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SPECIAL REPORT:
Exploring Religious America
April 26, 2002 Episode no. 534
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16. QUESTION OMITTED FROM QUESTIONNAIRE
17. Now I'm going to read you some groups of statements. As I read each group, tell me which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
17.1
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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The religion you practice is the only true religion.
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17
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19
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7
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All religions have elements of truth.
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78
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77
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86
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DK/NA/refused
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5
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4
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7
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17.2
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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America's growing religious diversity is a threat
to individual religious beliefs.
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13
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14
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9
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America's religious diversity is a source of strength
and vitality to individual religious beliefs.
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76
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75
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80
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DK/NA/refused
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11
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11
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11
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17.3
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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Doctrines and beliefs are the most important part of religion.
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24
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26
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15
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An individual's spiritual experience is the most important
part of religion.
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69
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69
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73
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DK/NA/refused
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7
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5
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12
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17.4
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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Christians have a duty to convert people of other religious
faiths to Christianity.
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22
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24
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16
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Christians have a duty to be tolerant of people of other
religious faiths and leave them alone.
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71
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70
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76
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DK/NA/refused
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7
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6
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8
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18. Please tell me, how important is each of the following in helping you make decisions about your life ... VERY IMPORTANT, SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT, SOMEWHAT UNIMPORTANT, or VERY UNIMPORTANT?
18.1 Your own personal judgment
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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very important
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77
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77
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78
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somewhat important
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18
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19
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14
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somewhat unimportant
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3
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2
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4
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very unimportant
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1
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1
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2
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DK/NA/refused
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1
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1
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3
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18.2 Your family and friends
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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very important
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64
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64
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62
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somewhat important
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29
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29
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29
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somewhat unimportant
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4
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4
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5
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very unimportant
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2
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2
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3
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DK/NA/refused
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1
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1
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1
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18.3 The teachings of your church or synagogue
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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very important
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51
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56
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29
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somewhat important
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29
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32
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18
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somewhat unimportant
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8
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6
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16
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very unimportant
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9
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5
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32
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DK/NA/refused
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3
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2
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5
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18.4 The Bible
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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very important
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60
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67
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28
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somewhat important
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23
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24
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19
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somewhat unimportant
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8
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6
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18
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very unimportant
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7
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3
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30
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DK/NA/refused
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2
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1
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6
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19. Do you think any of the following threaten religious faith?
19.1 Evil in the world
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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yes
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61
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64
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43
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no
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36
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33
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51
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DK/NA/refused
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4
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3
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7
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19.2 Science
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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yes
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27
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29
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20
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no
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67
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66
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74
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DK/NA/refused
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6
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6
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7
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19.3 Movies, TV, and popular music
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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yes
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48
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51
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32
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no
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49
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46
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61
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DK/NA/refused
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4
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3
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7
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19.4 Materialism
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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yes
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57
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60
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45
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no
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38
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36
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48
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DK/NA/refused
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5
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5
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7
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19.5 A nonreligious view of the world
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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yes
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42
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46
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28
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no
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50
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47
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65
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DK/NA/refused
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7
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7
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8
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20. Aside from weddings and funerals, how often do you attend religious services?
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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more than once a week
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20
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22
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10
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once a week
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27
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30
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14
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once or twice a month
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15
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16
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9
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a few times a year
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18
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18
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15
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seldom or never
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20
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14
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51
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DK/NA/refused
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1
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-
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1
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21. Aside from attending religious services, how involved are you in activities at your church or house of worship? Would you say you are ...
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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very involved
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25
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25
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24
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somewhat involved
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36
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36
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32
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somewhat uninvolved
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20
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21
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13
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very uninvolved
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19
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18
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29
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DK/NA/refused
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1
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-
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2
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22. How often do you attend prayer group meetings or Bible or Scripture study groups?
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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frequently
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27
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27
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27
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sometimes
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22
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23
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16
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hardly ever
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22
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23
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19
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never
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28
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27
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37
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DK/NA/refused
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1
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-
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1
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23. Now I am going to read a list of things that may be important when one chooses a church, synagogue, mosque, or temple to attend. After I read the list, please tell me which ONE was most important to your choice. Which was next most important? And lastly, which was third most important?
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Total
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1st
Choice
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2nd
Choice
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3rd
Choice
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the beliefs, doctrines, and creeds
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54
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29
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13
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13
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a sense of community
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51
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18
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21
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14
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the minister or priest or rabbi
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50
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13
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19
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20
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the education and other programs for children
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45
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11
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18
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18
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the denomination
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37
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17
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11
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11
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the location
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25
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4
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9
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14
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the small group meetings
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13
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2
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5
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6
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other (volunteered)
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1
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1
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-
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1
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DK/NA/refused
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5
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5
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3
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4
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Note: The Total column is derived by adding
all mentions of a category; the percentages are based on all those attending
religious services at least a few times a year. The percentages for the second
choice are based only on those expressing a first choice, and similarly for
the third choice expressing a second choice. Therefore, the total is not the
sum of the percentages shown in the table.
CHRISTIANS
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Total Christians
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1st
Choice
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2nd
Choice
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3rd
Choice
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the beliefs, doctrines, and creeds
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55
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30
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14
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13
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a sense of community
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51
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17
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21
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14
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the minister or priest or rabbi
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51
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13
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20
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20
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the education and other programs for children
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45
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12
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17
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18
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the denomination
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38
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17
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10
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11
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the location
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25
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4
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9
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13
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the small group meetings
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12
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2
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5
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6
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other (volunteered)
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1
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1
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-
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1
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DK/NA/refused
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5
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5
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3
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3
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NON-CHRISTIANS
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Total Non-Christians
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1st
Choice
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2nd
Choice
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3rd
Choice
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a sense of community
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58
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21
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25
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16
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the beliefs, doctrines, and creeds
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48
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30
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8
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11
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the education and other programs for children
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45
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9
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25
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14
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the minister or priest or rabbi
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40
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10
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15
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19
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the denomination
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30
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11
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13
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7
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the location
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27
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6
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4
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19
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the small group meetings
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19
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4
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8
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9
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other (volunteered)
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2
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1
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-
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1
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DK/NA/refused
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8
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8
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2
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5
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24. Do you think there is TOO MUCH coverage of news about religion on television, TOO LITTLE, or JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT of coverage of news about religion on television?
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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too much
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17
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17
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23
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too little
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36
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39
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28
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just the right amount
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39
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38
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42
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DK/NA/refused
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7
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7
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8
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25. Would you describe your general impression of Islam as ...
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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very favorable
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6*
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5
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12
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somewhat favorable
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30*
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29
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36
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somewhat unfavorable
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24*
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25
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22
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very unfavorable
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13*
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15
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7
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DK/NA/refused
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26
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26
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23
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26. Compared to other religions, do you think there are A LARGER NUMBER of violent extremists within Islam, A SMALLER NUMBER, or ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER as in other religions?
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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larger
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39
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40
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34
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smaller
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4
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4
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4
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about the same
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40
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39
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45
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DK/NA/refused
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17
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16
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17
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27. What do you think the chances are of a bigger armed conflict sometime soon between the Christian countries of Europe and North America and Islamic countries? Do you think it is ...
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Total
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Christian
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Non-Christian
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very likely
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34
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35
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33
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somewhat likely
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35
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39
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28
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somewhat unlikely
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15
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15
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17
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very unlikely
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7
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7
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10
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DK/NA/refused
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9
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8
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12
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28. Please tell me which of the following best describes your religion. Just stop me when I get to the right one. Are you ...
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Total
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Catholic
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25
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Protestant
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26
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Christian other than Catholic or Protestant
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32
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Jewish
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2
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Mormon
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2
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Muslim
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0.5
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Hindu
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0.3
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Buddhist
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0.7
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atheist
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2
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agnostic
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3
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another religion
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3
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no preference (volunteered)
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3
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DK/NA/refused
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2
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ASK IF CATHOLIC, PROTESTANT OR OTHER CHRISTIAN:
29A. Would you describe yourself as a born again Christian?
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Total Christian
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Catholic
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Protestant
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Other Christian
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yes
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46
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21
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52
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63
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no
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52
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77
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46
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36
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DK/NA/refused
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2
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2
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2
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2
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29B. Would you describe yourself as an Evangelical Christian?
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Total Christian
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Catholic
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Protestant
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Other Christian
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yes
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24
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10
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39
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26
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no
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64
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81
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51
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61
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DK/NA/refused
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11
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9
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11
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14
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ASK IF CATHOLIC:
30. Do you think all Catholics should have more of a say in the selection of bishops, OR should this be left only to Church officials?
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Total Catholic
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Catholics should have say
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48
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left to Church officials
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44
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DK/NA/refused
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9
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31. Do you think Catholic priests should be allowed to marry, OR should it remain as it is and they not be allowed to marry?
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Total Catholic
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marry
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70
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not marry
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23
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DK/NA/refused
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7
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