Posted: 6/11/04
Survey shows Christians more likely
than agnostics to buy lottery tickets
WASHINGTON (RNS)–Christians are more likely to invest in lottery tickets than non-Christians while non-Christians are twice as likely as Christians to fast, a newly released survey shows.
The Barna Group, a Ventura, Calif.-based research and analysis company, looked at the relation between faith and lifestyles in a survey of 1,002 adults.
Researchers found that 15 percent of born-again Christians and 23 percent of notional Christians–people who say they are Christian but haven't made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ–bought lottery tickets in a typical week. That compared to 10 percent of adherents of non-Christian faiths and 12 percent of atheists and agnostics.
Although the Bible and churches encourage fasting for religious reasons, adherents of non-Christian faiths–some of which advocate fasting during particular seasons–were most likely to participate in religious fasts.
While evangelical Christians were most likely to discuss political, spiritual and moral issues with others, they were the least likely group to contact a political official to express their views.
Researchers found that evangelical Christians and nonevangelical, born-again Christians were least likely to recycle. More than six out of 10 nonChristians, notional Christians, atheists and agnostics engaged in recycling. Only half of evangelicals and 47 percent of nonevangelical, born-again Christians recycled.
Researchers considered evangelicals to be those who believe in the accuracy of the Bible, believe they should share their faith with others, reject the notion that Jesus sinned and believe Satan is real. They defined nonevangelical born-again Christians as those who have accepted Christ as their Savior but do not necessarily accept the Bible's teachings as completely accurate.
Evangelicals were most likely to stop watching a television program because of its values or viewpoints and least likely to read their horoscope. Agnostics and atheists were least likely to stop watching a TV program because of its views, and most likely to get legally drunk.
The overall survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
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