Released: October 17, 2003 University Of Rochester And Zogby International Release Global Poll On Religious Beliefs, Practices And Priorities Results released today from a global religion poll conducted by the University of Rochester and Zogby International offer a glimpse into the religious beliefs and practices of 11 religious groups in seven countries. The initial set of results focuses on five areas: how religion matters, sources of religious instruction and leadership, views on religious exclusivism, the association of religion with trouble and unrest and the impact of a more religious society. According to Dr. William Scott Green, professor of religion and dean of the college at the University of Rochester, and John Zogby, president and chief executive officer of Zogby International, the poll was conducted to discover how religions around the world converge with and diverge from one another in the realms of ideas, practices and values. "We are deluged with information about religion and encounter the variety of the world's religions through the media as never before. Our poll provides a framework to understand the varied roles religion plays in the lives of ordinary people across a spectrum of nations," said Green. "Religion clearly remains a significant force in the lives of most people, but its role varies across cultures," continued Green. "Comparing the data from religion to religion, country to country and between different religions within the same country reveals some intriguing commonalities and differences." Among the key findings: A majority of those surveyed associated violence within their own country with politics rather than religion. A majority of all respondents, except South Korean Buddhists, say that a more religious society would help their country. American Catholics and mainstream Protestants closely resemble one another on many measures and are the most religiously pluralistic of the communities surveyed; Saudi Muslims and South Korean Christians are the least. More than half of the respondents in nearly every religious group cite that being actively religious is an important value; a minority among Russian Orthodox Christians, Israeli Jews and South Korean Buddhists hold that position. A majority of Muslims, Hindus, American Christians and South Korean Christians say they engage in religious practices, including worship, once a week or more. More than 60% of American born-again Christians, American Catholics and Korean Christians, more than 80% of Peruvian Catholics and Hindus, and over 95% of all Muslims surveyed say they will suffer negative consequences if they disobey their religion. In all the religious communities surveyed, parents are the most important source of religious instruction within families. "Everyone claims to know religion, but the truth is that we humans know relatively little about it - our own and, especially, that of others. This seminal study is an effort to begin to fill in this gap," said Zogby. The University of Rochester/Zogby Global Religion Poll marks the first time a university and polling firm have collaborated to obtain quantifiable data that provide a broad, global perspective on everyday religious beliefs and practices. Interviews were recently completed among members of: the Orthodox Church in Russia, Christians and Buddhists in South Korea, Roman Catholics and Protestants in the United States, Hindus and Muslims in India, Jews and Muslims in Israel, Muslims in Saudi Arabia and Roman Catholics in Peru. A team of religion faculty from the Department of Religion and Classics at the University of Rochester analyzed the data within their areas of expertise: Buddhism and Hinduism-Jonathan Geen; Christianity-Curt Cadorette; Judaism-William Scott Green; and Islam-Th. Emil Homerin. Kathleen Parthe, professor of Russian and director of Russian Studies, analyzed the sections on the Orthodox Church in Russia. Methodology Zogby International conducted interviews of 600 people each in India (Hindu, Muslim), Peru (Roman Catholic), Russia (Russian Orthodox), Saudi Arabia (Muslim), and South Korea (Buddhist, Christian); 593 in Israel (Jewish, Muslim, Druze); and 795 in the United States (Catholic, Protestant). All interviews in India, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia and South Korea were conducted face-to-face. All interviews in Israel and the Unites States were conducted over the phone. All calls for the United States were made from Zogby International headquarters in Utica, N.Y. All interviews -- face-to-face and telephone -- were conducted from January through March of 2003. The margin of error for India, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Israel is +/-4%. The margin of error for the United States is +/-3.6%. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Frequency of Worship Christian Christian Catholic Protestant Orthodox S. Korea Peru USA USA mainstream USA born-again Russia At least once a day 29 13 34 32 51 7 Several times a week 35 11 22 24 29 9 Once a week 25 23 16 12 8 10 Several times a month 3 22 11 8 4 13 Once a month 3 11 5 4 3 16 Several times a year 0 10 5 8 3 28 Once a year 1 2 2 2 1 5 Rarely or never 1 8 5 10 2 12 Not sure 3 1 0 1 -- 1 Muslim Hindu Judaism Buddhist India Israel Saudi Arabia India Israel S. Korea At least once a day 70 87 54 72 19 2 Several times a week 16 6 27 11 7 7 Once a week 7 1 3 4 12 11 Several times a month 4 -- 7 1 2 9 Once a month 1 -- 7 3 3 20 Several times a year 1 1 1 2 16 17 Once a year 2 -- 1 1 9 11 Rarely or never -- 2 1 5 28 14 Not sure 1 4 0 1 4 11 Religion as a Source of Trouble and Unrest Christian Christian Catholic Protestant Orthodox S. Korea Peru USA USA mainstream USA born-again Russia Agree 27 12 35 44 36 14 Disagree 59 81 63 50 58 64 Not sure 14 8 3 6 6 22 Muslim Hindu Judaism Buddhist India Israel Saudi Arabia India Israel S. Korea Agree 33 7 1 40 46 13 Disagree 65 90 99 55 44 52 Not sure 2 3 1 6 10 36 Questions asked in the survey include: Thinking about your personal finances, would you say your economic situation is better off, worse off, or about the same as it was four years ago? Do you expect your children's finances to be better off, worse off, or about the same as your own? Compared to your parents, would you say your economic situation is better off, worse off, or about the same as theirs? I will now read a list of occasions. Of these occasions, please indicate when you feel religion matters the most to you personally? Which of the following best reflects your religious beliefs? Which one of the following persons in your family have taught you the most about religion? Which one of the following persons outside your family have taught you the most about religion? Where do you most often attend religious activities, including formal worship and prayer? In which of the following religious activities do you participate? How often do you participate in religious activities, including formal acts of worship and private prayer? Have you attended a place of worship within the last seven days? Level of importance on the following: Achieving economic security Being well-educated Learning a valuable skill Spending time with family Travel within your country Travel outside your country Being actively religious Doing charitable work Being active in politics And More..... University of Rochester Religion Poll Report All 7 Countries University of Rochester Religion Poll Report And Complete Cross Tab* All 7 Countries Interested in a raw data? contact us University of Rochester Religion Poll For - India (Hindu, Muslim) University of Rochester Religion Poll For - Peru (Roman Catholic) University of Rochester Religion Poll For - Russia (Russian Orthodox) University of Rochester Religion Poll For - Saudi Arabia (Muslim) University of Rochester Religion Poll For - South Korea (Buddhist, Christian) University of Rochester Religion Poll For - Israel (Jewish, Muslim, Druze) University of Rochester Religion Poll For - United States (Catholic, Protestant) * Each question will include cross tabulations for the following subgroups: First Age Group Breakdown Second Age Group Breakdown Gender Religious Affiliation** Education ** In Russia, all respondents were Russian Orthodox Back to All News Releases

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