New Poll Asks: Are We Living in the Last Days? (Poll on Americans across political-religious lines)

Left Behind ^ | 21 September 2006

[NZerFromHK]

Learn what American attitudes toward current events and Bible prophecy are in this exclusive new poll.

Are We Living in the Last Days?

We asked: "Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: 'Events such as the rebirth of the State of Israel, wars and instability in the Middle East, recent earthquakes, and the tsunami in Asia are evidence that we are living in what the Bible calls the last days.'"

* 42% of all Americans agree
* 44% disagree
* 14% say they don’t know

Last Days—Gender

* 50 percent of women agree; 37 percent disagree;
* 14 percent don’t know
* 34 percent of men agree; 52 percent disagree; 15 percent don’t know

Last Days—Religion

* 58 percent of evangelical/born-again Christians agree; 30 percent disagree
* 50 percent of all Protestant Christians agree; 35 percent disagree
* 38 percent of Catholics agree; 52 percent disagree
* 31 percent of Jewish Americans agree; 56 percent disagree

Last Days—Ideology/Party Affiliation

* 30 percent of liberal Democrats agree; 57 percent disagree
* 39 percent of self-described moderates agree; 47 percent disagree
* 51 percent of conservative Republicans agree; 39 percent disagree

Last Days—Party Affiliation

* 39 percent of Democrats agree; 47 percent disagree
* 48 percent of Republicans agree; 39 percent disagree

Last Days—Race

* 75 percent of African Americans agree; 16 percent disagree
* 39 percent of whites agree; 47 percent disagree
* 33 percent of Hispanics agree; 56 percent disagree
* 14 percent of Asians agree; 86 percent disagree

Last Days—Income

* 60 percent of Americans earning under $20,000 per year agree; 26 percent disagree
* 43 percent of Americans earning between $60,000 and $75,000 per year agree; 49 percent disagree
* 16 percent of Americans earning $100,000 or more per year agree; 77 percent disagree

Last Days—Region

* 37 percent of Americans living in the East agree; 49 percent disagree
* 39 percent of Americans living in the Midwest agree; 48 percent disagree
* 51 percent of Americans living in the South agree; 35 percent disagree
* 35 percent of Americans living in the West agree; 50 percent disagree
* 35 percent of New Englanders agree; 51 percent disagree

Last Days—Age

* 57 percent of Americans aged 18–25 agree; 39 percent disagree
* 32 percent of Gen-Xers aged 26–40 agree; 49 percent disagree
* 43 percent of Americans aged 41–55 agree; 47 percent disagree
* 42 percent of Americans aged 56–65 agree; 44 percent disagree
* 46 percent of Americans aged 65 and over agree; 39 percent disagree

Israel: A Prophecy Come True?

We asked, "Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: 'The rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948 and the return of millions of Jews to the Holy Land after centuries in exile represent the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies.'"

* 52% of all Americans agree
* Only 22% disagree
* 26% say they don’t know

Israel Prophecy—Gender

* 54 percent of women agree; 18 percent disagree; 28 percent don’t know
* 49 percent of men agree; 27 percent disagree; 24% don’t know

Israel Prophecy—Religion

* 70 percent of evangelical/born-again Christians agree; 12 percent disagree
* 59 percent of all Protestant Christian affiliations agree; 16 percent disagree
* 52 percent of Catholics agree; 24 percent disagree
* 56 percent of Jewish Americans agree; 22 percent disagree

Israel Prophecy—Ideology/Party Affiliation

* 44 percent of liberal Democrats agree; 21 percent disagree
* 50 percent of self-described moderates agree; 28 percent disagree
* 65 percent of conservative Republicans agree; 18 percent disagree

Israel Prophecy—Party Affiliation

* 47 percent of Democrats agree; 24 percent disagree
* 61 percent of Republicans agree; 19 percent disagree

Israel Prophecy—Race

* 60 percent of African Americans agree; 17 percent disagree
* 52 percent of whites agree; 22 percent disagree
* 46 percent of Hispanics agree; 41 percent disagree
* 29 percent of Asians agree; 29 percent disagree; 43 percent don’t know

Israel Prophecy—Income

* 62 percent of Americans earning under $20,000 per year agree, 15 percent disagree
* 55 percent of Americans earning between $60,000 and $75,000 a year agree; 22 percent disagree
* 37 percent of Americans earning $100,000 or more per year agree; 37 percent disagree; 26 percent don’t know

Israel Prophecy—Region

* 45 percent of Americans living in the East agree; 29 percent disagree
* 52 percent of Americans living in the Midwest agree; 23 percent disagree
* 58 percent of Americans living in the South agree; 15 percent disagree
* 48 percent of Americans living in the West agree; 29 percent disagree
* 47 percent of New Englanders agree; 20 percent disagree

Israel Prophecy—Age

* 61 percent of Americans aged 18–25 agree; only 7 percent disagree, 32 percent don’t know
* 37 percent of Gen-Xers aged 26–40 agree; 33 percent disagree; 31 percent don’t know
* 53 percent of Americans aged 41–55 agree; 19 percent disagree
* 56 percent of Americans aged 56–65 agree; 22 percent disagree
* 59 percent of Americans aged 65 and over agree; 21 percent disagree

NOTE: The poll was conducted by McLaughlin & Associates, interviewing 1,000 randomly selected American adults (likely voters) on February 13, 2006.

[My2Cents]

I'm a pan-millenialist...It'll all pan-out in the end.

[Dazedcat]

"60 percent of Americans earning under $20,000 per year agree; 26 percent disagree"

Hasn't this more or less always been the way of thinking for poor people?

"51 percent of Americans living in the South agree; 35 percent disagree"

Gee what a shock there, huh?

[My2Cents]

award = aware

[Last Laugh]

The questions are wrong.

Right has become wrong, wrong has become right. That is the flag.

Christians will know it. Not the exact time Jesus returns, no, but, Christians feel it, they know. And at risk of sounding stupid, they just won't say it.

I imagine Noah felt pretty stupid in front of his peers, building an ark, in the desert. I bet there were plenty that made fun of him, but was he right? That is the question. Who is right? Who will win?

[metmom]

Matthew 24 addresses that. Jesus states that we can know when it's approaching but not specifially when it's going to happen.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=24&version=31

In particular verses 32-36.

32"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

[Strategerist]

I think we are already in the dark ages. I never thought I would see the things I do.

The world has never been more prosperous or peaceful than it is right now.

[xzins]

I think Catholics tend to be amillennial, IIRC.

They would believe that the world ends with a big bang after things get real bad.

I imagine the prophecies about the various Popes might have something to do with Catholic response. I remember when the cardinals were meeting after JPII died that there were a number of articles about "someone's" prophecy that there were only 2 or 3 more Popes left. I wish I could remember more about it.

[right-wingin_It]

This Catholic believes as well.

[Strategerist]

There have always been large numbers of people who thought the end was near. I suspect they have a problem accepting the fact that the world will go on after they die.

There's also an egotistical desire to believe there is something absolutely unique about the time one lives in, I think.

[Just mythoughts]

So if it is the 'last days' what does that mean? What is next? So many questions not addressed by this poll.

[EBH]

true , but He also said there would be signs..

[Wormwood]

true , but He also said there would be signs..

[right-wingin_It]

Then again, many early Christians believed so too, Paul included. If you think about history and the last book, we were in the "last days" since the ascention.

[photodawg]

Every generation asks the same question. I guess eventually they will be correct.
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self fulfilling prophesy

[CaptainCanada]

Very Interesting.
Putting the religious aspect aside, the poll indicates that the more you earn the less likely you are to agree with the statements.
Earnings are highly correlated to IQ and education, so we can infer that the more educated and intelligent you are the more you are likely to disagree with the statements.
The racial response differences also tend to support that hypothesis.

[Scotswife]

We are all in our last days...give or take 85 years or so - guaranteed - our last day will come sooner than we'd like.

[Raycpa]

Putting the religious aspect aside, the poll indicates that the more you earn the less likely you are to agree with the statements.

Seeing that there is a huge age difference, income may be correlating to age rather than IQ.

[NZerFromHK]

Not necessarily. Most well-educated and high IQ people tend to be either unemployed "artists" or very comfortable but not necessarily wealthy research academics.

[photodawg]

60 percent of Americans earning under $20,000 per year agree; 26 percent disagree"

Hasn't this more or less always been the way of thinking for poor people?
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and 77% of those making 100,000.00 or more disagree. I guess your perspective depends on how comfortable you are with living.

[CaptainCanada]

The 2 largest percentage variances are income and race, and so you can predict with a high degree of probability that a low income uneducated Black individual will agree with the statement while a high income educted Asian will disagree.