Faithless in Vermont?
Are Vermonters heathens?Not exactly, but they are less religious than people in most other states, according to a national poll conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, which combines results for Vermont and New Hampshire, suggests that people in the two states pray less often, are less likely to attend weekly services and are less likely to believe in God with absolute certainty than are people in the rest of the nation.Nationally, about 71 percent of the nearly 35,000 people polled said their belief in God or a universal spirit was absolutely certain. In Vermont/New Hampshire, the response was 54 percent — which while still a majority was considerably lower than the national rate.Results show Vermont/New Hampshire consistently logging the lowest or nearly lowest levels among states in what the pollsters call religious commitment. About 23 percent of the Vermont/New Hampshire respondents attend religious service at least once a week, compared with 39 percent nationally. Thirty-six percent said religion is very important to them, compared to 56 percent nationally.The survey suggested religious commitment is highest in the South, where evangelical protestant churches have relatively large membership.
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