Lifeway Research Paper

According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center as part of a broader Religious Landscape Study, 78 percent of people who do not identify with any religious group were raised in a faith system and then left as adults. Further, about half of those people said that a lack of belief caused them to leave their faith, citing, among other things, "science" and "lack of evidence" as reasons for this skepticism.

In their book, The Great Commission to Worship, Vernon Whaley and David Wheeler takes an in depth look at commandment from Jesus for His followers to go out and spread the Good News of salvation. Today’s Christian seems to have a misconception about their role in evangelism. As the authors stated, “many times in Scripture it appears

Spirituality is often extremely personal. Religion is one of the topics one is warned not to talk publicly about, although many faiths encourage missions or ministry that spread the Good Word. Testimonies are not typically invited in everyday conversation. Spirituality can determine one’s identity, as well as establish community. Many are introduced to various religions, or one religion, from childhood. For college students, some may begin to question this sector of their upbringing, seeking to understand more of their culture and what exactly it means to be Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. The morals held in these various faiths guided by leading figures often govern actions and shape personal identity. Jesus is the center of my faith. Consequently, Jesus is my protector, validation, and an example of the lifestyle I wish to lead.

Wilde quotes Eisenhower in “the transcendence of faith in Americas heritage,” criticizing the validity of his statement, bringing up Americans that have fought and died “for freedom while not believing in “spiritual weapons.” She gives the statistic of only 70 to 80 percent of Americans are affiliated with a form of Christianity and three percent with Judaism; therefore, several million Americans do not believe in the God the Pledge refers to.

I feel that it is more important than ever that we, as believers in Jesus Christ, put it all out there on the line. We should be telling everyone what the saving grace of God can do for them. We already talked last week about when you experience Jesus, you can’t help but love and it is our job to get that word out there to everyone. So why are there so many Christians who don’t do it? In 1991 authors James Patterson and Peter Kim took on the task of surveying America about several different topics. The results were given in their book entitled “The Day America Told the Truth.” In the chapter dealing with America’s religious beliefs they stated that 90% percent of the people questioned said that they believed in God. Yet they also discovered

How many Americans believe in some type of God? A poll taken in 2013, showed that 74% of U.S. adults claim to believe there is a God. In past years, that percentage has been in the 80’s (Jones). This could mean that people are taking other beliefs, such as agnosticism, into consideration. An agnostic is described as “a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God” (OED).

The U.S. News took a survey asking 1000 people questions about their belief in God, or how God played a role in their lives. As a result, 93 percent of people said that they believed in God or a universal spirit (Sheler, 8). Also, when asked to describe their beliefs about God, 76 percent said that they consider God to be a heavenly father who can be reached by prayer (Sheler, 8). That is a remarkable amount of people to belief that they have such a connection with something that they have no actual insurance of existing. Now, obviously America is considered a moral society, so wouldn’t all this faith play a key role in that observation?

In terms of party identification, there were a total of 1500 people surveyed and all 1500 of those people also identified with some political entity. It is important, to note that 191 more Democrats response than Republicans which for this assignment could present some issues but since averages are more important it should not have a negative effect on the results. Additionally, it is also vital to note that 490 people responded as Independent which suggests that in general, there is a large percentage of Americans who do not identify with any particular party and it will be interesting to note their opinions on religion.

However, in about portion of the nations where test sizes permit examination, including Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Honduras, the religiously unaffiliated are about as likely as Catholics and Protestants to state that administration approaches ought to advance religious qualities and that religious pioneers ought to have in any event some impact in governmental issues. Enthusiasm for legislative issues changes generously over the Latin American nations studied. Greater parts say they frequently or some of the time take after what is happening in government and open undertakings in Panama (65%), Puerto Rico (63%), Venezuela (63%), Paraguay (60%), Argentina (57%) and Chile (57%). In alternate nations surveyed, not as much as half of the general population intently takes after political news, with intrigue most minimal in Guatemala (31%) and the Dominican Republic

Religion, whether we realize it or not, is a major element of American society (and also worldwide history). For many, religion is a significant part of their cultural identity. Religion plays a part in all levels of politics and is often an aspect of community events and organizations. Everyday, we all interact with people who have different religious backgrounds and personal beliefs. Children born into religious families are very connected with their religions from birth and this affects the way they will see the world for the rest of their lives. Even those who later explore other faiths or convert to other religious ideas will be affected in

I hope this statistic is still true: At most 20 percent of people who live in any given community in America attend a religious worship service on any given weekend. I hope it’s true because, if its not, odds are the percentage has dropped instead of not

Other studies found that in the United States, people do in fact follow different religious beliefs

In a 2016 poll conducted by Gallup.com, 89% of Americans states that they believe in God. Moreover, in a different 2014 poll conducted by Gallup.com 75% of Americans stated that the bible was the word of God. Additionally, in a 2014 poll conducted by Pew research found that only 3.1% of Americans consider themselves atheist and 4% consider themselves agnostic. It is a common narrative that in recent years less people are following religion atheism is growing. This narrative is somewhat correct, as more people are becoming atheist, the trend is happening much slower then most people believe. The fact that 89% of Americans believe in God clearly shows that God matters in todays world. The reason that belief in God is proof that God matters in the present world is because people who believe in God have different views on society than people who do not. The 2014 Gallup poll referenced earlier also found that 28% of Americans believe that the bible is the exact word of God and should be taken literally. This implies that this 28% of people believe in verses from the bible like “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” Moreover, in more religious places in the world the idea of God has an even larger impact.

Religious faith is important to most Americans, with approximately 95% of Americans reporting belief in God and about 50% being active in church organizations (Gallup & Castelli, 1989). Despite the widespread prevalence of religious beliefs in society, some researchers have maintained that religion and religious beliefs are often neglected in psychological research (Jones, 1994; Plante, 1996). This neglect stems from a couple of different factors. First, it is difficult for psychologists to overcome the fact that believers in many religions claim to have unique access to the truth. Secondly, truly theological questions such as the existence of God or the nature of an afterlife are often ignored by scientists. This may be in part a

Although the connections between religion and politics may be controversial to some, it really isn’t surprising that they overlap. For many people, religion and politics are significant parts of their ideology and morals; they both shape ethical decisions and certainly influence how we view society and the interactions within it. Politics and religion, along with ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, are important identities that shape how others see us, and how we see ourselves. Thus, it makes sense that religious beliefs may influence a person’s politics or vice versa. While I believe a mix of these identities, and thus personal experiences, has the greatest impact on politics, religion clearly is a significant influence