VENTURA, Calif. — Forty-four percent of Catholics in America say they are “absolutely committed” to Christianity, according to a Barna Group poll that compared the beliefs of Catholics to those of the general population.
The survey showed that a larger percentage of all U.S. adults — 54 percent — say they are “absolutely committed” to the Christian faith.
The poll of 4,014 adults was conducted between August 2006 and January 2007 and found that 22 percent of Americans are self-identified Catholics. While that makes Catholicism the largest denomination in the country, the poll found that many Catholics have jettisoned core elements of Christianity. For instance, the survey, released in July, found that Catholics are:
- 38 percent less likely than the average American to read their Bible.
- 24 percent less likely to say their faith has greatly transformed their life.
- 36 percent less likely to have an “active faith,” defined as “reading the Bible, praying and attending a church service during the prior week.”
However, the survey did find that Catholics are 16 percent more likely than the general population to have attended church the previous week and 8 percent more likely to have prayed to God.
Additionally the survey found that only one out of every four Catholics can be labeled “born again.”
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