Poll: Religion Integral Part of Virginians' Lives

SALEM, Va., Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Roanoke College Poll has found that religion is an integral part of the lives of most Virginians.

The poll includes interviews with 600 Virginia residents between October 3 and October 15, 2011. The poll has a margin of error of +4 percent. The survey asked residents of the Old Dominion about their beliefs, practices, and views of the afterlife.

An overwhelming majority of Virginians (94%) believe in God, and 72% of the believers see God as a person with whom people can have a relationship. A large majority of respondents are Protestant (68%) or Roman Catholic (13%). More than 90 percent of the respondents identified themselves as Christian. The largest Protestant denominations are Baptist (42%) and Methodist (17%). More than half (57%) of the Christians are "born again" or evangelical. 

Most respondents (58%) would like to see their religion preserve its traditional beliefs and practices while 22 percent prefer that their religion adopt modern beliefs and practices.

A majority of Virginians (70%) believe that their holy book (Bible for Christians, Torah for Jews, Koran for Muslims, etc.) is the Word of God, and nearly half of those (48%) believe it should be taken literally word for word. More than half of the respondents attend services daily (6%) or weekly (49%), and even higher numbers pray daily (80%) or weekly (11%). More than half of those who pray believe they receive a definite answer to a specific prayer request regularly (37% daily; 20% weekly). More than half (57%) read Scripture or a holy book at least weekly, and a third (34%) have at least weekly religious discussions with non-believers or people from other religious backgrounds.

Most respondents think that miracles still occur (83%) and that angels and demons are active in the world (75%). Three-fourths (75%) think that there are clear and absolute standards for right and wrong. One-third (33%) thinks that natural disasters are a warning from God to repent and change practices; fewer (17%) view the attacks of September 11, 2001 in that way. Two-thirds (68%) disagree with the statement that religion causes more problems in the society than it solves.

Full survey results, analysis and comparison to national data can be found at http://roanoke.edu/News_and_Events/Campus_News/RC_Poll_Va_Religion.htm.

SOURCE Roanoke College

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED