Introduction:
I recently created a survey for people who believe in a God who can answer prayers. It asked what answer, if any, respondents received when they prayed and asked God which religion is the most correct. The survey can be accessed here - http://curioustim2.polldaddy.com/s/mostcorrectreligion.
Quick and Dirty Numbers:
Summary of Results:
114 usable responses were collected. 82% of the respondents reported receiving an answer when they prayed and asked God which religion is the most correct. Of the respondents who reported receiving an answer, 73% were “very sure” they received an answer, 16% were “fairly sure,” and 11% were “somewhat sure” (rounded to the nearest percent).
The respondents were asked to describe the way in which God had answered their prayer. 71% of the respondents reported that their prayer had been answered by a feeling, 28% by a voice, 21% by a vision, and 31% by “other” which included a variety of experiences including dreams, thoughts, and direction to particular scripture verses.
A total of 22 different religions were identified by the respondents as being the religion that God told them was the most correct. Six respondents reported that God told them that multiple religions were the most correct, and seven others reported that God told them that there were no correct religions.
The 22 religions that respondents believed God had identified to them as the single most correct religion are as follows (the number of respondents identifying the particular religion are in parenthesis):
1. Anglican (1)
2. Baptist (3)
3. Catholicism (19)
4. Christianity (4)
5. Christian Charismatic (1)
6. Christian Reformed Church (1)
7. Christ’s Church (1)
8. Hinduism (1)
9. Islam (5)
10. Jehovah’s Witnesses (2)
11. Judaism (5)
12. Lutheranism (1)
13. Methodism (1)
14. Mormonism (22)
15. Orthodox Christianity (3)
16. Paganism (1)
17. Pastafarianism (1)
18. Presbyterianism (1)
19. Quaker (1)
20. Satanism (2)
21. Scientology (1)
22. Seventh-Day Adventist (4)
The survey also asked what religion the respondent is currently a member of. This question was included in an effort to learn how often the answers people received affirmed or contradicted their current beliefs. In retrospect, I realize now that I should have worded the question to ask which religion they were a member of when they prayed and asked God which religion is the most correct.
If we assume (and this may or may not be accurate) that the respondents' current religions were also the religions they were members of at the time they prayed and asked God which religion was the most correct, then we come up with the following figures: Of the respondents who reported receiving an answer, 90% received an answer affirming that their current religion was the most correct religion (or among the group of religions that were the most correct).
Methodology:
A link to the survey (http://curioustim2.polldaddy.com/s/mostcorrectreligion) was posted on October 30, 2014, and in the days following, in various religious forums, message boards, and subreddits. The survey consisted of 7 questions which were preceded by two notices instructing potential respondents to not complete the survey unless 1) they believed in a God who can answer prayers and 2) they have prayed and asked God which religion is the most correct.
The first two questions of the survey were mandatory and asked the respondents which religion God had told them is the most correct and how sure they were that they received an answer (“very sure,” “fairly sure,” “somewhat sure,” or “I did not receive an answer”). The remaining 5 questions were optional and asked the respondents to describe the answer they received (“feeling,” “vision,” voice,” and/or “other”), and to identify their current and previous religious affiliation.
The spreadsheet used to quantify and examine the data can be accessed here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/147HUaux82tIRQb5qXbwfwnKANOjJani5G3P2SrMYVuw/edit?usp=sharing
The responses can be viewed here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ppgudfb15xqatmz/1-117%20complete.pdf?dl=0
Conclusion:
The data from this survey suggest that most people who 1) believe in a God who can answer prayers and 2) who pray to ask God which religion is the most correct, experience something which they believe to be an answer from God. Most of these people report being “very sure” that they received an answer from God. The most common way in which people receive these answers is through feelings, hearing voices, and seeing visions. Many of these answers appear to validate the correctness of the person's current religion. The religions that people believe God has identified to them as the single most correct religion are numerous and diverse.
You can contact me with at [email protected].
I recently created a survey for people who believe in a God who can answer prayers. It asked what answer, if any, respondents received when they prayed and asked God which religion is the most correct. The survey can be accessed here - http://curioustim2.polldaddy.com/s/mostcorrectreligion.
Quick and Dirty Numbers:
- 114 usable responses
- 82% received an answer
- 73% were "very sure" they received an answer
- 22 religions were identified by God as the single most correct religion
- 90% of the answers affirmed that the respondents' current religion was the most correct religion, or among the group of religions that was the most correct (the accuracy of this statistic is questionable, see below)
Summary of Results:
114 usable responses were collected. 82% of the respondents reported receiving an answer when they prayed and asked God which religion is the most correct. Of the respondents who reported receiving an answer, 73% were “very sure” they received an answer, 16% were “fairly sure,” and 11% were “somewhat sure” (rounded to the nearest percent).
The respondents were asked to describe the way in which God had answered their prayer. 71% of the respondents reported that their prayer had been answered by a feeling, 28% by a voice, 21% by a vision, and 31% by “other” which included a variety of experiences including dreams, thoughts, and direction to particular scripture verses.
A total of 22 different religions were identified by the respondents as being the religion that God told them was the most correct. Six respondents reported that God told them that multiple religions were the most correct, and seven others reported that God told them that there were no correct religions.
The 22 religions that respondents believed God had identified to them as the single most correct religion are as follows (the number of respondents identifying the particular religion are in parenthesis):
1. Anglican (1)
2. Baptist (3)
3. Catholicism (19)
4. Christianity (4)
5. Christian Charismatic (1)
6. Christian Reformed Church (1)
7. Christ’s Church (1)
8. Hinduism (1)
9. Islam (5)
10. Jehovah’s Witnesses (2)
11. Judaism (5)
12. Lutheranism (1)
13. Methodism (1)
14. Mormonism (22)
15. Orthodox Christianity (3)
16. Paganism (1)
17. Pastafarianism (1)
18. Presbyterianism (1)
19. Quaker (1)
20. Satanism (2)
21. Scientology (1)
22. Seventh-Day Adventist (4)
The survey also asked what religion the respondent is currently a member of. This question was included in an effort to learn how often the answers people received affirmed or contradicted their current beliefs. In retrospect, I realize now that I should have worded the question to ask which religion they were a member of when they prayed and asked God which religion is the most correct.
If we assume (and this may or may not be accurate) that the respondents' current religions were also the religions they were members of at the time they prayed and asked God which religion was the most correct, then we come up with the following figures: Of the respondents who reported receiving an answer, 90% received an answer affirming that their current religion was the most correct religion (or among the group of religions that were the most correct).
Methodology:
A link to the survey (http://curioustim2.polldaddy.com/s/mostcorrectreligion) was posted on October 30, 2014, and in the days following, in various religious forums, message boards, and subreddits. The survey consisted of 7 questions which were preceded by two notices instructing potential respondents to not complete the survey unless 1) they believed in a God who can answer prayers and 2) they have prayed and asked God which religion is the most correct.
The first two questions of the survey were mandatory and asked the respondents which religion God had told them is the most correct and how sure they were that they received an answer (“very sure,” “fairly sure,” “somewhat sure,” or “I did not receive an answer”). The remaining 5 questions were optional and asked the respondents to describe the answer they received (“feeling,” “vision,” voice,” and/or “other”), and to identify their current and previous religious affiliation.
The spreadsheet used to quantify and examine the data can be accessed here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/147HUaux82tIRQb5qXbwfwnKANOjJani5G3P2SrMYVuw/edit?usp=sharing
The responses can be viewed here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ppgudfb15xqatmz/1-117%20complete.pdf?dl=0
Conclusion:
The data from this survey suggest that most people who 1) believe in a God who can answer prayers and 2) who pray to ask God which religion is the most correct, experience something which they believe to be an answer from God. Most of these people report being “very sure” that they received an answer from God. The most common way in which people receive these answers is through feelings, hearing voices, and seeing visions. Many of these answers appear to validate the correctness of the person's current religion. The religions that people believe God has identified to them as the single most correct religion are numerous and diverse.
You can contact me with at [email protected].
- Last updated on November 14, 2014 -