News

Go Figure

What do Americans pray for?

53% 34% 54%
Americans who say students in public schools have too little religious freedom. Evangelicals who say this. Adults over the age of 26 who support government restrictions on abortion.
67% 44% 43%
Youths between the ages of 15 and 22 who support such restrictions. Americans who say they pray to show gratitude or praise. Americans who ask for something other than guidance, forgiveness, and healing.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Articles referenced above include:

Half of Americans say national security more important than religious freedom—Freedom Forum (August 29, 2002)

Baby Boomers’ kids more conservative on prayer in school, abortion, other issuesSan Francisco Chronicle (September 25, 2002)

Americans say they pray for forgiveness more than petitioningThe Christian Science Monitor (September 12, 2002)

Christianity Today’s recent Go Figure columns include:

How much more time do evangelical fathers give their children? (October 25, 2002)

What percentage of Americans believe in heaven? (September 13, 2002)

Americans continue to give to religious groups following September 11. (August 14, 2002)

The majority of Americans say September 11 proved there’s “too little religion.” (July 11, 2002)

Statistics on the Protestant clergy shortage and The Prayer of Jabez (May 23, 2002)

The number of Americans who say they have no religion is growing  (May 8, 2002)

Orlando’s Holy Land Experience surpasses first year expectations and Christian music soars in 2001. (April 1, 2002)

Can an atheist lead a protest from the grave? (March 12, 2002)

Do Christian readers want more fiction or more Bible studies? (Feb. 6, 2002)

More Americans who read the Bible are more “at peace” than those who don’t. (Jan. 25, 2002)

Also in this issue

Rick Warren: Just a regular guy who may be America's most influential pastor.

Cover Story

A Regular Purpose-Driven Guy

Tim Stafford

News

The Force Is Not With Them

Manhattan Ministry a Year Later

Tony Carnes

Gray Matter and the Soul

The Long View: The Enemy Within

Virtue via Vouchers

Stephen Carter's novel

Hiawatha Bray

Elegy for a 9/11 Hero

Cindy Crosby

Righteous (and Other) Anger

Cindy Crosby

Graham's Current Events

Cindy Crosby

"Rich, Delighted Christians"

Cindy Crosby

Guilt Good and Bad

Kitsch Watch

Prostitute Murders Spur Ministry

Keeping Their Heads Down

Restricting Faith

Lincoln Brunner

Option for Alienated Baptist Missionaries

Corrie Cutrer

Aramaic May Disappear in Four Decades

Desert Springs

Richard A. Kauffman

New Study Answers Many Criticisms of White House's Plans

Mark Stricherz

Quenching Worst-Case Scenarios

Sharon Mager

Wire Story

House: No Church Politicking

Religion News Service

What Is Hip?

Christianity Today Editorial

Review

Seize the Virtue

Douglas LeBlanc

Review

Hometown Legend

Douglas LeBlanc

Review

Tribulation Force

Douglas LeBlanc

Civic-Minded and Heavenly Good

James W. Skillen

Killing a Pandemic

Christianity Today editorial

Jesus Freak

David Neff and Timothy Morgan

2012: A School Odyssey

Randall Balmer

Faith-Based Fight: White House moves forward with or without Senate.

Mark Stricherz

Nigeria: War-weary Muslims and Christians talk peace.

Ecumenical News International

Forcing Abortions

There Goes the Neighborhood

Quotation Marks

News

Entertainment: Jonah has boffo box office.

Todd Hertz

View issue

Our Latest

Confronting Christ

Rusty McKie

Repent, seek forgiveness, and walk with a limp—knowing it is the mark of God’s resurrecting grace.

The Call Back to Gospel Sanity

Eric Schumacher

In the dark days of political upheaval, conspiracy theories, and financial uncertainty, Spy Wednesday offers resurrection hope.

Laetare!

Jonathan Pennington

The theme of finding joy even in grief is at the core of the Christian vision of life.

Being Human

Andrew Arndt: The Hidden Struggles of Public Figures and Why Real Community Matters

How do we identify coping mechanisms and begin a journey to wholeness?

The Russell Moore Show

Should I Leave My Church Over Calvinism and Arminianism?

Russell answers a listener question about whether a church’s differences over Calvinism and Arminianism mean it’s time to leave his church.

Was Abraham Lincoln a Christian?

In his younger years, Lincoln was a skeptic. But as he aged, he turned toward biblical wisdom—and not only when in the public eye.

Killing People Is Not the Same as Allowing Them to Die

And the church of Jesus Christ has to offer people a better way of thinking about life and dependence if we want to push against the horrors of euthanasia.

News

How CT Editors Carl Henry and Nelson Bell Covered Civil Rights

Michael D. Hammond

Trying to stake out a sliver of space for the “moderate evangelical,” the magazine sometimes left readers confused and justice ignored.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastprintRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube