[Research] How American View Natural Disasters

Public Religion Research Institute has recently researched on how Americans view natural disasters. They got data from 1008 people, between the period of 17-20 March 2011. Results on the survey were based on RDD telephone interviews by professional interviewers under the direction of Opinion Research Corporation. Interviews conducted on a random sample of 1008 adults ages 18 and up.

According to the results:

1. 8% of Americans don't believe in God
2. 56% agree that God is in control of everything that happens in the world
3. 29% agree that God sometimes punishes nations for the sins of some of its citizens
4. 40% agree that natural disaster's are God's way of testing their faith
5. 18% agree that seeing innocent people suffer causes them to have doubts about God
6. 28% agree that natural disasters are sign from God

Because the survey was done in response to the Japan Earthquake, it can be assumed that 29% of the US citizens agree that the earthquake is simply divine judgement.

But on the other hand, nearly 58% of Americans say that the severity of recent natural disasters is evidence of global climate change, compared to 44% of Americans who say that the severity of recent natural disasters is evidence of what the Bible calls the 'end times.'

White evangelical Protestants and Republicans are an exception to this pattern:

• Among White evangelicals
  
  • 67% believe that natural disasters are evidence of what the Bible calls the 'end times'
  • 52% who see it as evidence of global climate change.
• Among Republicans
  
  • 52% believe that natural disasters are evidence of what the Bible calls the 'end times'
  • 41% who see it as evidence of global climate change.

The report in question