More than four-in-ten of the unaffiliated population (41%) says religion is at least somewhat important in their lives. Religion is important even among a large segment of those who are unaffiliated with a particular religious group. By contrast, only about a third of Jews (31%) and Buddhists (35%) say religion is very important in their lives. Slightly more than half of Catholics and members of mainline Protestant churches say religion is very important in their lives. The groups most likely to say religion is very important in their lives include members of historically black (85%) and evangelical (79%) Protestant churches, as well as Jehovah’s Witnesses (86%), Mormons (83%) and Muslims (72%). Only about one-in-six adults (16%) say religion is not too or not at all important in their lives.

A majority of adults (56%) say religion is very important in their lives, and more than eight-in-ten (82%) say it is at least somewhat important.

The Landscape Survey confirms how important religion is to most Americans. And though the overwhelming majority of the public expresses a belief in absolute standards of right and wrong, the survey suggests that this belief is shaped as much by practical experience as by religious beliefs. For instance, a large majority of Americans who are affiliated with a religion, including majorities of most faith groups, say there is more than one religion that can lead to eternal life and more than one way to interpret the teachings of their faith. is a highly religious country, Americans are not dogmatic. The reverse is also true some adults who say they belong to one religion or another nevertheless say religion is not too important in their lives and report having few religious beliefs or practices.Īlthough the U.S. For instance, Americans who are not affiliated with any religion often report having some specific religious beliefs and practices. The survey also finds considerable diversity within religious groups. For example, while most Americans believe in God, there is considerable variation in the certainty and nature of their belief in God. Yet there are significant differences in the exact nature of these beliefs and the intensity with which people hold these beliefs. Large majorities also believe in miracles and an afterlife. Americans are largely united in their belief in God, for instance, with majorities even of people who are unaffiliated with a particular religious tradition expressing belief in God or a universal spirit. Many measures confirm that the United States is, indeed, a very religious country. Just as the first report of the Landscape Survey detailed the remarkable diversity that exists in the religious affiliation of adults in the United States, the pages that follow document the great diversity the survey finds in the religious beliefs and practices of Americans. These measures were chosen because they each touch on an important element of religious experience – overall attachment to religion, religious belief, frequency of private devotional activities and engagement in communal religious activities.

These four measures will be used in the next chapter as lenses through which to examine social and political attitudes within the religious traditions.

The chapter concludes by examining beliefs about religion, including how exclusive people are in their claims to salvation, as well as by examining the ways in which members of different religious traditions think about morality.Īlong the way, four key measures of religious commitment – importance of religion in people’s lives, belief in God, frequency of prayer and frequency of worship service attendance – are singled out for in-depth demographic analysis. It then moves into a discussion of worship and other congregational activities, followed by a look at devotional practices, spiritual experiences and other practices. It looks first at the various degrees of importance Americans assign to religion in their lives and explores their views of God, Scripture, miracles and other religious beliefs. This chapter examines the diverse religious beliefs and practices of American adults.

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