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Half of all americans believe they are protected by guardian angels, one-fifth say they"ve heard God speak to them, one-quarter say they have witnessed miraculous healings, 16 percent say they"ve received one and 8 percent say they pray in tongues, according to a survey released Thursday by Baylor University. The wide-ranging survey of 1,648 adults, who were asked 350 questions on their religious practices last fall, reveals a significant majority who are comfortable with the supernatural. “Mystical experiences are widespread,” said Rodney Stark, co-director of Baylor University"s Institute for Studies of Religion. “I"d have guessed 15 percent instead of 55,” he added,referring to the 55 percent who claimed angelic protection.
“This is the taboo subject in American religion. No one studies it, but there is a lot of it out there.” The survey, which has a margin of error of four percentage points, also revealed that theological liberals are more apt to believe in the paranormal and the occult - haunted houses, UFOs, communicating with the dead and astrology - than do conservatives. Women (35 percent), blacks (41 percent), those younger than 30 (40 percent), Democrats (40 percent) and singles who are cohabitating (49 percent) were more likely to believe, the survey said. Baylor researchers also criticized a much-ballyhooed “new atheism” as a barely discernable trend, saying the number of Americans who are atheists has stayed at 4 percent since 1944.Why? Atheism is a “godless revolution that never happened,” the survey said, adding that irreligion often is not effectively transmitted to children who, when they reach adulthood, often join conservative religious denominations. Moreover, atheism is hardly taking over the world. Europe does have more atheists than the U.S., the survey said, but no country has more than 7 percent except France, which is at 14 percent of the populace. Farther to the east, Japan is at 12 percent and China is at 14 percent.
View: Full Article | Source: Washington Times
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