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 …