While the portion of Americans who believe in God has remained relatively steady at upward of 90 percent, increasing numbers of Americans believe in heaven, hell, angels and the devil, a new Gallup poll shows.
According to Gallup’s Tuesday Briefing report, 81 percent of Americans believe in heaven, and 70 percent believe in hell.
Those figures are up from 72 percent and 56 percent, respectively, since 1997.
Belief in heaven or hell is stronger among Republicans than Democrats. Also, people who frequently attend church, Southerners and those with a high school diploma or less have a stronger belief in heaven or hell.
More than three-fourth of Americans – 78 percent- believe in angels, which is up from 72 percent in 1994.
Belief in the devil has also grown. Seventy percent of Americans now believe in the devil, while only 65 percent believed in 1994.
Eighty-four percent of women believe in angels, compared to 72 percent of men. Belief in the devil is about the same for both groups- 70 percent for women, and 69 percent for men.
“As science, technology and rational explanations uncover and explain more and more about the known world, Americans are likely becoming more intrigued by the unknown,” said Albert Winseman, Gallup’s religion and values editor.
The 2004 figures are based on a telephone poll of 519 adults. The poll has a margin of error of olus or minus 5 percentage points.
(RNS)
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