It’s still the dead of summer but the supernatural—including the miraculous—never takes a vacation.
Believe that, and you’re in good company.
For survey after survey shows that belief in miraclous happenings is widespread no matter the religious belief.
A Pew Research Center survey found that nearly eighty percent of Americans accept the existence of miracles.
Similarly, a Barna study (ordered by an evangelist) found that sixty-six percent of Americans believe people can be physically healed supernaturally by God.
You’re not only in good company but the majority.
So be not afraid to proclaim them.
Such belief, it seems, spans age groups and educational backgrounds, though some studies show slight variations among certain demographics.
Personal testimonies?
A CBS News poll revealed that while a majority of Americans say they haven’t personally experienced a miracle, a substantial portion–thirty-five percent–have.
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More impressively, a survey of doctors found that fifty-five percent of those polled in this particular poll have witnessed what they consider to be a medical miracle. (In that survey, seventy-four percent said they believed in miracles.)
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Interestingly, studies additionally indicate that individuals experiencing life-threatening situations or feeling threatened are more likely to believe in the miraculous. (That’s according to Baylor University.)
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Finally, belief in miracles appears stronger among certain groups, such as women, African Americans, and individuals with higher levels of religious involvement.
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No surprise there.
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Evangelical and Black Protestants demonstrate particularly high rates of belief in miracles. But we’d bet highest of all would be Marian Catholics (due to apparitions such as Fatima, Lourdes, and Medjugorje).
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Of note: college-educated individuals, traditionally seen as more secular, have shown increased in belief in miracles in recent years.
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[resources: books on miracles]
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