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18. 03. 10. - 13:00

Majority believe in some kind of God

Sixty-nine per cent of Austrians believe in some kind of God, according to results of a new poll by Linz public opinion research institute IMAS released today (Thurs).

Twenty-five per cent believe in a living God as presented in the Bible, and 34 per cent in a spiritual power hovering over mankind. Another 13 per cent believe in neither, and 21 per cent said they did not know what to believe in.

The poll also shows that People�s Party (�VP) voters, the elderly, the less well educated and people living in small towns and the countryside were more likely to believe in a living God than the well educated and supporters of the Social Democratic (SP�) and Freedom (FP�) Parties.

Atheists are most likely to be members of the Green Party, students, teachers, university graduates and people younger than 30.

Forty-one per cent consider the Ten Commandments the proper guide to behaviour, but 34 per cent believe society can get along without them. Almost all Austrians older than 50 behave in accordance with them, but only 25 per cent of those aged 16 to 29 do so.

The poll also shows a decline in church attendance with 35 per cent going to church regularly, compared to 51 per cent in 1973. The number of professed atheists increased from 21 to 29 per cent between 1973 and 2010.

IMAS interviewed 1,088 Austrians older than 15 in January and February. Seventy-eight per cent were Roman Catholic, five per cent were Evangelicals and 17 per cent adhered to another religion or to none.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in Austria could be on the verge of a crisis as reports of clerical child abuse drive thousands of worshippers away.

So far this year, 1,000 people have left the Church in Lower Austria, 300 this month alone, raising fears that this year could see a record number of desertions.

Last year saw 52,216 people officially quitting, the highest on record so far. But this year could be worse.

In Salzburg city, 120 people have left this year, three times more than during the same period last year. The numbers for Vorarlberg and Tyrol are 850 and 650, respectively.

The Vienna archdiocese has declined to cite a figure but confirmed that "many more than usual" were leaving.

Josef Lidicky, the financial chamber director for Salzburg diocese, said the loss could be financially crippling for the Church since each member pays an average of 120 Euros a year in church taxes.

If the number leaving reached 80,000 this year, that would represent a loss of nine million Euros for the Church, he noted.

Austrian Times

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Karmenu of Malta wrote on 19. 03. 2010 from Europe about "Majority believe in some ..."

The above statistics make for interesting reading. However, there is one question which I am asking myself: How many of those interviewed ever stopped to seriously think and consider the rationale behind the various religious beliefs? In this matter, which is evidently of very great importance, how many ever took the trouble to delve into the thoughts of the great religious leaders to see if they can agree to what these thinkers say. It is easy to discard all belief in the supernatural order under the influence of the pleasures and distractions of modern society.

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Tag cloud:
older loss clerical church crisis child poll raising Catholic Euros verge financial quitting Austria record Salzburg desertions IMAS Atheists religion

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