WACO, Texas — Milton Friedman, meet Rick Warren. Americans who strongly believe God has a plan for their lives are most likely to believe God guides the United States through a free market — and they want to see the government get out of God's way.
That's one of the latest findings from the Baylor Religion Survey, an ongoing study of values and beliefs of the American public, released Sept. 20. Baylor University researchers based their analysis on a random sample of 1,714 adults surveyed by the Gallup Organization during fall 2010.
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The survey showed a clear link between economic conservatism and belief in a God who is engaged in human affairs, said researcher Paul Froese, associate professor of sociology at Baylor University.
He compared it to a wedding of the philosophies of free-market economist Friedman and evangelical pastor Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life.
"The invisible hand [of the free market] spoken of by [18th century economic philosopher] Adam Smith has become God's hand for many Americans," Froese said.
Ironically, the survey revealed Americans who most strongly believe in God's plan for their lives earn less and have less education, but they are most likely to believe in the fairness of the United States' economic system and be opposed to government intervention.
Specifically, Americans who strongly believe in God's plan are more likely to believe government is intrusive (53 percent), able-bodied people don't deserve unemployment benefits (53 percent) and "anything is possible for those who work hard" (54 percent).
The study also revealed a close relationship between work and worship for a significant minority of Americans.
About one-fourth of working adults (25 percent) report they often or always see their work as a mission from God, and more than one-third (36 percent) regularly pursue excellence in their work because their faith motivates them to do so.
For the most part, entrepreneurs generally look like people who are not entrepreneurs in regard to belief in God, view of the Bible, religious affiliation, worship attendance and frequency of reading scriptures. One characteristic sets them apart. A higher percentage of entrepreneurs pray several times a day (34 percent) or practice meditation (32 percent).
Christians affiliated with an African-American Protestant congregation are most likely to receive encouragement in their churches to start a business or make a profit. Forty-two percent of Black Protestants report their churches encourage worshippers to start businesses, compared to 17 percent of Catholics and 15 percent of evangelicals or mainline Protestants.
People who attend churches of 2,000 or more worshippers are twice as likely as people in smaller congregations to report they are encouraged at church to start a business.
The Baylor Religion Survey also provided findings related to:
• Mental health.
Researchers found Americans who believe in an active and engaged God who loves them and is responsive to their needs report significantly fewer mental health issues.
On the other hand, respondents who believe in a judgmental God who is critical, punishing and angered by sin report 45 percent more concerns related to social anxiety, 37 percent more concerns related to paranoia and 33 percent more concerns related to compulsions.
The study found chronic worriers are less likely than non-worriers to attend religious services regularly, read religious texts, consider themselves religious or have a religious affiliation.
• Afterlife.
More than six of 10 Americans (62 percent) say they "absolutely" believe in heaven, but barely half (51 percent) have that same degree of certainty about hell.
Confidence is greatest among Americans who attend religious services at least once a week — 93 percent who believe in heaven and 85 percent who believe in hell — and among those who accept a literal view of the Bible — 98 percent who believe in heaven and 92 percent who believe in hell.
A higher percentage of African-Americans believe in heaven (78 percent) and hell (67 percent) than do Anglos and Hispanics.
The survey also revealed Americans who absolutely believe in heaven and hell are more satisfied with their jobs and more likely to pursue excellence in work.
• Homosexuality.
Americans make a clear distinction between withholding opportunities from gays and lesbians and granting them rights. More than 89 percent of Americans agree or strongly agree gays and lesbians should have equal employment opportunities, but they are significantly more divided on same-sex marriage.
Support for same-sex marriage is greatest among the religiously unaffiliated (88 percent) and lowest among evangelical Protestants (37 percent). Similarly, the religiously unaffiliated are most supportive of same-sex civil unions (92 percent) and adoption by same-sex couples (80 percent).
However, same-sex civil unions also drew support of 64 percent of Catholics, 61 percent of mainline Protestants, 59 percent of evangelical Protestants and 52 percent of African-American Protestants.
Less than half of Americans (41 percent) believe homosexuality is a choice, and more than half (57 percent) believe it is genetic in origin.
The survey found Americans who believe homosexuality is a choice are much more likely to label it "always wrong" (76 percent), and people who think genetics determines sexual orientation are far more likely to consider homosexuality "not wrong at all" (56 percent).
Three-fourths of the self-described religiously unaffiliated view sexual orientation as genetic in origin, compared to only 15 percent of the unaffiliated who see homosexuality as a choice.
More than three-fourths (78 percent) of those who see homosexuality as a choice disagree or strongly disagree with same-sex marriage. In comparison, two-thirds (67 percent) of those who believe genetics determines homosexuality agree or strongly agree with same-sex marriage.