Barna Survey: The God Gap in American Politics Alive and Well
By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country
After Barack Obama won culturally conservative Indiana and North Carolina, doubled his support among traditionalist Catholics over the previous Democratic presidential nominee, and made inroads among white evangelicals, there was lots of talk about the end of the God gap between Democrats and Republicans. The gap, it seemed, had been overtaken by the economic tidal wave.
An important new survey from the Barna Group shows why that's not exactly the case. Not even close. It finds that political conservatives are much more religiously orthodox than liberals. The key findings:
The Religious Beliefs of Liberals and Conservatives
Liberals are less than half as likely as conservatives to firmly believe that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches (27% versus 63%, respectively); to strongly believe that Satan is real (17% versus 36%); and to firmly contend that they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs with others (23% versus 48%).
Liberals are also far less likely than conservatives to strongly believe each of the following:
- their religious faith is very important in their life (54% of liberals vs. 82% of conservatives);
- a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by doing good deeds or being a good person (23% vs. 37%);
- their faith is becoming an increasingly important moral guide in their life (38% vs. 70%);
- the church they currently attend is very important in helping them find direction and fulfillment in life (37% vs. 62%);
- their primary purpose in life is to love God with all their heart, mind, strength and soul (43% vs. 76%);
- Jesus Christ did not commit sins during His time on earth (33% vs. 55%).
The Religious Practices of Liberals and Conservatives
The Barna study examined five specific religious practices and found that conservatives were more likely than liberals to engage in all five. In a typical week, the survey showed that conservatives were more likely than liberals to:
- read the Bible, other than at church events, during the past week (57% vs. 33%, respectively)
- attend a religious service during the past week (62% vs. 35%)
- pray to God, other than at a religious service, during the past week (91% vs. 76%)
- share their religious beliefs with others, during the past year (56% vs. 39%, among the born again Christians interviewed from each segment)
- have ever participated in a short-term missions trip, either within the U.S. or in another country (12% vs. 6%)
The research also revealed that liberals are twice as likely as conservatives to be categorized as "unchurched" (40% vs. 19%, respectively), while conservatives were twice as likely as liberals to be categorized as having an "active faith" (45% vs. 21%, respectively, defined as having read the Bible, attended a religious service and prayed to God during the past week).
Read full survey results here.
- Read more by Dan Gilgoff .
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Tags: liberals | religion | conservatives
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Reader Comments
Additionally Amber
I do not believe in abortion or homosexuality, but I still consider myself to be liberal (as the definition i stated in my previous post), and so do many other liberals. So again your logic is flawed
Response to Amber's post
Amber,
There are some liberals that do believe that abortion is ok as well as homosexulaity. But you are labeling all liberals as this. Which is far from the truth.
The definition of Liberalism is as follows:
The state or quality of being liberal.
A political theory founded on the natural goodness of humans and the autonomy of the individual and favoring civil and political liberties, government by law with the consent of the governed, and protection from arbitrary authority.
often Liberalism The tenets or policies of a Liberal party.
An economic theory in favor of laissez-faire, the free market, and the gold standard.
Liberalism
A 19th-century Protestant movement that favored free intellectual inquiry, stressed the ethical and humanitarian content of Christianity, and de-emphasized dogmatic theology.
A 19th-century Roman Catholic movement that favored political democracy and ecclesiastical reform but was theologically orthodox.
What modern day poloitical adversaries have done is skeewed the whole definition of liberalism. Before you make such a blanket statement. Be prepared to back it up with facts, which you did not do here
Amber's comment to the God gap
Amber:
Your fundamental premises are totally and fundamentally flawed ma'am.
One can indeed deeply and sincerely value human life without being "godly". Nor would one consequently have to have lower moral standards should that person not believe in a mythical supernatural being or in the folly, fiction and fables of a collection of tribal mysteries and fantasies....
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