My Chapter 5 of SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for Humanity goes into fine detail on the matter of belief in God and the Afterlife. However, you don't need to purchase it, for this blog site serializes this book, beginning with:
Here is a summary, but as this book came out six years ago, I have added more recent data as noted:
- TIME (24June 1996)
- Do you believe in the existence of heaven, where people live forever with God after death?
- Yes 81% (rose to 85% in 2009)
- No 13%
- Do believe you will meet friends and family members in Heaven when you die?
- Yes 88%
- No 5%
- Immediately after death, which of the following do you think will happen to you?
- Go directly to heaven 61%
- Do to purgatory 15%
- Go to hell 1%
- Be reincarnated 5%
- End of existence 4% (thus, only 4% has my eternal gloom view of the end)
- Harris Poll
- Absolutely or somewhat certain there is a God
- 2003 79%
- 2013 68%
- Thus, USA belief in God seems to be declining
- God observes, but does not control what happens on Earth
- 2003 50%
- 2013 37%
- Again, there is a decline in the influence of God.
- In this poll, only 1% of Americans indicated God is female.
- In this 2013 poll, American belief:
- God 74%
- Heaven 68%
- Hell 58%
- Darwin's Theory of Evolution 47%
- Ghosts 42%
- UFOs 36%
- Witches 26%
- Religion is the reason, but only around half of Americans believe in Evolution!
- Difference between Republicans and Democrats:
Republicans Democrats
- God belief 87% 72%
- Heaven 80% 66%
- Hell 74% 53%
- Evolution 36% 52%
To some degree, it's all in how you ask the questions, for if you simply inquire if you believe in God, here is the response:
Historically, from Gallup (note that from around half a century ago, the No's have jumped):
THUS, IT WOULD BE A SAFE STATEMENT TO MAKE THAT MORE THAN 90% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE IN GOD, AT LEAST TO SOME DEGREE. How does this compare to, say, France, or U.S. National Academy of Sciences biology members? The extent of the differences defy logic, and will be analyzed later this week.
THUS, IT WOULD BE A SAFE STATEMENT TO MAKE THAT MORE THAN 90% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE IN GOD, AT LEAST TO SOME DEGREE. How does this compare to, say, France, or U.S. National Academy of Sciences biology members? The extent of the differences defy logic, and will be analyzed later this week.
-
Tropical Storm Rammasun is now at 40 MPH, will strengthen into a typhoon and by Tuesday night threaten Manila:
Current projections show Rammasun losing ferocity rolling over the Philippines, but recovering again into a typhoon and striking China just north of Hainan.
-
No comments:
Post a Comment