Americans see truth in a range of faiths, massive study finds

by Dave Keating | June 24, 2008 at 12:21 am | 145 views | 1 comment

Few would deny that America is a very religious nation, but a massive study shows that it is uniquely religious in a way that is very different from other nations. Though the United States has the highest rate of belief in God in the developed world (hovering around 94 percent), they are quite fluid about what that God might be. 'Religiousity' in the United States trumps any one particular faith.

In America, it is not important what you believe, but just that you believe in something. This is reflected in other surveys which have shown that atheists are the most distrusted minority in America, ahead of every religious or racial group.

The United States is a nation of believers: most Americans say they believe in God, they pray, and they attend worship services regularly; they also believe in angels and demons, in heaven and hell, and in miracles.

But they also say, contradicting the teachings of many faiths, that truth comes in many forms. Large majorities of Americans say that many religions - not just their own - can lead to eternal life, and that there is more than one way to interpret religious teachings, according to a massive new study of religion in America conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and released yesterday.

"Even though the country is highly religious . . . most Americans are, in fact, not dogmatic about their faith," said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum.

New Englanders are among the least likely to say they are religious, according to the study. Massachusetts lags behind the nation - often near the bottom of all states - in the percentage of its residents who say they are certain that God exists, that they believe the word of God is literally true, that religion is very important in their lives, or that they attend worship weekly or pray daily.

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djermano

at 03:57 on June 24th, 2008

Strange as it is, there are many religious groups in America...From Catholic, Baptists, Lutheran, Mormon, Jewish, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Jehovah Wittnesses, Assembly of God, Crystal Cathedral, 700 club and the list is virtually endless. Truth being what is the question and who sees what truth as truth. This is all the ammunition athiests need, to show that truth is not true when there is so many who have their own. It is an America who has so many Gods and Churches that really nobody knows what to believe anymore in America, and is why we seem to always be on the path of war upon war upon war.

Examples of the bible whether owning a gun or committing acts of violence are religious acts is highly arguable, because the Old Testament is full of wars, and examples to why violence is justified. Exodus 22:2, "If the thief is caught while breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguiltiness on his account." vs. The Sixth Commandment "Thou shalt not kill" .

Essentially the Bible is stacked with contradictions, with Old Testament vs. New Testament writings. I heard a baptist preacher once say that war is a biblical duty in so many words, because he found that if someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first." The Jews and Talamond believe this. It certainly fits the truth when in Matthew it says: "He who lives by the sword will die by the sword."

My belief centers around an entirely Jesus of Nazareth view and that is Nonviolence. Most Churches in America support the use of arms and the military. I tend to categorize them as not religions afterall but groups who need to legitimize their guns in the house of the Lord.

Your title: Americans see truth in a range of faiths, massive study finds. Shoud read. Americans see truth in a range of Military Arsenals, massive study finds.

Jesus was not about weapons, was not about raising armies, and conquering the unfaithful. Those who contend that antigun laws is not Gods work, I would have to disagree, because Jesus certainly did not say or advocate the taking of life of someone. He instead as an example gave his life as a treasure of love in defeating death, and defeating those who think guns and militaries are the answer. If God's son died in refute to the entire litany of the bible that advocates the use of violence, that advocates war, and an eye for an eye, that is enough to tell me that Jesus is the key to life. He is the key and example to follow from all the miserable bumblings and mistakes that advocate guns and violence is justified in the bible.

Clearly they are not. Clearly Jesus rebuked those to raise arms (John 18: 10) "Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword"

Jesus is no unstable maniac saying one thing one day and something else the next. His crucifixion is the point in all this and proof to his words in being against violence, and militaries. God does not need a military to guard heaven.