In God we trust?

-01/11/06

Almost half of Americans say they are not certain there is a


In God we trust?

-01/11/06

Almost half of Americans say they are not certain there is a God with less than a third believing God controls what happens on earth, according to a new survey.

Polls have often reported that Americans are much more likely to believe in God than people in most other developed countries, particularly in Europe. However, the new Harris Poll finds that 42 percent of all U.S. adults say they are not “absolutely certain” there is a God, including 15 percent who are “somewhat certain,” 11 percent who think there is probably no God and 16 percent who are not sure.

Women (62%) are more likely than men (54%) to express certainty as are African Americans (71%) compared to Hispanics (61%) and Whites (57%). But the public is almost equally divided between those who think of God as male (36%) and “neither male nor female” (37%), with 10 percent saying “both male and female.” Only one percent thinks of God as female.

Half of all adults, including a majority of Catholics, believe that Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the same God. Less than one-third of all adults believe that God “controls what happens on Earth” – a figure which includes just over half of ‘Born Again’ Christians.

To some the results of the poll will prove surprising. But over the last few years, several different surveys have found that more people admit to potentially embarrassing beliefs or behaviours when answering online surveys (without interviewers) than admit to these behaviours when talking to interviewers in telephone surveys. Researchers call this unwillingness to give honest answers to some questions in telephone surveys a “social desirability bias.”

It is therefore no surprise therefore, say Harris, that in this online survey more people say they are not absolutely certain there is a God than have given similar replies in other surveys conducted by telephone.

The Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between October 4 and 10, 2006 among 2,010 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world.


In God we trust?

-01/11/06

Almost half of Americans say they are not certain there is a God with less than a third believing God controls what happens on earth, according to a new survey.

Polls have often reported that Americans are much more likely to believe in God than people in most other developed countries, particularly in Europe. However, the new Harris Poll finds that 42 percent of all U.S. adults say they are not “absolutely certain” there is a God, including 15 percent who are “somewhat certain,” 11 percent who think there is probably no God and 16 percent who are not sure.

Women (62%) are more likely than men (54%) to express certainty as are African Americans (71%) compared to Hispanics (61%) and Whites (57%). But the public is almost equally divided between those who think of God as male (36%) and “neither male nor female” (37%), with 10 percent saying “both male and female.” Only one percent thinks of God as female.

Half of all adults, including a majority of Catholics, believe that Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the same God. Less than one-third of all adults believe that God “controls what happens on Earth” – a figure which includes just over half of ‘Born Again’ Christians.

To some the results of the poll will prove surprising. But over the last few years, several different surveys have found that more people admit to potentially embarrassing beliefs or behaviours when answering online surveys (without interviewers) than admit to these behaviours when talking to interviewers in telephone surveys. Researchers call this unwillingness to give honest answers to some questions in telephone surveys a “social desirability bias.”

It is therefore no surprise therefore, say Harris, that in this online survey more people say they are not absolutely certain there is a God than have given similar replies in other surveys conducted by telephone.

The Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between October 4 and 10, 2006 among 2,010 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world.