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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

It's all an act of God, Americans believe

Most say higher power shapes their lives

By: Misty Harris

Posted: 03/12/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

He gets more Oscar shout-outs than Meryl Streep, is name-checked by every other American Idol contestant and is presumed to have a vested interest in who wins hockey games.

God, it seems, is as omnipresent as He is omniscient. A new Canadian study sheds light on why: The majority of Americans believe God is directly concerned with their personal affairs, with most assuming a divine reason for everything from job promotions to speeding tickets.

"In American culture -- much less so in Canada -- there's a really constant flow of God-talk that references these small, personal interactions. It's almost like a self-absorbed view of divine will," says study author Scott Schieman, a professor of sociology at the University of Toronto.

"The extent that it's so visible, almost saturating the culture at times, makes me think it's not just metaphor or symbolism; many, many people believe these processes are real."

Eight in 10 Americans say they depend on God for decision-making guidance. Seven in 10 believe that when good or bad things happen, the occurrences are part of God's plan. And six in 10 believe God has set the course of their lives.

The study, published in the March issue of the journal Sociology of Religion, is generating considerable buzz online -- much of it linked to Schieman's finding that one-third of Americans agree with the rather defeatist statement: "There's no sense in planning a lot because ultimately my fate is in God's hands."

"If you feel like, 'No matter what I do, it's all going to work out a particular way,' what does that do for your motivation?" says Schieman, who suggests the 32 per cent of people who behave this way do so because it relieves anxiety in desperate circumstances, shifting the pressure skyward.

Overall, however, Schieman says the idea of God as "a personal friend" can lend itself to positive effects, such as fostering a sense of social support, well-being and purpose.

The concept permeates shows such as So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol and Big Brother, all of which frequently feature participants who credit their victories to a higher power. They also assume their failures are part of His plan, rely on prayer to further their competitive success or talk as though the right hand of God is cramped from texting votes on their behalf.

"People will weave a divine narrative into just about anything," says Schieman, whose research is based on two national U.S. surveys of 1,721 and 1,800 people.

Though population-level Canadian data on the subject is tough to find, University of Lethbridge sociologist Reginald Bibby reports some useful insights in his 2006 book The Boomer Factor.

According to Bibby's national surveys, belief in God has held steady in Canada at around 82 per cent, with nearly half of the people acknowledging they have, or think they have, experienced God's presence.

More than 70 per cent of Canadians believe miraculous healing sometimes occurs, while fully 65 per cent say they believe God or a higher power cares about them personally.

But does God, in fact, intervene in something as trivial as an American Idol vote? Perhaps -- if there's not a hockey game on.

-- Canwest News Service

Court says God references OK

SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal appeals court upheld the use of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance and "In God We Trust" on U.S. currency, rejecting arguments on Thursday that the phrases violate the principle of separation of church and state.

The court rejected two legal challenges by Sacramento atheist Michael Newdow, who claimed the references to God disrespect his religious beliefs.

"The pledge is constitutional," Judge Carlos Bea wrote for the majority in the 2-1 ruling.

In a separate ruling, the court upheld the inscription of "In God We Trust" on coins and currency.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 12, 2010 A21

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