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

[APD <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

July 8, 2001
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD

Most Americans think Satan is symbol, not Reality -
Mormons are most likely to believe in a 'real' Satan

Washington D.C., USA. (RNS/APD)      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 (California), 
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. [Report from Adelle Banks for 
Religion News Service]