Pew took a look at Americans and their religious beliefs and found some strange little details. We’re mostly Christian, but it’s tinged with an odd mix up Eastern and New Age beliefs.
Roughly three-in-ten Americans (29%) say they have felt in touch with someone who has died. Nearly one-in-five say they have been in the presence of a ghost (18%), while 15% say they have consulted a fortuneteller or a psychic.
The proportion of Americans who say they have interacted with a ghost has doubled over the past 13 years (9% in 1996 compared with 18% today). The number saying they have felt in touch with someone who has died has also grown considerably, from 18% in 1996 to 29% today. There has been no change, however, over the past 20 years in the proportion of Americans who have consulted a fortuneteller or psychic, with a steady minority of roughly one-in-seven continuing to say they have done so.
When you look at those numbers by party affiliation, you see that a remarkable 36% of Democrats says they’ve communicated with the dead, while only 21% of Republicans say they have.
We say c’mon, Democrats, get serious. Contributing to the campaigns of Harry Reid and Blanche Lincoln may seem like communicating with the dead, but it really isn’t.
Source: Pew
