wfn.org | Survey: Most Americans think Satan is symbol, not Reality

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Note #6730 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

29-June-2001
01218

Survey: Most Americans think Satan is symbol, not Reality

Mormons are most likely to believe in a 'real' Satan

by Adelle Banks
Religion News Service

WASHINGTON - About a quarter of Americans have a strong belief that Satan is
real and Mormons are most likely to accept that he is more than a mere
symbol of evil, Barna Research Group reports.

	Researchers found that 27 percent of those polled strongly believe that
Satan is real. Fifty-nine percent of members of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints believe Satan is real while about one-fifth of
Catholics, Episcopalians and Methodists think so.

	In a study that explored the diversity of beliefs across the country, Barna
researchers also found that there are more "born-again" Mormons than
"born-again" Episcopalians.

	The marketing research firm, based in Ventura, Calif., has a specific
definition for born-again Christians. It found that 34 percent of adult
Mormons said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus that remains
important in their life and believe they will go heaven when they die
because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their
savior. Eighty-one percent of Assemblies of God members, 30 percent of
Episcopalians and 25 percent of Catholics fit that definition.

	George Barna, president of the firm, said the survey reports beliefs of
individuals rather than official teachings of denominations.

	Other findings from the research included:

* 69 percent of Americans believe God is "the all-powerful, all-knowing
perfect creator of the universe who still rules the world today."

* 41 percent believe the Bible is totally accurate in all it teaches.

* 40 percent believe Jesus lived a sinless life on Earth.

* 32 percent think it is their personal responsibility to share their
religious faith with people who have different beliefs.
    
	Barna voiced his own concerns about the trends his researchers discovered.

	"The Christian body in America is immersed in a crisis of biblical
illiteracy," he said in a statement. "How else can you describe matters when
most churchgoing adults reject the accuracy of the Bible, reject the
existence of Satan, claim that Jesus sinned, see no need to evangelize,
believe that good works are one of the keys to persuading God to forgive
their sins, and describe their commitment to Christianity as moderate or
even less firm?"

	The survey is the result of telephone interviews with 6,038 randomly
selected adults between January 2000 and June 2001. It has a margin of error
of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

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