A NEW poll by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in the US reveals a disturbingly high level of belief in supernatural hogwash.
Although most Americans profess to be Christian and many are devout, it hasn’t prevented some members of the flock from believing in astrology, reincarnation or the ability of trees to trap spiritual energy.
A poster for the 1964 movie, The Evil Eye
A poll, according to this report, shows a surprising number of US adults claiming to have had supernatural experiences such as ghost sightings, or hold beliefs associated with the New Age movement or Eastern religions.
Said Pew researcher Alan Cooperman:
American religious folks hold a variety of views and there is overlap among their beliefs and practices. Many do not fit into simple boxes.
The poll released this week showed that three in ten Americans say they have felt in touch with a dead person – and 18 percent say they have seen or been in the presence of a ghost.
Almost 25 percent said they believed in reincarnation and 23 percent said yoga was a spiritual practice. Twenty six percent said they believed “spiritual energy” could be found in objects such as trees.
A quarter said they believed in astrology, while 16 percent think that an “evil eye” exists or that some people can cast curses or spells on others.
Among black Protestants the evil eye figure is 32 percent.
The number of Americans who profess a belief in astrology is about the same as the number who claim to be Roman Catholic. Nearly 30 percent of Catholics surveyed said they believed in astrology. Among Catholics who attended church each week the figure was 16 percent.
Much of this would be jarring to, among others, many evangelical Protestants, who account for one in four adult Americans and take their Bible very seriously.
Still, 13 percent of white evangelicals profess a belief in astrology and about ten percent accepted the possibility of reincarnation. Although the percentages are lower than in other groups, they are high enough to curl the hair of a Southern Baptist preacher.
The nationwide survey of around 4,000 adults was conducted in August. Interviews were done in English and Spanish.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
December 12th, 2009 at 8:16 am
So, three in ten Americans claim to have “felt in touch with a dead person”. Does this include the ones who have had sex with a dead person, I wonder?
December 12th, 2009 at 9:47 am
If people can believe in talking snakes and a 2000 year old bloke coming back to life then it is a very short step to believe in other nonsense. Astrology has been bebunked many times, as for ghosts, reincarnation and talking to the dead, there is no evidence. That report didn’t include alien abuction, another popular pastime for the gullible.
The “spiritual energy” from trees reminds me of many years ago when I was asked by some hippy type if I could design an instrument that would detect “energy” from stones similar to those at Stonehenge. I asked this chap what form of energy and what part of the spectrum I should design for, “just energy from the past” he replied. I tried in vain to give him a brief physics lesson but gave up. [I used to design Physics apparatus for use in science education].
December 12th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Perhaps we’ll hear more of these wacky ideas as the Archbishop of Canterbury has urged political leaders to be more open about their beliefs.
The reason being that, “The trouble with a lot of government initiatives about faith is that they assume it is a problem, it’s an eccentricity, it’s practised by oddities, foreigners and minorities.”
December 12th, 2009 at 10:46 am
If theres something weird in your neighbourhood who ya gonna call? The men in white coats. Lol
December 12th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Ok, I admit it. I read horoscopes.
Yeah, I know it’s all crap. I tell myself it’s crap when I’m reading it. But I still find myself checking it.
Considering I used to be a raving fundie I think I’ve come a long way. So I allow myself to read the horoscopes. If I like what it says, I might keep it in my head for a little while. If I don’t like it, well, I remind myself that it’s all crap anyway.
Or maybe I read one of the horoscopes for the wrong sign and give myself permission to think it’s mine! Eventually I’ll quit reading them…really…
December 12th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Lucky Jean
I would like to talk with any person who is an x fundie as I am compiling data for a book about the “why” in people ….what causes them to believe in the unbelievable….happy to see you are out of it though….a mind is too wonderful a thing to waste.