The presence of religious-themed controversies during the Christmas season is nothing new. In the past few weeks, stories about atheist ads appearing on public transportation and whether a creche would be present in the Obama White House  have both made the New York Times.

However,  we may not be as religiously polarized as some of these controversies might indicate. Results of a new survey released by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life find a significant amount of religiously pluralistic practices among Americans, including the fact that “large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, mixing elements of diverse traditions.”

According to Pew, 35% of Americans attend religious services in more than one place, and 24% of Americans sometimes attend services (excluding weddings or funerals) of a faith different than their own. Among the Christians surveyed, 30% of Protestants  and 19% of Catholics sometimes attend services of a faith different than their own.

Furthermore, the Pew survey found that  significant portions of American Christians “profess belief in a variety of Eastern or New Age beliefs”.  In many cases, the percentage of Christians expressing such beliefs  is nearly indistinguishable from the percentage among total population. For example, 26% of the total sample and 21% of Christians surveyed believe that there is spiritual energy in trees, along with 25% (total) and 21% (Christians) who believe in astrology,  24% (total) and 22% (Christians) who believe in reincarnation, and 16% (total) and 17% (Christians) who believe in the evil eye/casting of curses.

Do your religious beliefs, if you have them, adhere strictly to one faith tradition? If Americans continue mixing their religious  beliefs to the degree described by Pew, are we likely to see a decrease in Christmas-related controversies?

Katy religion polls, religion

We recently included several winning Top Question Tuesday selections on an interactive poll. Stay tuned to this blog as we’ll be releasing the results over the next several weeks! And don’t forget to submit your own nominations for Top Question Tuesday using the box on the right of this blog.

One question asked whether respondents were more religious, less religious, or about as equally religious as their parents. Overall, 21% felt they were more religious than their parents, while 34% felt they were less religious, 41% said they were equally as religious, and 4% were not sure.

Groups that are more likely than average to say they were less religious than their parents include respondents aged 18-29 (41%), those who live in small cities (44%), and those who are single (42%) or divorced/separated (40%). Groups that are more likely than average to say they are more religious than their parents include those who live in rural areas (25%), Protestants (26%), and those with some college education but not a college degree (23%).

Do you believe you are more, less or equally as religious as your parents?

Katy lifestyles, religion education, elections, Generations, religion, Top Question Tuesday

With all the recent hoopla surrounding the releases of The Beatles Rock Band video game and the Fab Four’s re-mastered back catalogue, you would think that every single breathing soul alive worships at the altar of John, Paul, George and Ringo.

However, according to a Zogby Interactive survey conducted last week, about one in five people actually say they do not like The Beatles. OK, so maybe that’s not an earth-shattering number, but still it’s substantial enough to warrant a closer look. Just who are these blasphemous people that don’t dig peace, love, and reenacted acid trips? I had to find out.

Well, I suppose we should start with the obvious. Republicans and Conservatives (30% each) are the two most likely groups to say they do not like our beloved Beatles, whereas Liberals (9%) and Democrats (14%) are among the least likely to say so. Maybe if we asked about Ted Nugent or the Charlie Daniels Band things would have shaken out differently.

It should come as no surprise that the Woodstock generation (18%) is the least likely age cohort to say they don’t like The Beatles, but I found it somewhat surprising that the Privates (25%) and the Nikes (25%) were dead even in their disdain, and that First Globals™ were not far behind (23%). Perhaps, as the decades roll on the band’s influence on the younger generations has waned a bit, or maybe the cynicism of said generations has run so amuck that they can’t even deem it cool to call themselves fans of probably the greatest band that ever existed.

Another semi-obvious tidbit, at least to me, is that college graduates (18%) are less likely than those without college degrees (25%) to say they like The Beatles. Because I mean really, if you weren’t actually alive during the comeuppance of The Beatles, chances are you discovered them in some black light illuminated dorm room whilst having your mind blown by “Across the Universe.”

In keeping with The Beatles theme of world-wide harmony, respondents who consider themselves residents of the planet earth (11%) are much less likely to say they don’t like The Beatles than are those who identify their residence as their city or town (24%) or America (25%), but the lads’ message doesn’t appear to translate evenly among the races, as we find that African-Americans (28%) and Hispanics (24%) are more likely than whites (20%) and Asians (16%) to not dig the vibes the band is laying down.

And finally while those who practice Transcendental Meditation were admittedly underrepresented, we find that Protestants (24%) and Catholics (22%) are more likely to dislike The Beatles than are Jewish respondents (12%) and followers of other religions (15%), as are Born Again Christians (28%) vs. Non-Born Again Christians (20%). Must have been all that satanic backwards message stuff.

- Post contributed by Phil Vanno, a Writer/Editor at Zogby International who once listened to “Strawberry Fields Forever” 50 times in a row and considered walking down the aisle to “All You Need is Love.” Phil’s opinion in no way represents that of Zogby International.

ZogbyFeaturedContributor Uncategorized Beatles, first globals, Generations, international, peace, race, religion, video, war, zogby

We’re very excited to welcome back Maya Dukmasova as a guest blogger this weekend. Maya is an intern with Zogby International and a junior at the University of Rochester, working on a dual B.A. in Philosophy and Religion. Originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, she currently lives in Syracuse, NY and will be spending the coming semester studying philosophy in Paris, France. She also writes an intependent blog with interviews and impressions of ‘Life in a New Russia’ www.newspblife.com . Thanks Maya!

As the global economy develops (barring the events of the past year), U.S. entrepreneurs are facing serious competition from ambitious, creative individuals in other countries. And the competition is not just coming from the well-off European states and Japan, but also from the developing nations. In a June 3, 2009 interactive survey, we asked 3,030 adults where they thought the next Bill Gates would come from. Almost an equal number of people (right around 28%) picked India as the U.S. , from a list that also included China, Russia, Brazil, Japan, and Other/Not Sure.

However, when we take a look at the age groups separately, more of those aged 18-29 or 30-49 years old think that the next Bill Gates will come from this country than older age groups. Conversely, those over 50 years old were more likely to pick India. Perhaps the general perception of the U.S. as a place of opportunity, wealth, and security, which allows entrepreneurs to take chances, is coming up against a new worldview. Places like India and China are seen to be full of intelligent, business-minded people who are hungry for a chance to advance their ideas. Some people, especially older generations, could be reflecting on the decline of U.S. economic hegemony as well as the increasing leadership of other nations. Perhaps these countries win out among certain demographics on account of the perceived ambition of their populations rather than the perceived strength of the support fabric of these countries’ governments and cultures?

More behind the cut.. Read more…

Katy Uncategorized culture, economy, education, future, Generations, international, military, religion, war, work, zogby

We’re very excited to welcome Maya Dukmasova as a guest blogger this weekend. Maya is an intern with Zogby International and a junior at the University of Rochester, working on a dual B.A. in Philosophy and Religion. Originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, she currently lives in Syracuse, NY and will be spending the coming semester studying philosophy in Paris, France. She also writes an intependent blog with interviews and impressions of ‘Life in a New Russia’ www.newspblife.com . Thanks Maya!

According to a May 29, 2009 Zogby Interactive Survey, things aren’t looking so grim for the newspaper business. The expansion of news aggregators and blogs on the Internet in recent years has accompanied a decline in readership of daily national and local papers. Our survey revealed that the trustworthiness of traditional national newspapers is now significantly lower than that of the Internet (15.8% to 37.2%, respectively). But, when we asked respondents where they get their news once they are online, the majority of them in every demographic category ranked national newspaper websites as “Very Important.”

When we asked which source they would choose if they had to get the news from just one place, the majority of respondents chose the Internet, with television coming in second (55.9% and 20.7%, respectively). Newspapers came in as the fist choice for just 10.2% of respondents.

The Internet came in first in the reliability category among the majority of our demographic categories. In most groups, newspapers and television came in second, except for Republicans and Conservatives who chose the radio as the second most reliable news source.

Respondents did not deem social networking websites or blogs as very important sources of news, but national newspaper websites came in as somewhat or very important news sources among all groups except for Republicans and Conservatives (42.6% and 41.9% of whom said these websites were not at all important, respectively), those over 65, Born Agains, and NASCAR fans.

So here the newspaper industry is faced with a paradox: Most find the Internet more trustworthy than printed newspapers yet see national newspapers’ websites as the most important sources for news. If the same articles by the same writers appear in both, how do we account for such paradoxical public opinion? Does the guise of the Internet inspire public confidence? If so, the nation’s major newspapers can look forward to long years of prosperity ahead, in a digital format of course.

Katy Uncategorized international, internet, religion, television, war, work, zogby

We’re very excited to welcome Maya Dukmasova as a guest blogger this weekend. Maya is an intern with Zogby International and a junior at the University of Rochester, working on a dual B.A. in Philosophy and Religion. Originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, she currently lives in Syracuse, NY and will be spending the coming semester studying philosophy in Paris, France. She also writes an intependent blog with interviews and impressions of ‘Life in a New Russia’ www.newspblife.com . Thanks Maya!

One of the major themes that have come out as a result of research for The Way We’ll Be is an emergent demographic which considers the Planet Earth rather than America or their city or town to be their primary place of residence. It would seem intuitive that people who chose the first option to call home would be most dissimilar to those who chose the narrowest geographic and political boundaries within which to identify their place of residence. However, in numbers from a January 6, 2009 Interactive Survey, it appears that it’s actually the residents of America whose opinions are most contrasted to those of our new Global Citizens. One good example of the divergent opinions of these two groups can be found among responses to our beloved questions about the American Dream.

When it comes to the American Dream, most of those who see themselves as Americans first as well as the majority of Planet Earth citizens believe that the American Dream exists and that it is possible for them to achieve it (62% and 42%, respectively).

Both groups believe that the American Dream is predominantly about spiritual fulfillment, though more “Nationals” than “Globals” think that the middle class can still achieve the Dream (61.8% to 33.8%, respectively). Conversely, it is those who define themselves primarily as residents of their city/town who have the highest percentage of respondents equating the Dream to material success (42% as opposed to 38% among “Nationals” and 32.5% among “Globals”).

More behind the cut.. Read more…

Katy Uncategorized American dream, death, international, religion, The Way We'll Be, work, zogby

Faced with serious financial crises and the potential outbreak of a flu pandemic, President Obama has won stellar grades for his leadership and integrity during his eventful first 100 days in office, but he has failed to unify the country, a new Zogby interactive survey shows.

Overall, 54% gave Obama a positive job performance rating in the survey commissioned by the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life, based at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The poll is unique because it focused largely on personal qualities and issues that Americans said were most important in a poll taken immediately after the November presidential election.

The study was authored by writer and ethics specialist Jim Lichtman and Capps Center Director Wade Clark Roof.  “What’s important about this study,” Lichtman says, “is that we asked Americans – in open-ended questions last November – what qualities the country needs most in the next president, and what issues were most important to them.  We then went back into the field for the 100 Days survey and asked voters to grade both Obama and Congress on those same qualities and issues.”

Nearly six in ten – 58% – gave Obama positive marks for his honesty and his integrity, while 59% gave him positive marks for his leadership during his first 100 days in office.   These are the qualities likely voters said were most important to them in the Capps Center survey conducted after the November, 2008 election.

The new Capps survey was conducted between April 28-30. It included 3,367 likely voters and carries a margin of error of +/- 1.7 percentage points.

Read more…

Katy politics economy, health, ideology, media, Obama, politics, polls, religion, work, zogby

Are we now seeing the beginnings of a shift of religious activism to the left in response to global climate change?

Zogby International completed a survey for the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change that found majorities of Catholics making a connection between the tenants of their faith and the need to act to reverse climate change. This need to act tied directly to Catholic beliefs on protecting God’s creation, as well as the poor and future generations.

There has also been growing interest in this issue from evangelical Protestants. Here is part of a report from the April 23 Charlotte Observer: “Leading the charge is Jonathan Merritt, a graduate of Southeastern and the son of former Southern Baptist President James Merritt. Now an Atlanta-based writer, Merritt said the environment is no longer the exclusive domain of the liberal left.

“In the last few years we’ve seen many conservatives say this is a moral issue, and Christians have an answer for it,” Merritt said. He points to pastors such as Rick Warren, the Southern Baptist megachurch minister who has shown an environmental awareness.”

The Evangelical Environmental Network provides a guide for churches to explore what the group calls Creation Care. Televangelist Pat Robertson appears in TV ads with liberal Al Sharpton to promote climate change action. 

Is global climate change a religious issue that could unite liberals and conservatives?  Will social issues like abortion and gay rights recede from the political spotlight to be replaced by climate change?

Paul culture, global issues, religion environment, faith, future, Generations, international, religion, war, work, zogby

A recent article in the New York Times reported on the results of a study looking at end-of-life care and treatment for cancer patients. The study , which used a questionnaire and interviews to divide the patients by levels of religious observance and faith, tracked which types of patients preferred aggressive  and “life-prolonging” medical care  during the last week of their lives.  The study found that during the last week of their life,  the most religious patients were three times as likely as less religious patients to be put on a mechanical ventilator . In addition, less religious patients were more likely to do advance care planning such as preparing a living will or having a health care proxy. Senior author of the study, Holly G. Prigerson, notes in the article that ” people think that spiritual patients are more likely to say their lives are in God’s hands – ‘Let what happens happen’ – but in fact we know they want more aggressive care.”

Compare this with the results of a recent Zogby Interactive survey on death attitudes taken in November 2008.   We asked respondents whether they strongly agreed, somewhat agreed, somewhat disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement “the prospect of my own death arouses anxiety in me”. We also asked how often the respondent attends religious services – more than weekly, weekly, 1-2 times a month, on holidays, rarely, or never.   In our case, the respondents who attend services more often are not more anxious about death than those who are less observant. In fact, our results show the opposite pattern. 32.3% of those who attend services weekly or more than weekly strongly or somewhat agree that the prospect of their own death arouses anxiety, while 30.7% of those who attend services 1-2 times a month, 41.0% of those who attend services on holidays, and 41.5% of those who attend services rarely or never feel the same way.

Why would more religiously observant people claim to be less anxious about their own death but be more likely to seek aggressive care or not plan for the end of their life?  Do you see this as a contradiction, or are these surveys addressing two separate issues?

Katy death, future death, faith, health, holidays, religion, zogby