perfidy

Further proof that my nonbelieving heathen ass is as contrary to the mainstream of American culture as can be. Beliefnet has an article, as is their wont, about the reasons people go to church and what they believe about people who don't, in the form of results of a Beliefnet/Newsweak poll. There are some very surprising conclusions, such as the revelation (pun!) that 79% of churchgoing Americans and 68% of Evangelical Protestants believe that all good people have a shot at heaven whether they belong to [the church of yr choice] or not. That's interesting... the Antinomian heresy is clearly alive and well. Among other things, this indicates that Anne Hutchison's exile to Rhode Island in 1637 was to absolutely no avail.

More than that it is a testament to the ability of Americans to tolerate others innately, even when they are instructed repeatedly not to on pain of hellfire & eternal whatever. I mean seriously... hell is a pretty central tenet of especially the Fundie folkways, and for all the rhetoric they sling on Sundays and at demonstrations, it seems the better angels of their natures prevail.

But the really interesting part of the survey is this:

Other results from the poll indicate that the appeal of religion is more spiritual than cultural. Thirty-nine percent said the main reason they practiced their religion is to “forge a personal relationship with God” while only 3% said it was to be part of a community. This would help explain why many people report having a regular prayer life but not attending church. Seventy-nine percent said they pray at least once a week compared to 45% who said they went to worship services during that time. In addition, 40% said they felt “most connected with God or the divine” when they were “praying alone or meditating” compared to 27% who said they had that sense when they were in a house of worship or praying with others.

The poll also showed a more basic point that may be obvious to Beliefnet readers but not others: spirituality is crucial to most Americans. 57% said spirituality was "very important" in their "daily life" and another 27% said it was somewhat important. Their behavior seems to back up this notion. 79% said they prayed at least once a week and 55% said they read a sacred text -- Bible, Koran, etc -- at least once a week.

Only three percent of Americans go to church primarily to feel part of a community. The li'l punchline to this is that my wife and I have kicked around the idea of joining a church for the sake of having a community for our as yet theoretical children to grow up within. If only the Unitarians weren't so darned uptight.... Moreover, I have as yet been unable to maintain a regular relationship with my own navel during meditation, much less any putatative sky fairy whom I've as yet been unable to raise on the great Cosmic Philco. Being on the wrong side of a 97% and a 79% majority means you could probably fit all the other people in this great country who think like me in one Winnebago. A small one.

Rather irritatingly, the Beliefnet/Newsweak poll also includes a teaser at the bottom of the first page: "How Many Of Us Believe in Intelligent Design?" On the second page it is revealed that "We Are All Intelligent Designers," which is explained with a data point to the effect that 80% of respondants believe God created the universe. I'm not sure those two statements are compatible, and indeed it is an annoying cop-out in an otherwise very interesting survey and poll.

Anyway, decent article. Apparently I'm a heathen freak.