Americans are curious about the religious devotion of others and are willing to discuss the topic, but most say they rarely have conversations about faith with their Christian friends. An Evangelism Explosion study conducted by Lifeway Research found Americans are widely receptive to spiritual conversations in a variety of settings.
“This study reveals that most Americans are open to talking about faith,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “It really isn’t about religious liberty, people not wanting to hear, or religion being off-limits. The reason conversations are not happening about the Christian faith is that Christians are not bringing it up.”
Half of Americans (51%) say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated. Curiosity is also more likely among younger adults. Those 18 to 34 (61%) and 35 to 49 (55%) are more likely than those 50 to 64 (43%) and those 65 and older (40%) to say they’re curious about others’ religious devotion.
Amid this curiosity, however, most say their Christian friends don’t often bring up their religious beliefs. Six in 10 (60%) Americans say many of their friends who claim to be Christians rarely talk about their faith, including 52% of the religiously unaffiliated.
Most Americans (61%) say the pandemic has not changed their interest in spiritual matters. For a third of Americans (32%), however, COVID-19 has made them more interested. Few (7%) say they are less interested now compared to before the pandemic. One in 5 religiously unaffiliated Americans (20%) say they are more interested in spiritual matters now.
Still, for many, religion is not something they think about unless others broach the subject. Two in 5 Americans (40%) say they wouldn’t think about faith on their own unless a friend or family member brought it up. The religiously unaffiliated (50%), young adults 18 to 34 (49%) and men (47%) are among those more likely to say they do not think about matters of faith unless others bring up the topic.
“There is a quiet chasm between the religiously devoted and those who have no religion in the U.S.,” said McConnell. “The irony is that religious devotion intrigues many people, yet many avid Christians fail to share why faith is so important in their lives.”
Heavenly Certainty
Most Americans (55%) say it’s very important to be sure they will go to heaven or have eternal life, and another 19% say it’s important. Fewer say it’s somewhat important (9%) or not important at all (12%). Even among the religiously unaffiliated 1 in 5 (19%) say it’s very important.
Despite how important most Americans say eternal life is, few say they have such certainty. Slightly more than a third (37%) say they are sure they will be with God in heaven. Another 11% say they are somewhat sure, while 23% say they hope they’ll be in heaven. Few (4%) don’t expect to make it, and 6% are sure there is no God or heaven. According to 17% of Americans, no one can know if they’ll go to heaven.
