RNS
\nby Michelle Rindels
\nAs Americans get older, their confidence in an afterlife
\nincreases, according to a recent survey of people over 50 conducted by
\nthe AARP, the advocacy group for seniors.
\nSeventy-three percent of older people believe in life after death,
\nand two-thirds of those believers say that confidence has grown with
\nage, according to the survey.
\nBut while 86 percent of respondents say there is a heaven (70
\npercent believe in hell), they were split on what it looks like and if
\nhumans go there. Forty percent of those who believe say heaven is a
\nplace, while 47 percent think heaven is a “state of being.”
\n“Americans see life after death as a very dynamic thing,” said Alan
\nF. Segal, a professor of religion at Barnard College, in the AARP
\narticle. “You don’t really hear about angels and wings, sitting on
\nclouds playing melodies. … They talk about humor in the afterlife,
\ncontinuing education, unifying families — like a retirement without
\nfinancial needs.”
\nWhile most people believe that heaven exists, and about nine in 10
\nof them say they’ll end up there, they are less sure about others.
\nPeople who believe in heaven say an average of 64 percent of others will
\nget there, too.
\nOther findings in the survey:
\n— Women are more likely to believe in an afterlife (80 percent)
\nthan men (64 percent).
\n— Income matters: Of those who believe in an afterlife, 90 percent
\nof those earning $25,000 or less believe in heaven, compared to just 78
\npercent of people with an income of $75,000 and above.
\n— 29 percent of those who believe in a heaven think one must
\n“believe in Jesus Christ” to enter. Twenty-five percent believe “good
\npeople” go to heaven, and 10 percent think everyone is admitted.
\nThe survey was conducted by telephone between June 29 and July 10.
\nThe margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
\nCopyright 2007 Religion News Service<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RNS by Michelle Rindels As Americans get older, their confidence in an afterlife increases, according to a recent survey of people over 50 conducted by the AARP, the advocacy group for seniors. Seventy-three percent of older people believe in life after death, and two-thirds of those believers say that confidence has grown with age, according…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n