Gallup: More than 8 out of 10 Americans identify with a Christian faith

[sampsonblk]

Questions and Answers About Americans’ Religion

About 82% of Americans in 2007 told Gallup interviewers that they identified with a Christian religion. That includes 51% who said they were Protestant, 5% who were "other Christian," 23% Roman Catholic, and 3% who named another Christian faith, including 2% Mormon.

Because 11% said they had no religious identity at all, and another 2% didn't answer, these results suggest that well more than 9 out of 10 Americans who identify with a religion are Christian in one way or the other...

http://www.gallup.com/poll/103459/Questions-Answers-About-Americans-Religion.aspx

[BootinUp]

1. so much for diversity. nt

[laconicsax]

8. Didn't you read that article a couple weeks ago?

It's the article Here (DU thread) talking about how the 2008 presidential candidates represent "a wide spectrum of religions."

on edit: fixed html

[havocmom]

2. Too bad that many don't practice what they identify with

x(

edited to get the anti-smilie right

[BlueJazz]

3. Like the:: Annihilate your Neighbor before they Annihilate you?

:)

[shadowknows69]

4. Think of how much those numbers are societal though

For good or ill we are a country that has been "raised to go to church"; it's a cultural staple of our society. I think the religious right uses these numbers to its advantage but I believe more scientific polls would show different numbers and I'd wager on radically lower numbers of christians in a generation.

[windoe]

5. Just don't be skewing this to mean

we need a christian theocracy now Gallup. Extrapolating the 'no religious identity' and 'no answer' to be christians too is over projecting. The minority beliefs in this country need every percent they can get, if this poll is accurate. It's a little too convenient in my book....

[laconicsax]

11. That's not what they're extrapolating

If you remove the 13% non-religious/didn't answer, you have 87% religious, 94% or 9 of 10 of which would be Christian.

[Poiuyt]

14. I guess they consider non-religious people persona non grata

Just toss them out

[laconicsax]

17. Well, look at what's been said.

Non-religious people are 'evil,' 'anti-American,' 'responsible for everything bad in the world,' etc.

[Kindigger]

25. Hahaha

While channel surfing past Faux News this a.m., I paused on a show about the life of Jesus long enough to hear, "If it weren't for Christianity we'd all be running around killing each other with guns & knives, worse than we already do."

[devilgrrl]

6. and?????

BFD

[shadowknows69]

9. I agree.

What do we throw out the First Amendment when it hits 90%? Oh, wait.

[shadowknows69]

7. Also, consider what a "Scarlet Letter" the right has made

anything resembling renaissance thinking or philosophies free of a "big brother" God figure.

[Hydra]

10. I highly doubt 82%

OTOH, I may just be badly outnumbered.

[laconicsax]

12. It's a suspect figure

All the polls/surveys/research estimates I've seen in the last decade have consistently put the number near 75%. It's December, people probably thought the question was about whether or not they celebrate Christmas, which an overwhelming majority of people do, including lots of non-Christians.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Jesus was cool until the Christians screwed up what he was talking about.

[Hersheygirl]

21. Now, I like that one.

I don't even think he would like the Christians of today.

[sampsonblk]

28. Amen to that-nt

[David__77]

15. Lol... half the people I know are "Christians."

They are "Christians" who do not believe in the bible or go to church save with family once a year, and who only barely cling to the pretense "just in case" it is true.

[EFerrari]

16. I identify with Christian values and am not a Christian.

I identify with cats, too. Also, with dogs.

lol

[Hersheygirl]

23. Do you type with one paw or two?

[EFerrari]

30. The rules are, no sex threads.

:)

[RC]

18. Okeeeee, what about "Other" religions?

Were they ignored? Lumped in with no religious identity at all? What?

[sampsonblk]

26. 82% Christian, 11% no identity

So you have about 7% to play with. Assuming the poll is accurate, all the other religions make up less than 7% of all Americans.

[1awake]

19. well....

Just about everyone I know "identifies" themselves as christian's, though very few would suggest they are fundy's.. or even agree with fundy's. Alot of them, including me believe in God as well as Christ, but have a hard time relating to a specific church for various reasons. I believe one's faith is a personal thing.. something that does not need an institution as some kind of intermediate between myself and God. I also think that not believing in God does not make a person bad, for I know many "nonbelievers" who have bigger hearts / are more honorable people than some who are religious. To be honest, it does make me sad that they don't believe in God, as I'm sure it makes them sad that I hold, in their view, to a antiquated impossibility of a belief system lol. But, we have faith in each other and in the end, thats what binds us. Happy Holidays everyone, religious or not. Our differences is what we should celebrate, and our faith in each other which makes us strong.

[Swamp Rat]

29. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[AndyTiedye]

20. Must be the New Fundie Math

Because 11% said they had no religious identity at all, and another 2% didn't answer, these results suggest that well more than 9 out of 10 Americans who identify with a religion are Christian in one way or the other...

Seems to me that "no religious identity at all" means "no religious identity at all", not Christian in one way or the other.

[sampsonblk]

27. No. Over ninety pct of religious Americans are christians

What they are saying is if you only look at religious Americans, over 90% of those are christians. (82/87 = 94.25%)

[TahitiNut]

22. How many actually guide their own lives according to the teachings of Christ, though?

It seems to me that 'someone' said that "by their acts shall ye know them."

I guess the New Revised Catechism is "by their claims in a Gallup Poll shall ye know them."

Wow. Who ever said Jesus wasn't always up-to-date?

:rofl:

[Swamp Rat]

31. LOL!

:rofl:

[Solon]

24. I find this suspect, how did Christianity jump almost 10% in less than 10 years?

Most other polls I've seen have Christianity pegged around 75% or less in the year 2000.