80% Say Religious Faith is Important To Their Daily Lives

[Godless Libertarian]

Eight-out-of-10 Americans (80%) say that their religious faith is at least somewhat important in their daily lives, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 18% feel their religious faith is not very or not at all important to their lives.

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of all adults describe their religious faith as very important to their daily living.

Women are more likely than men to feel their faith is very important to their lives. Sixty-six percent (66%) of African-Americans say their religious faith is very important, compared to 56% of whites. Married adults are more inclined than unmarrieds to rate their faith as very important to daily living.

While the majorities of those of all faiths say their religious beliefs are at least somewhat important to their daily lives, there are sharp differences in terms of those who describe it as very important. Eighty-two percent (82%) of Evangelical Christians say their religious faith is very important every day, a view shared by 65% of other Protestants, 46% of Catholics and 37% of those of other beliefs.

Sixty-three percent (63%) of adults say they pray at least once a day. Nineteen percent (19%) pray occasionally, while 15% rarely or never pray at all.

Adults who attend church regularly are more inclined to pray daily.

Seventy-two percent (72%) of those who pray every day say their religious faith is very important to their daily lives.

A federal judge in Wisconsin recently struck down as unconstitutional the National Day of Prayer, declared by Congress in 1952. But 60% of Americans favor having the federal government recognize a National Day of Prayer.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) of adults who favor a National Day of Prayer say a prayer daily, compared to 17% who rarely or never pray.

But then only 21% of all Americans think that rulings by judges in recent years regarding religion in public life have correctly interpreted the U.S. Constitution. Sixty-four percent (64%) of adults believe the judges’ rulings have been more anti-religious than the Founding Fathers intended.

While the courts in recent years have pushed religion out of most schools, Americans by a nearly two-to-one margin – 61% to 31% - favor prayer in public schools. Americans also remain overwhelmingly in favor of allowing religious symbols to be displayed on public land and feel even more strongly that public schools should celebrate at least some religious holidays.

Source (Rasmussen)

[Coito ergo sum]

Eight-out-of-10 Americans (80%) say that their religious faith is at least somewhat important in their daily lives, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 18% feel their religious faith is not very or not at all important to their lives.

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of all adults describe their religious faith as very important to their daily living.

Women are more likely than men to feel their faith is very important to their lives. Sixty-six percent (66%) of African-Americans say their religious faith is very important, compared to 56% of whites. Married adults are more inclined than unmarrieds to rate their faith as very important to daily living.

While the majorities of those of all faiths say their religious beliefs are at least somewhat important to their daily lives, there are sharp differences in terms of those who describe it as very important. Eighty-two percent (82%) of Evangelical Christians say their religious faith is very important every day, a view shared by 65% of other Protestants, 46% of Catholics and 37% of those of other beliefs.

Sixty-three percent (63%) of adults say they pray at least once a day. Nineteen percent (19%) pray occasionally, while 15% rarely or never pray at all.

Adults who attend church regularly are more inclined to pray daily.

Seventy-two percent (72%) of those who pray every day say their religious faith is very important to their daily lives.

A federal judge in Wisconsin recently struck down as unconstitutional the National Day of Prayer, declared by Congress in 1952. But 60% of Americans favor having the federal government recognize a National Day of Prayer.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) of adults who favor a National Day of Prayer say a prayer daily, compared to 17% who rarely or never pray.

But then only 21% of all Americans think that rulings by judges in recent years regarding religion in public life have correctly interpreted the U.S. Constitution. Sixty-four percent (64%) of adults believe the judges’ rulings have been more anti-religious than the Founding Fathers intended.

While the courts in recent years have pushed religion out of most schools, Americans by a nearly two-to-one margin – 61% to 31% - favor prayer in public schools. Americans also remain overwhelmingly in favor of allowing religious symbols to be displayed on public land and feel even more strongly that public schools should celebrate at least some religious holidays.

Source (Rasmussen)

That makes sense. Most people I run into in the general populace, as opposed to my atheist friends, seem have brain short-circuits when they contemplate a lack of belief in their God. They have a hard time grasping it, and are a little scared by it.

[charlou]

I gather they polled religious people only as I note they say "their religious faith" is or isn't important, which is not the same as surveying the importance of "religious faith" generally, across the whole population. If the stats for people who don't consider religious faith important included non theists the picture would look at least a little more optimistic.

[Coito ergo sum]

I gather they polled religious people only as I note they say "their religious faith" is or isn't important, which is not the same as surveying the importance of "religious faith" generally, across the whole population. If the stats for people who don't consider religious faith important included non theists the picture would look at least a little more optimistic.

Barely, though - because the number of non-theists (persons who subscribe to no religion - atheists and most agnostics) is a very small percentage of the US population. A 2008 Gallup poll showed that 6% of the US population believed that no god or universal spirit exists. The most recent ARIS report, released March 9, 2009, found in 2008, 34.2 million Americans (15.0%) claim no "religion." Of which, 1.6% explicitly describe themselves as atheist or agnostic. However, even those without "religion" often claim a "faith" - the whole "spiritual but not religious" crowd.

Suffice to say - we non-believers are an extreme minority. Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of that when we run in peer groups of mostly atheists and agnostics, but it's true. If you call yourself an atheist, you are in a minority of 0.4% of the population - 99.6% of the population of the US are not "atheists." Or, at least they won't admit to being atheists.

EDIT: But, I love that, actually. 80% of the population is populated by idiots anyway, so being in the minority is not something I consider an argument against a position. And, even if I were in a minority of one - "My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line and kiss my ass." -- From "Be It Resolved: Freedom of Speech Includes the Freedom to Hate," debate at University of Toronto, (2006-11-15). Hitchens argued the affirmative position.