Religion BBC Special : What the World thinks of God

[Maciamo]

Here is detailed poll in 2003 on what French people believe in (PDF file). It concerns as much religion as superstitions, miracles, witchcrafts, etc.

Let's keep in mind that about 10% of the French population is of non-European descent, most of whom are Muslim.

Here are a few selected results :

Q : At a certain moment of your life, have you had the impression to be in contact with something supernatural ?

Very often : 2%
Quite often : 5%
Rarely : 19%
Never : 73%

=> This means that only 7% of the French consider themselves "spiritual".

Q : Nowadays, each person should define its religion independently from a church.

Totally agree : 51%
Rather agree : 26%
Rather disagree : 14%
Totally disagree : 21%
---
No anwer : 2%

=> We can thus say that only 35% of the French agree with the concept of organised religions.

Q : According to you, what is there after death ?

Nothing : 39%
Something but I don't know why : 33%
The immortality of the soul : 16%
Reincarnation into another life being : 6%
Resurrection of the body : 4%
----
No anwer : 2%

=> Only 20% of the French have a conception of life after death that matches that of Judaism, Christianity or Islam.

Q : The existence of god seem to you :

Certain : 24%
Proabable : 34%
Improbable : 19%
Impossible : 22%
----
No answer : 1%

=> However, as much as 58% of the French can be considered to believe in a god. Based on previous answers, this means that a lot of the French who believe in god are Deist, Pantheist or Pagan.

According to their self-assessment (often mistaken, as many people don't know what Deism is), up to 51% of the French think of themselves as Christians, and 54% as believers. 33% consider themselves Atheist. 28% call themselves Spiritualists, while 26% agree to say that they are indifferent. 14% recognise themselves as Agnostics.

 

[No-name]

I do think the methodology is important. Who you ask and what you ask is as important to how you ask. It seems like in modern times we have segregated our lives into little belief areas or modes- that we snap into or out of depending on situation and place. There seems to be a shift from the large organized faiths to the make it up as you go along, smorgasboard approach. I grew up in a Catholic area where 90% of the people went to mass. But many of those were gang bangers, drug addicts, and petty criminals. Some even had elaborate "Virgin of Guadalupe" tatoos.

One of my sisters has been an atheist for as long as I can remember. She has always had a good functional understanding of dialectic materialism, and science and it has served her well. Her husband is Jewish (but also an atheist), and she has made little inquiries into that faith for her son, and they keep little fragments around almost like cultural declarations. She has also studied Budhism and ocassionally asks about my faith. Although she is an atheist, I don't see her "spiritual" quest ending. She seems to be looking with interest- not necessarily to change her own belief system, but to determine if there is function and necessity to other systems.

 

[PRIZMATIC]

:blush: It has reminded me a life during " Soviet time "...
What interrelation between the God and " Karma of people "?... The Belief in the God it not belief in " protection against problems ", is belief in the transformation to more "perfect" condition... The God it not "protection", the God is a basis of the life...
As always, mix of Lord God with God, for people stand of their in " a shadow of their conjectures "...:blush:

 

[Reinaert]

as the Marines say, help others die for their religion, not die themselves.
Frank

I think that was from General Patton.

Dieing for your country is stupid, let your enemy die for his country.

Something like that


But I can find myself in the lyrics that John Lennon wrote...

God is a concept, by which we measure our pain.