50 posted on 11/01/2006 8:50:28 AM PST by Vicomte13 (The Crown is amused.)
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To: Vicomte13

Sounds like the same thing. Perhaps you should get the word out to the many freepers that are certain.


51 posted on 11/01/2006 8:54:29 AM PST by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: stuartcr
I am going to guess that certain people think it is sacrilegious to say they know that God exists, feeling that His existence is properly a matter of faith, not knowledge.

I would guess that another group do not believe in God, but are members of a religious group for form's sake (pleasing their family) or because they sympathize with the moral code the religion promotes.

52 posted on 11/01/2006 8:59:31 AM PST by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge)
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To: GraniteStateConservative
I'll raise you one Helen Thomas.


53 posted on 11/01/2006 9:03:10 AM PST by AndrewC
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To: Vicomte13
The Catholic Church teaches that the existence of God is not a matter of faith, but of right reason.

The proper object of faith is belief in the teaching of Jesus Christ.

54 posted on 11/01/2006 9:03:29 AM PST by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge)
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To: presidio9

I think it's safe to say about half the population behaves as if God does not exist.


55 posted on 11/01/2006 9:04:04 AM PST by Rutles4Ever (Ubi Petrus, ibi ecclesia, et ubi ecclesia vita eterna)
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To: wideawake

I asked, because it just sounded odd that there are people that follow a faith closely, but are uncertain if God exists. Then of course, there are those that are certain, but cannot offer any kind of universally acceptable proof, that doesn't require a similar belief.


56 posted on 11/01/2006 9:05:20 AM PST by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: AndrewC

That's just proof that Satan also exists.


57 posted on 11/01/2006 9:15:41 AM PST by GraniteStateConservative (...He had committed no crime against America so I did not bring him here...-- Worst.President.Ever.)
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To: windcliff

There's more evidence for the existence of God than not.


58 posted on 11/01/2006 9:27:52 AM PST by onedoug
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To: presidio9
God "observes but does not control what happens on Earth".

The Earth is still spinning and the Sun rises and sets. Hmmm...

God does not interfere with free will but He responds to those who ask him to.

Only the fool says in his heart that there is no God when the compelling evidence around him proves otherwise.

59 posted on 11/01/2006 9:38:37 AM PST by pray4liberty (School District horrors: http://totallyunjust.tripod.com)
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To: badpacifist
"Half of America doesn't believe America exists."

Yep! But I think if the question were "Do you believe a creator exists?", the results would have been far more favorable. Many believe that religions have been influenced by man, and thus question the existence of "God," but don't question the existence of a creator, except those that believe existence was purely accidental, and that man's existence--the highest form of life--is a total mistake.
60 posted on 11/01/2006 9:47:12 AM PST by raftguide
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