The poll of over 2,000 people, conducted by ComRes on behalf of Theos, shows that 70% of people believe in the human soul, 55% believe in heaven and 53% believe in life after death.
Almost four in 10 (39%) of people believe in ghosts, 22% believe in astrology or horoscopes, 27% believe in reincarnation and 15% believe in fortune telling or Tarot, the research reveals.
The comparison with the 1950s is especially striking. In 1950, only 10% of the public told Gallup that they believed in ghosts, and just 2% thought they had seen one. In 1951, only 7% of the public said they believed in predicting the future by cards and 6% by stars.
What kind of story does this tell? A decline in attendance at conventional places of worship, and of recognition of any church as authoritative, but a growing openness to the 'spiritual'. It probably also helps explain why Richard Dawkins and Co. are feeling so frustrated!
The challenge for followers of Jesus is how do we draw this acceptance of the spiritual away from the harmful and the weird towards a healthy and life giving knowledge of Christ? If 70 percent of people believe in the soul, how can we minister more effectively to their souls? Why are we not connecting better?
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