This Harris poll offers more useful data than the CBS poll. That very large majorities of the American public, and almost all (but not all) Christians believe in God, the survival of the soul after death, miracles, heaven, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the Virgin birth will come as no great surprise. What may be more surprising is that half of all adults believe in ghosts, almost a third believe in astrology, and more than a quarter believe in reincarnation -- that they were themselves reincarnated from other people. Of those aged 25 to 29, 43% believe in astrology and 40% believe in reincarnation. I should start a mock petition campaign to have astrology, ghosts, UFOs, and reincarnation inserted into high school science textbooks. The Religious and Other Beliefs of Americans 2003 |