Belief in Five Spiritual Entities Edges Down to New Lows
https://news.gallup.com/poll/508886/belief-five-spiritual-entities-edges-down-new-lows.aspxBelief in Five Spiritual Entities Edges Down to New Lows
BY MEGAN BRENAN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
74% believe in God, 69% angels, 67% heaven, 59% hell, 58% the devil
Nearly three in 10 do not believe in hell or the devil
Belief greatest among frequent churchgoers, Protestants, Republicans
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The percentages of Americans who believe in each of five religious entities -- God, angels, heaven, hell and the devil -- have edged downward by three to five percentage points since 2016.
Still, majorities believe in each, ranging from a high of 74% believing in God to lows of 59% for hell and 58% for the devil. About two-thirds each believe in angels (69%) and heaven (67%).
= new reply since forum marked as read
https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/01/06/atheism-is-still-a-taboo-for-american-politicians
https://archive.li/f78Qj
In 1952 president-elect Dwight Eisenhower set out what he saw as a cornerstone of American democracy: “Our form of government has no sense unless it is founded in a deeply felt religious faith—and I don’t care what it is.” His words still loom over American politics. Almost 88% of members of the 118th Congress, which convened on January 3rd—but whose House members have not yet elected a speaker—are Christian. That share has barely shifted since the late 1970s (see chart). Only two members—less than half of 1%—say they are not religious.
But the American public has changed. Just 64% of Americans say they are Christian compared with 90% in 1972. About 29% are religiously unaffiliated, up from 5%. Why are American lawmakers more pious than the population? Start with age. The average member of the House of Representatives is 57; the average senator is almost 64. The median age in America is 39. Older generations tend to be more religious than the young. In America, 83% of those over 65 are religious compared with 61% of those aged between 18 and 29.
Second, religious people may be particularly likely to run for office. Religious groups offer useful networks for politicians hoping to connect with voters. White evangelicals, a formidable force in the Republican base, are the most striking example. Democrats have traditionally benefitted from the votes of black Protestants, Jews and other religious minorities. Third, many American voters remain wary of atheists, despite their own waning religiosity. In May a poll by the University of Maryland asked respondents how likely they would be to vote for a presidential hopeful who otherwise shared their views, depending on the candidate’s faith. Only 48% said they would vote for an atheist, a lower number than for any religion.
Part of that suspicion dates to the cold war, when America faced an explicitly atheist enemy in the Soviet Union. It was then that America changed its motto to “In God we trust”, added a reference to the divine on dollar bills and inserted the Almighty into the pledge of allegiance. “To this day it’s almost a death sentence [for a politician to be atheist],” says Phil Zuckerman, of Pitzer College in California.
snip
Study of the Day: Religious People Distrust Atheists as Much as Rapists (2011)
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/study-of-the-day-religious-people-distrust-atheists-as-much-as-rapists/250005/
https://archive.li/4B3U2
SOURCE: The full study, "Do You Believe in Atheists? Distrust Is Central to Anti-Atheist Prejudice" (PDF)
https://www2.psych.ubc.ca/~ara/Manuscripts/Gervais%20et%20al-%20Atheist%20Distrust.pdf
One major problem with the major religions is they were created when there was very little knowledge about our (incredibly insignificant) place in the universe. They are entirely human- and Earth-centric and only concerned with a tiny slice of human existence, as homo sapiens have been around for a couple hundred thousand years or so. And even that is very recent given that other species dominated the planet for hundreds of millions of years before we evolved from small tree-dwelling mammals. The focus on recent humans and this one planet was understandable hundreds/thousands of years ago, but it's rather myopic today. 
Matthew is the one who ambushed her in the hearing, asking if she believed in God. But there was another guy in the scene I'm thinking of. He actually looked like Ralph Reed.
Just looked it up. It was Rob Lowe! He played Rev Richard Rank of the Conservative Coalition.
Ralph Reed... Richard Rank. Christian Coalition... Conservative Coalition.
It's so obviously a parody.
or in other words, covering their ass as insurance (they think).....
For a huge portion, it's just going along with the local crowd and expression of belief often looks good on a resume'...
Another term that's often used is "in thralled"...
noun
[. . .]
a person who is morally or mentally enslaved by some power, influence, or the like
Example:
The younger they are, the easier to brainwash and keep in thrall by sheer terror.
Source: dictionary.com definitions for “thrall”
KY