Americans Believe in God, but also Psychics and Crystals

When many Americans need a spiritual boost, they head to church.

Or look to the mountains.

Or pick up some crystals.

Four in 10 Americans (42 percent) believe spiritual powers rest in physical objects like mountains, trees, and crystals, according to a new study of American religion from Pew Research.

A similar number (41 percent) believe in psychics. A third (33 percent) believe in reincarnation, while 29 percent believe in astrology.

While the nation has become more secular, according to Pew’s report, it’s also filled with spiritual beliefs that fall outside of traditional faith. And the number of Americans who accept New Age beliefs include the highly religious and skeptics alike.

“New Age beliefs are common, even among Americans who are highly religious in traditional ways,” according to Pew’s report. Read More

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Religious typology quiz

The religious topology quiz, which is based upon the research questionnaire, does not explain what it means by "spiritual powers" but leaves to the respondents to decide what this phrase means. The quiz also has limited categories of church attendance. For example, it has no category for those who attend church more than once a week. The categories that it does list do not reflect contemporary patterns of church attendance. Within its limitations the Pew research confirms what astute observers of our changing culture have observed since the 1980s and earlier. For those who have not been paying attention to the changes in our cultural landscape, it may prove a wake-up call if they bother to read the report.