Name: er 2005-01-21 8:04
http://www.worldpoll.com/press_room_wppk_pr.phtml
One in Four Americans Believe the South Asian Tsunami
Was an Act of God
Half of southern evangelicals and one in ten Catholics
in America believe the devastation caused by the South
Asian Tsunami was an act of God of religious significance,
according to independent market research solutions company
GMI, Inc
"Horrendous tragedies like a tsunami are hard to comprehend
and even when science offers an explanation of the forces
and immediate causes, many are still left searching for a
deeper explanation for why this occurred. Religion often
provides a comforting answer," explains Dr. Mitchell Eggers,
COO and chief pollster at GMI.
GMIPoll conducted a 20,000 person survey on the South Asian
Tsunami and Religion January 8 through 12 (representative
samples of 1,000 persons in 20 countries). The findings
suggest that Christians were more likely than any other
religion to identify the Tsunami as an act of God.
Key findings include:
Half of Malaysian respondents felt that the Tsunami was an
act of God; similarly, half of Malaysian respondents
indicated they were much closer to God after the Tsunami
27% of Russians, 26% of Americans, and 15% of Korean
respondents felt that the Tsunami was an act of God
16% of all global respondents indicated that the Tsunami
was an act of God
The survey also revealed differences
in how distinct demographics responded to the questions.
For example:
Persons living in the Southeast U.S. were more likely
to believe the Tsunami was an act of God when compared
to other geographical regions
Respondents in Japan, a country where religion does not
play a big role in everyday life of most people,
did not attribute the Tsunami to God.
"The Japanese people have a pragmatic approach to religion
and because of this don�ft turn to religion when a natural
disaster, such as a tsunami, strikes," explains Dr. Donald Hellmann, Professor of International Studies at the University of Washington.
If you want to know the detail of the results, please look at
the article. There are graphs on each country.
One in Four Americans Believe the South Asian Tsunami
Was an Act of God
Half of southern evangelicals and one in ten Catholics
in America believe the devastation caused by the South
Asian Tsunami was an act of God of religious significance,
according to independent market research solutions company
GMI, Inc
"Horrendous tragedies like a tsunami are hard to comprehend
and even when science offers an explanation of the forces
and immediate causes, many are still left searching for a
deeper explanation for why this occurred. Religion often
provides a comforting answer," explains Dr. Mitchell Eggers,
COO and chief pollster at GMI.
GMIPoll conducted a 20,000 person survey on the South Asian
Tsunami and Religion January 8 through 12 (representative
samples of 1,000 persons in 20 countries). The findings
suggest that Christians were more likely than any other
religion to identify the Tsunami as an act of God.
Key findings include:
Half of Malaysian respondents felt that the Tsunami was an
act of God; similarly, half of Malaysian respondents
indicated they were much closer to God after the Tsunami
27% of Russians, 26% of Americans, and 15% of Korean
respondents felt that the Tsunami was an act of God
16% of all global respondents indicated that the Tsunami
was an act of God
The survey also revealed differences
in how distinct demographics responded to the questions.
For example:
Persons living in the Southeast U.S. were more likely
to believe the Tsunami was an act of God when compared
to other geographical regions
Respondents in Japan, a country where religion does not
play a big role in everyday life of most people,
did not attribute the Tsunami to God.
"The Japanese people have a pragmatic approach to religion
and because of this don�ft turn to religion when a natural
disaster, such as a tsunami, strikes," explains Dr. Donald Hellmann, Professor of International Studies at the University of Washington.
If you want to know the detail of the results, please look at
the article. There are graphs on each country.