A new BBC poll gives the lie to the oft-repeated notion that the U.S. is the most religious country in the world. Turns out there are at least five countries ahead of us (Nigeria’s #1), and that of the ten surveyed, the U.S. ranks only slightly better (or worse, depending on your perspective) than average, with around 91% clocking in as believers. The good news (or bad…) is that 71% of Americans are ready to die for their beliefs (the exact same number as in peaceful Lebanon).
Combine this with the recent Barna Group poll that discovered that small but significant minority of self-described born-again Christians also believe in reincarnation. The question then becomes, How many times are you willing to die for your beliefs?
We’re not picking on anyone for inconsistency, our favorite theological position. In fact, we’re even more confused by — and interested in — the 30% of self-described atheists who told the pollsters that they “sometimes prayed.”