The Results Are In!

Thank you to everyone who participated in my survey. It is still open, and I'll be posting updates every month to see if there are changing trends with new readers of this blog and my other one.

Full survey details are below, but here's the data points I found most striking:

• Nearly twice as many people (40) answered "Demons can posses people" as indicated their church cast out demons (21). What on earth are the other churches doing about the demon infestation problem??


• Nearly 9 out of 10 churches collected more than one type of monies (89.1%)


• The most commonly held beliefs are God answers prayer (98.4%) and Original Sin (83.9%). Other biggies included Homosexuality is a sin and Modern day miracles.


• More churches believe in modern day miracles (80.6%) than either Noah's Arc (77.4%) or Literal Creationism (62.9%). How in the heck is Noah more credible? Really, I just want to know what's so special about that arc... And where does original sin come from if we don't believe in Literal Creation? Next time I'll break this out to Creation and also Adam and Eve.

The survey is divided into sections covering church practices and church beliefs. I've further broken these down for analyzing the results. (Note: This was not a scientifically well-conducted survey. Most if not all respondents are atheist former-Christians, rather than current Christians, current members of another faith, or former members of another faith.)


Numbers in parenthesis indicate the number of respondents for each answer. 64 people in total have taken the survey thus far, although not everyone answered all questions.

Hell and Who's Going
People of other denominations of Christianity would go to hell
Yes: 58.1% (36) No: 32.3% (20) Never came up: 9.7% (6)

People of other religions would go to hell
Yes: 74.2% (46) No: 14.5% (9) Never came up: 11.3% (7)

"Once saved always saved" (former Christians will go to heaven)
Yes: 30.6% (19) No: 56.5% (35) Never came up: 12.9% (8)

Demons

Demons can possess people
Yes: 65.6% (40) No: 18.0% (11) Never came up: 16.4% (10)

Reading Harry Potter invites demons into your life
Yes: 32.3% (20) No: 43.5% (27) Never came up: 24.2% (15)

Listening to secular music invites demons and/or will send you to hell
Yes: 41.9% (26) No: 46.8% (29) Never came up: 11.3% (7)

Watching TV is evil, invites demons, and/or will send you to hell
Yes: 24.6% (15) No: 62.3% (38) Never came up: 13.1% (8)

Church cast out demons (aka exorcism or deliverance)
Yes: 33.3% (21) No: 63.5% (40) Some churches do that? 3.2% (2)

Women and Family Roles

Women should be quiet/silent in church
Yes: 35.5% (22) No: 59.7% (37) Never came up: 4.8% (3)

Divorce is a sin
Yes: 69.4% (43) No: 24.2% (15) Never came up: 6.5% (4)

Using birth control is sinful
Yes: 44.3% (27) No: 49.2% (30) Never came up: 6.6% (4)

Having a Quiver Full of children is God's wish for families
Yes: 43.5% (27) No: 35.5 % (22) Never came up: 21.0% (13)

Children should be educated at home or in religious schools
Yes: 30.6% (19) No: 54.8% (34) Never came up: 14.5% (9)

Children should be physically disciplined
Yes: 56.5% (35) No: 25.8% (16) Never came up: 17.7% (11)

Children should remain at home until they marry (boys, girls, or both)
Yes: 26.2% (16) No: 57.4% (35) Never came up: 16.4% (10)

Homeschooling is the more spiritual choice
Yes: 21.0% (13) No: 64.5% (40) Never came up: 14.5% (9)

Stay-at-home mom is the more spiritual choice
Yes: 46.8% (29) No: 38.7% (24) Never came up: 14.5% (9)

Health and Safety

God heals all physical ailments (including biggies like cancer and broken bones)
Yes: 60.7% (37) No: 32.8% (20) Never came up: 6.6% (4)

Getting medical treatment is being unfaithful to God
Yes: 9.8% (6) No: 83.6% (51) Never came up: 6.6% (4)

Getting vision or medical work is being unfaithful to God
Yes: 4.8% (3) No: 90.3% (56) Never came up: 4.8% (3)

Using locks or security systems is being unfaithful to God
Yes: 4.8% (3) No: 87.1% (54) Never came up: 8.1% (5)

Home birth is the more spiritual choice
Yes: 9.7% (6) No: 72.6% (45) Never came up: 17.7% (11)

Perform faith healing
Yes: 39.7% (25) No: 60.3% (38) Some churches do that? 0.0% (0)

Abortion and Family Planning
Church protested abortions
Yes: 63.5% (40) No: 36.5% (23) Some churches do that? 0.0% (0)

Using birth control is sinful
Yes: 44.3% (27) No: 49.2% (30) Never came up: 6.6% (4)

Race

Racial minorities are cursed by God
Yes: 23.0% (14) No: 65.6% (40) Never came up: 11.5% (7)

Racial minorities are being punished
Yes: 21.0% (13) No: 67.7% (42) Never came up: 11.3% (7)

Racial minorities are inferior
Yes: 19.7% (12) No: 72.1% (44) Never came up: 8.2% (5)

Interracial marriage is a sin
Yes: 21.0% (13) No: 66.1% (41) Never came up: 12.9% (8)

Homosexuality
Church gay bashed from the pulpit
Yes: 49.2% (31) No: 50.8% (32) Some churches do that? 0.0% (0)

Church gay bashed in public (ie, pickets)
Yes: 14.3% (9) No: 84.1% (53) Some churches do that? 1.6% (1)

Homosexuality is a sin
Yes: 80.6% (50) No: 8.1% (5) Never came up: 11.3% (7)

Homosexuality is a lifestyle
Yes: 43.5% (27) No: 46.8% (29) Never came up: 9.7% (6)

Homosexuality is a disease
Yes: 40.3% (25) No: 46.8% (29) Never came up: 12.9% (8)

Gay people can become straight through ex-gay therapy
Yes: 59.0% (36) No: 21.3% (13) Never came up: 19.7% (12)

Politics

Church preached politics from the pulpit
Yes: 60.3% (38) No: 38.1% (24) Some churches do that? 1.6% (1)

Church prayed for sports teams, weather, or political figures
Yes: 67.2% (43) No: 29.7% (19) Some churches do that? 3.1% (2)

Holidays

Santa Clause is a false god who should not be worshiped
Yes: 30.6% (19) No: 54.8% (34) Never came up: 14.5% (9)

Halloween is the devil's holiday
Yes: 41.9% (26) No: 46.8% (29) Never came up: 11.3% (7)

Celebrating birthdays is a sin
Yes: 6.5% (4) No: 85.5% (53) Never came up: 8.1% (5)

Biblical Practices (Did your church do these?)

Speaking in tongues
Yes: 30.2% (19) No: 65.1% (41) Some churches do that? 4.8% (3)

Cast out demons (aka exorcism or deliverance)
Yes: 33.3% (21) No: 63.5% (40) Some churches do that? 3.2% (2)

Act out in the Holy Spirit (run around the room hollering)
Yes: 28.6% (18) No: 68.3% (43) Some churches do that? 3.2% (2)

Wash each others feet
Yes: 30.2% (19) No: 68.3% (43) Some churches do that? 1.6% (1)

Speak in another language (ie, Latin, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek)
Yes: 20.6% (13) No: 77.8% (49) Some churches do that? 1.6% (1)

Perform faith healing
Yes: 39.7% (25) No: 60.3% (38) Some churches do that? 0.0% (0)

Collect a tithe, an offering, and a love offering (or any 2 out of the 3)
Yes: 89.1% (57) No: 10.9% (7) Some churches do that? 0.0% (0)

Biblical Beliefs

Prosperity doctrine (God loves rich people more)
Yes: 24.6% (15) No: 62.3% (38) Never came up: 13.1% (8)

Generational curses exist (God punishes future generations for the sins of ancestors)
Yes: 54.1% (33) No: 32.8% (20) Never came up: 13.1% (8)

Doctrine of Original Sin
Yes: 83.9% (52) No: 14.5% (9) Never came up: 1.6% (1)

Modern day miracles
Yes: 80.6% (50) No: 14.5% (9) Never came up: 4.8% (3)

Bible History

Literal Creationism
Yes: 62.9% (39) No: 27.4% (17) Never came up: 9.7% (6)

Noah's Arc and the Flood
Yes: 77.4% (48) No: 14.5% (9) Never came up: 8.1% (5)

Israeli slavery in Egypt and the 10 plagues
Yes: 80.6% (50) No: 11.3% (7) Never came up: 8.1% (5)

How did you find out about this survey?
Life After Christian Fundamentalism Group on AtheistNexus.org: 22.2% (14)
Angie Jackson's Atheist Nexus blog: 58.7% (37)
Angie the Anti-Theist Blog: 17.5% (11)
I don't know - you're all a bunch of atheists. You're going to burn in hell: 1.6% (1, but it's my friend Joey so we shouldn't take him too seriously)