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Gallup: Poll Finds Americans' Belief in God Remains Strong [94% Believe in God]
Editor & Publisher ^ | December 13, 2005 | E&P Staff

Posted on 12/13/2005 10:31:56 AM PST by West Coast Conservative

A new Gallup survey released today finds that four decades after the "God Is Dead" controversy was first noted, Americans retain a strong belief in a higher power. Some 94% think God exists.

Only 5% feel God "does not exist" -- and even most of them "are not sure" of that. Exactly 1% are certain there is no God.

But how strongly do the believers believe? Nearly 8 in 10, in fact, say they are "convinced" God exists, although Gallup does not ask them why that is.

Conservatives are more likely to be convinced than liberals (87% vs. 61%), women a little more likely than men (82% vs. 73%), and residents of the South more than those in the East (88% vs. 70%).

Surprisingly, some 61% of those who seldom or never attend church are nevertheless convinced that God exists.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Miscellaneous; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: 1percent; atheists; believers; bush; bush43; christmas; faith; gallup; god; moralabsolutes; poll; religion; waronchristmas
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To: dfwgator
Doesn't seem to be an issue with most people of different faiths. Only the no-god-at-all complain.
21 posted on 12/13/2005 10:44:45 AM PST by dhs12345 (w)
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To: jasoncann

Make that 94%! Or 99%, or whatever. Won't make any difference either way.


22 posted on 12/13/2005 10:45:35 AM PST by AntiGuv (™)
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To: West Coast Conservative
Only 5% feel God "does not exist" -- and even most of them "are not sure" of that. Exactly 1% are certain there is no God.

And they all work at the ACLU ?

23 posted on 12/13/2005 10:46:06 AM PST by Mo1 (Message to Democrats .... We do not surrender and run from a fight !!)
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To: princess leah

Merry CHRISTmas to you too!


24 posted on 12/13/2005 10:49:31 AM PST by trebb ("I am the way... no one comes to the Father, but by me..." - Jesus in John 14:6 (RSV))
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To: FormerACLUmember
"So how come Christmas is banned?"

Because that 1-5% is vocal.

And some well meaning liberals who aren't in that 1-5%, are so afraid of insulting that 1-5%, that they would rather insult God and the other 95%. They can't see the end result of their actions and they are confused about what freedom of religion really means and/or how to implement it in the public sector and corporate world.

25 posted on 12/13/2005 10:50:10 AM PST by DannyTN
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To: dfwgator

Heh.

Even the devil believes in God.


26 posted on 12/13/2005 10:50:36 AM PST by 2Jedismom (21 More Days)
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To: FormerACLUmember
Dayum! Christmas was banned?

My daughter is gonna be mighty upset, since we are all geared up for it. Are they gonna make us take down our decorations?

27 posted on 12/13/2005 10:51:01 AM PST by lugsoul ("Try not to be sad." - Laura Bush)
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To: nmh
Why does Free Republic call it a Holiday Party?
28 posted on 12/13/2005 10:56:05 AM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: West Coast Conservative
A lot of people say they believe in $RELIGION and God, but only a fraction of them act like it in practice. A huge number of nominal believers are indistinguishable from agnostics out in the real world, ignoring whatever mouth noises they make when asked what they believe. Talk is cheap.

I think there is a cultural expectation that people say they believe (kind of like saying one believes in freedom of speech), but actions frequently have a significant disconnect with the stated belief that betrays a different reality. This is why the agnostics/atheists have more influence than this survey would suggest. A lot of people say they believe, but it is obvious that a large percentage of the population is merely saying that and does not actually believe it in practice.

29 posted on 12/13/2005 10:56:07 AM PST by tortoise (All these moments lost in time, like tears in the rain.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

LOL! That is hilarious.


30 posted on 12/13/2005 10:57:02 AM PST by Tulane
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To: monkeybrau
Based on what you hear from the 5%'ers you would think this is becoming an increasingly godless country

High divorce rates, high illegitmacy rates, illegal drugs ... I'd say that's more a clue to our status.

31 posted on 12/13/2005 11:00:07 AM PST by A Ruckus of Dogs
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To: West Coast Conservative
94% Believe in God

And it seems more business leaders are realizing this, judging by the back-stepping on their recent Christmas smackdowns.

32 posted on 12/13/2005 11:00:40 AM PST by polymuser (Losing, like flooding, brings rats to the surface.)
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To: Puppage

"Why does Free Republic call it a Holiday Party?"

Because many on FR are VERY PC. They are blind to it.


33 posted on 12/13/2005 11:07:40 AM PST by nmh (Intelligent people believe in Intelligent Design (God))
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To: princess leah

> Merry CHRISTmas Everybody!


Happy Yule! Hail Odin!!


34 posted on 12/13/2005 11:10:47 AM PST by orionblamblam ("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
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To: West Coast Conservative

It's his evil twin we're not so sure about.


35 posted on 12/13/2005 11:11:03 AM PST by Old Professer (Fix the problem, not the blame!)
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To: West Coast Conservative

A Democrat's belief in God peak's every election year.


36 posted on 12/13/2005 11:16:47 AM PST by Keli Kilohana (Editor, ZARR CHASM CHRONICAL [sic], Sore, WV)
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To: dfwgator

Exactly. Some pray to a god for the release of murderers. Some pray to a god for their continued "right" to kill babies. Not the same God most of us, here, believe in.


37 posted on 12/13/2005 11:20:09 AM PST by kenth (Come back here... so that I may brain thee!)
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To: lugsoul

Yes, we are only now allowed to celebrate Kwanza, Ramadan, and Festivus ("for the rest of us").


38 posted on 12/13/2005 11:23:58 AM PST by FormerACLUmember
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To: All

There is only one God but the religions don't teach the same things about the one God. And each religion accuses the other of false teachings, and different denominations within the religions accuse each other of false teachings.

But there is only one God.


39 posted on 12/13/2005 11:26:52 AM PST by Madeleine Ward
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To: Capt. Tom

You got it backwards.
1% are atheists and 4% are agnostic.


40 posted on 12/13/2005 11:28:43 AM PST by DannyTN
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