If you think Indians are more religious, more likely to believe in miracles & have conception of heaven and hell; think again. Around three-quarter of Americans believe in miracles, more Americans believe in heaven than in hell and nearly six out of ten Americans pray everyday according to the US religious landscape survey. Eventhough being highly materialistic & scientific, most of the Americans believe in miracles & adopt religious life.
Interestingly those Americans, who pray regularly around a third of them say god answers to their prayers at least once a month and one of five of them say that they receive direct answers to their prayer requests at least once a week as per the report by the few Forum on Religion and Public life. Out of those surveyed for the report, called the US Religious Landscape survey, 74% said they believe in heaven as a place where people who have led good lives are rewarded, while only six out of ten believe in hell, where the unrepentant evildoers languish in eternal punishment. The report really reflects the changing face of the US religious landscape and also the diversity of belief among Americans. Once upon a time, belief in heaven and hell were very closely related and many American people’s view was just two sides of the same coin. But in changing scenario, that does not seem to be the case anymore. Now many more people believe in heaven than hell.
Now-a-days American people believe, god as some one who is merciful, generous & forgiving rather than a judge who punishes people only. Apart from that a whopping 79% American believe that miracles do happen. The striking point now is nine out of ten Americans have unanimous belief in god. Even, one in five of those who identified themselves atheists said they also believe in god. So the probable regions being Americans becoming more & more religious may be due the stress level in day-to-day life, uncertainly in career, discontent in private life & many unnatural developments in the state & environment as well. Apart from that a group of people really understood the grace of advantages of being religious in true sense. Let us hope still many more in American society become religious in the good cause of development of the society.