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Newsweek/Beliefnet Poll Results

A new poll points to growing importance of 'spirituality'; most believe people of other faiths can go to heaven.

In early August, 2005, Newsweek and Beliefnet asked 1,004 Americans what they believe and how they practice their faith. Read the complete results or choose a question from the index below:

WHO GOES TO HEAVEN/ATTAINS SALVATION?

ARE YOU SPIRITUAL OR RELIGIOUS?

HOW IMPORTANT IS SPIRITUALITY?

WHAT'S YOUR FAITH?

WHAT RELIGION WERE YOU RAISED IN?

HAS YOUR SIBLINGS' FAITH CHANGED?

IS YOUR SPOUSE'S FAITH THE SAME?

IS YOUR PRACTICE TRADITIONAL?

WHY DO YOU PRACTICE?

WHAT'S THE MAIN REASON YOU PRACTICE?

HOW OFTEN DO YOU PRACTICE?

WHEN DO YOU FEEL MOST CONNECTED TO GOD?

WAS THE UNIVERSE CREATED BY GOD?

WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE DIES

DO YOU EXPLORE OTHER FAITHS?

Can a good person who isn't of your religious faith go to heaven or attain salvation, or not?
�	Yes	No	Don't know
Evangelical Protestants	68%	22%	10%
Non-Evangelical Protestants	83%	10%	7%
Catholics	91%	3%	6%
Non-Christians	73%	3%	24%
Total	79%	12%	9%

Which best describes you?
�	Age			�
�	18-39	40-59	60+	Total
Spiritual but not religious	27%	28%	15%	24%
Religious but not spiritual	10%	8%	8%	9%
Religious & spiritual	48%	56%	66%	55%
Not spiritual/ not religious	11%	5%	6%	8%
Don't know	4%	3%	5%	4%

How important is spirituality in your daily life?
�	Age			�
�	18-39	40-59	60+	Total
Very important	44%	63%	66%	57%
Somewhat important	32%	27%	20%	27%
Not too important	11%	4%	5%	7%
Not at all Important	11%	5%	5%	7%
Don't know	2%	1%	4%	2%

How would you categorize your faith?
�	Age			�
�	18-39	40-59	60+	Total
Total Christian	77%	90%	91%	85%
Evangelical Protestant	28%	36%	36%	33%
Non-Evangelical Protestant	23%	25%	28%	25%
Roman Catholic	22%	22%	22%	22%
Mormon	2%	1%	1%	1%
Orthodox Church	<1%	1%	<1%	<1%
Other Christian	2%	5%	4%	4%
Total Non-Christian	7%	4%	4%	5%
Jewish	1%	2%	2%	1%
Muslim	2%	0%	0%	1%
Hindu	1%	<1%	1%	1%
Buddhist	1%	1%	<1%	1%
Other religion	2%	1%	1%	1%
Athiest/Agnostic/No Religion	9%	5%	3%	6%
Religion Undesignated	7%	1%	2%	4%

How would you compare your religion today to the religion in which you were raised?
�	Age			�
�	18-39	40-59	60+	Total
The same	37%	41%	35%	38%
Mostly the same	28%	31%	33%	30%
Mostly Different	9%	7%	13%	9%
Completely different	10%	14%	11%	11%
Not raised in any religion	5%	2%	1%	3%
Became an atheist/agnostic	4%	4%	3%	4%
Don't know	7%	1%	4%	5%

If you have brothers or sisters, is their religion today the same as that with which they were raised?
Religion is the same/mostly the same	62%
Changed religion or stopped practicing religion	23%
Don't have any (living) siblings	8%
Not raised in any religion	1%
Don't know	6%

Is your spouse's/partner's religion the same as your religion?
The same	70%
Mostly the same	14%
Mostly different	5%
Completely different	10%
Spouse/partner is atheist/agnostic/ has no religion	1%
Don't know	<1%

In terms of the way you practice your religion today, how do you think of yourself?
�	Age			�
�	18-39	40-59	60+	Total
Very traditional	22%	25%	34%	27%
Somewhat traditional	40%	47%	43%	44%
Not traditional	29%	18%	9%	19%
On the cutting edge	6%	7%	6%	6%
Don't Know	3%	3%	8%	4%
�
�	Evang. Prot.	Non-Evang. Prot.	Cath.	Other
Very traditional	38%	19%	21%	14%
Somewhat traditional	38%	48%	52%	36%
Not traditional	12%	23%	20%	37%
On the cutting edge	7%	5%	3%	12%
Don't Know	5%	5%	4%	1%

How important are the following reasons for practicing your religion today?
1. To connect with something larger than yourself
Very important	55%
Somewhat important	24%
Not too important	8%
Not at all important	6%
Don't know	7%
�
2. To find happiness and peace of mind
Very important	70%
Somewhat important	21%
Not too important	4%
Not at all important	3%
Don't know	2%
�
3. To forge a personal relationship with God
Very important	75%
Somewhat important	16%
Not too important	4%
Not at all important	4%
Don't know	1%
�
4. To give your life meaning and structure
Very important	63%
Somewhat important	24%
Not too important	6%
Not at all important	4%
Don't know	3%
�
5. To be a part of a community
Very important	39%
Somewhat important	33%
Not too important	13%
Not at all important	13%
Don't know	2%
�
6. To help you be a better person and live a moral life
Very important	75%
Somewhat important	19%
Not too important	2%
Not at all important	2%
Don't know	2%

When do people feel most connected with God or the divine?
Read more poll results >>

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Poll of 1,004 adults nationally, 18 and older, conducted for Newsweek/Beliefnet by Princeton Survey Research Associates on August 2-4, 2005. The margin of error is +/- 4 percentage points.

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Steven Waldman explains what the Newsweek/
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Plus:

In Search of the Spiritual: Read the Newsweek story.