Many Americans (42%) Not 'Absolutely Certain' Of God

[deadparrot]

Americans are often thought of as people who believe in God.

But results of a new Harris Poll show that may be changing.

The poll found that 42 percent of all U.S. adults said 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.

Not everyone who described themselves as Christian or Jewish said that they believed in God. Only 76 percent of Protestants, 64 percent of Catholics, and 30 percent of Jews said they are "absolutely certain" there is a God. However, most Christians who described themselves as "born-again" (93 percent) said they are absolutely certain there is a God.

http://www.wsmv.com/family/10210202/detail.html

[depakid]

1. But, but, Gallop said....

Actually, this figure is more in line with the GSS data, which is extensive, more reliable and shows even less religiousity.

[Zynx]

2. Anyone who says they are certain one way or the other is lying.

[customerserviceguy]

5. That's exactly

why I'm an agnostic. It takes just as much faith to be absolutely certain that there is no higher power as it is to believe in one. The only thing I'm absolutely certain of, is that every single organized religion on the earth today (or ever) does NOT have the answers.

[minnesota_liberal]

7. Either lying or just delusional

[HockeyMom]

3. Don't send your babies to "christian" schools

If you do, they end up questioning EVERYTHING. Been there, done that.

[rsmith6621]

4. Bush is even able to get people to turn....

....from God.....

[papau]

6. 6% certain there is no God - 94% are religious? It is an online survey -not a

telephone survey - and I have not seen mathematical evidence that online surveys can be made to fit a segmented polling approach - at this point these are experiments. So the huge jump in atheism from 4% in 2003 in a telephone survey to this polls 6% may not have really happen.

The Harris Poll® #80, October 31, 2006

While Most U.S. Adults Believe in God, Only 58 Percent are "Absolutely Certain"
There is no consensus on God’s gender, form or degree of control over events on earth

These are the results of a Harris Poll conducted online by Harris Interactive® between October 4 and 10, 2006 with a nationwide sample of 2,010 U.S. adults.

TABLE 1

BELIEF IN GOD AND CERTAINTY OF BELIEF

"Are you…?"

Base: All Adults

2003
2006
Religious Affiliation

Catholic
Protestant
Jewish
Born Again Christian

%
%
%
%
%
%

Believe in God (NET)
79
73
84
90
64
97

Absolutely certain that there is a God
66
58
64
76
30
93

Somewhat certain that there is a God
12
15
21
14
34
4

Believe there is no God (NET)
9
11
5
3
12
3

Somewhat certain that there is no God
5
6
3
1
8
1

Absolutely certain that there is no God
4
6
2
2
4
2

Not sure whether or not there is a God
12
16
11
7
24
*


Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.

*Less than 0.5%