Study: Belief that ‘God Has a Plan’ Tied to Less Support for Gov’t Programs
- Posted on September 20, 2011 at 5:58pm by
Billy Hallowell
- Print »
- Email »
The vast majority of Americans — 73 percent — believe that “God has a plan” for their lives, with only 27 percent claiming that they disagree with this statement.
Considering the fact that the majority of the nation believes in the existence of a higher power, Baylor University researchers note that this isn’t entirely surprising.
However, another finding associated with those who strongly believe that God has a plan for their lives is, indeed, worth noting. According to a new Baylor study entitled, “The Values and Beliefs of the American Public,” those who believe that God has a plan for their lives tend to be less supportive of government programs. Christianity Today’s Tobin Grant reports:
Those who agreed more strongly were more likely to see financial success as the result of hard work and ability. As a result, they were also least supportive of government programs that help those out of work.
Image Credit: Baylor University, "The Values and Beliefs of the American Public"
In this instance, people are more likely to think that the government is doing too much, as 53 percent of those with strong beliefs in this area were the most likely to believe that the government is overreaching. On the flip side, only one-third of individuals who don’t believe in God see the government as overreaching.
When asking people to agree or disagree with the following statement, “able-bodied people who are out of work shouldn’t receive unemployment checks,” researchers also found that those who strongly believe in God’s plan are more likely to agree. Christianity Today provides more information on the disparity:
Three-quarters of those who do not believe in God’s plan believe that government should provide unemployment aid to those out of work.
Image Credit: Baylor University, "The Values and Beliefs of the American Public"
USA Today’s Cathy Ann Grossman covers some of the study’s other findings, which focus about how peoples’ views on God impacts their thoughts on the economy. One in five Americans hold a combined view that the Lord is actively engaged in daily worldly happenings, while also taking on an economically conservative view. This latter ideal opposes the government getting involved in regulatory processes and sees the free market as what Grossman calls “a matter of faith.”
“They say the invisible hand of the free market is really God at work,” explains sociologist and study co-author Paul Froese. ”They think the economy works because God wants it to work. It’s a new religious economic idealism.” He further explains that some politicians are calling upon God while pushing for less government. Froese continues:
“When Rick Perry or Michele Bachmann say ‘God blesses us, God watches us, God helps us,’ religious conservatives get the shorthand. They see ‘government’ as a profane object — a word that is used to signal working against God’s plan for the United States. To argue against this is to argue with their religion.”
Of course, these weren’t the only subjects covered in the study. Heaven and hell, the tenets of liberalism and conservatism, the religious characteristics of entrepreneurs and the American dream are some of the other subjects that are tackled by Baylor researchers.
(h/t Christianity Today)
Popular Stories
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 586 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 413 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 412 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 375 Comments
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 370 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 412 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 413 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 370 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 151 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 303 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 412 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (74)
joe1234
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 9:07pmthis isn’t a surprise…socialism replaces the real God with government playing god…so government will give you all your needs…so in places like europe christianity declines as people take the easy way out…government doesn’t say no nearly as much as God does…
Report Post »They SMEAR what they FEAR
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 10:18pmThats is the tactic but the truth of the matter is that christianity is on the rise worldwide, even here in the US. But you wouldn’t know it because christianity is under attack and christians are being oppressed. People are getting afraid to stand-up and admit that they are christian. We are the beacon of light, the salt of the earth and we need to stand up, without fear, and bring light and truth to this present darkness.
Report Post »They SMEAR what they FEAR
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 10:26pm@ PUBLIUS Unemployed is a general term: There are pleny of lazy, government nipple sucking sloths that do not deserve to eat because they CHOOSE not to work when they are perfectly capable of doing so. You say the government is the only one big enough to handle the “unemployed”, well you may be right in respect to our current situation and thats only because thats exactly what they want! You drank the kool-aid.
Report Post »Tim Law
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:47pmOur Lord Jesus told us the poor will always be with us and that we should help them and give them a hand up. The government has subverted the Christian Church and given the poor handout’s, made them dependent on them to keep them poor. The progressive’s scream about church and state, but have never said a word about the government stepping on the toe’s of Christians to take over the care of the poor. If they can keep them poor and dependent they care sell them their lei‘s to get their vote’s.
Report Post »But in spite of socialist progressive’s we are still helping the poor, by showing them that they have self worth, we still give them a hand up, we give them food to feed their families, we help them to find work and place to live. We as Christian’s know our duty to our Lord and our brothers and sister across the world and here at home. We care for the poor and broken with the love and mercy of our Lord in our heart’s because we want to, it’s just part of who we are. We have the greatest Teacher that has ever lived. He has been doing this from the day he created us, no one has a longer or better tract record. GOD is Great, he is the Creator and love’s all of his children. He gave us free will, we can love him or deny him but we will never change him. I choose to love him and to love our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen! I will do my best, not too be ashamed when I stand before the Lord on judgement day. I will continue to do the Lord’s work as best I can. May God bless
Thomas
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 1:02amWho would have ever thought that those leaches and thieves who live off of and vote for big government did not know God? Sarcasm.
Report Post »Quixotic-911
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 1:00pmPubliuspencilman I do not agree with your assertion at all.
Report Post »Fuul Aluuf
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 7:39pm@PubliusPencilman – surely you are just being sarcastic, right? There is a huge difference between church-instituted welfare and government welfare… the Church ASKS for our money, the government TAKES it by force. The problem with Liberals is they think that Charity is when they give someone else’s money to the poor… which of course isn’t Charity at all. To say that Jefferson would be pro government welfare because he was pro-Charity is ridiculous.
The second WORST part of government welfare is that it takes away the opportunity and the desire to be Charitable – “its the governments job!” – and then we end up the very result that you cite as a reason for its necessity: the government is the only one left to do the job.
And the absolute WORST part of government welfare is that it leaves the recipient feeling entitled to their benefits & robs them of the opportunity to experience real Charity that they can appreciate and give proper thanks for. That may not seem like a loss, but it is devastating over time & especially over generations.
And yes, I grew up on welfare – and yes, I didn’t always get seconds or desert, but I always had enough to eat, I went to the hospital & got care when I needed it, I always a roof over my head, clothes on my back (mostly hand-downs, boo hoo!), and normally even a TV and a car… just like the vast major other “poor” people in America that are rich by any historical or worldly standard.
Report Post »Gypsy123
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 8:58pmWith a shout and the sound of the trumpet christians will exit and the great tribulation will begin. That is when it will get really bad it is called the RAPTURE.
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 9:28pmI hate to tell you but the calling up to God ( rapture) is at the sound of the seventh trump. Christians do not get to “escape” the comming trouble. Just ask ( if you could ) the thousands by the thousands that are dying for their faith around the would as we write in freedom here.
Report Post »sonseeker
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 10:33pm@truthforall
Report Post »Those who are dying for their faith today are dying at the hands of men, not God. But during the tribulation people will die from The Wrath of God and since we as believers are NOT appointed to wrath, we will not be here for it. God Bless You.
-Mike
vennoye
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:14pmDo you not think GOD can protect us here? God’s wrath is not appointed to his children, but I do know that the Bible says the first ones out of here are NOT going to a good place!!
Matthew 13:30 ‘Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “FIRST gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 9:01amYo Sonseeker: I realize that Gods wrath is poured out or in if you wish, on/ in vessals of wrath and that believers are not appointed to this. God and satan word though the hearts of men. Did not Jesus himself die at the hands of men? Did not God send the Babylonians against Israel? Ask the christians in Joplin if they were spared trouble. This idea that you will escape trouble goes against the entire bible and is bad if not false teaching. I told you when the sound of the trump is, as clearly stated in Gods Word. Please read for yourself and don’t believe all that is taught. Please see the prayer that Jesus himself prays in John 17. He DOES NOT pray that we do/will not have trouble….if Jesus Himself suffered what make’s you better than him. If 10 out of 12 of His disciples died, what make’s you better than them. If I am wrong , GREAT…. if not, are you ready ???…..Blessings
Report Post »IowaWoman
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 1:46pm4truth is correct, If you are planing to escape tribulation, change your plans. Start planing to survive the tribulation. God being the go to guy on how to do this. Good luck and God bless.
Report Post »robinakilt
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 8:29pmGod is Great!
Report Post »StandOnYourTwoFeet
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 8:06pmAt no point in my life I have not believed in God! I pray for those who do not… when he comes those who dont will be weeping on their knees! I have faith… and faith is what cannot be destroyed!
Report Post »grandma7
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:56pmGovernment give-aways = Temptation………..simple deduction.
Report Post »MrButcher
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:50pm…er, um…
there is no plan.
either celestial or human.
you can’t stop what is coming.
Report Post »joe1234
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 9:05pmer um yeah there is….and you’ll bow down to the MAHDI…and get your mark…you’re a good follower….
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 9:32pmIf there is no plan then there is nothing comming, because there is no plan for anything to come.
Report Post »NHABE64
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:35pmI was looking at Obama talking today and I finally realized why he can not ever look in the camera. There are no teleprompters in the cameras. Ha! This White House is doing all he can to destroy our country. He is siding with the Hamas terrorists group and the Palestinians. The Palestinians came from the Philistines that attacked Israel before God put an end to it and let the Jews kick their butts. Obama is a muslim and he has told us so, he has lied to all of us from day one. He and his wife hate America, always have. And yes God does not want Americans to depend on the government but on themselves. This is the other reason he gave us testicles, to stand up like a man and accept our responsbilities as men. Get a f—–g job, support our family, do NOT be a life long moocher and coward. God is behind We the People and especially we good christians because He knows we love and honor Him. Obama is a muslim and as he said himself when it gets bad, he will side with the muslims. Well how about impeaching this imposter in Chief and send him to his desert pals. OMG. Obama Must Go!!!
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:25pmWe were given “free will” for a reason. If everything is predetermined by GOD then there is no point to it all.
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 9:38pmBut God already knows every decision your going to make your entire life. He knew you before the beginning of time, he knows every hair on your head even the one you just lost. He knows the year,day and hour of your appointed death… every word I have spoken is backed up by scripture.
Report Post »Hugie 59 PA
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:05pmBecause I believe that God has a plan for my life does not make me not want to support government programs. How much more to we have to spend on the “War on Poverty” without ny significant success is the question that must be asked? “The poor you will always have with you” is what Jesus said. Being poor in America is not lot being poor any where else. Look at what the so called poor have by way of posessions, i.e. flatscreen tv, cell phones, cars, computers, iPads, etc, etc.
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:26pmWe (people) were given the mandate to care for the needy, widows and orphans….not the government!! My faith does not make me NOT support government spenditures…the government makes me not support government spenditures!!! How much help did the needy get from the shrimp on the treadmills, from the turtle tunnels, from Murtha’s airport that has no traffic, from Mr Byrds highway to nowhere?????? The government is worse than incompetent too many parts of it are corrupt!!
Report Post »Quixotic-911
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 1:17pmI agree. Their is no starving to death in America. The poor in America are obese. The problem is rarely about material poverty anymore, but spiritual poverty. Pride ,envy,sloth and gluttony.
Report Post »PubliusPencilman
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:03pmThat’s funny–I was hoping my fellow Americans were making political decisions based on what is best for the country and its citizens…
But so if God has a plan for those unemployed, then how can they not be unemployed if that‘s God’s plan? Why not help out the unemployed if their plan is crappy through no fault of their own?
Report Post »hi
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 8:23pmWe are to help the poor not the government. Christians have always helped the poor get back on their feet. Whereas government keeps them down for generations.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:00pmActually, the real problem is that because of gov’t programs, people feel less and less the need to help out their fellow human beings because they are already paying for the gov’t to take care of them.
Report Post »SPOT_OF_TEA
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:20pmThats not quite accurate….They can avoid feeling guilty for not helping their fellow man because Government has raised someone else’s taxes to take care of them…And if there isnt enough money to take care of them,the guilt ridden people can vote for other people to pay more….voting to make other people pay more to help their fellow man is the compassionate thing to do.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:43pmAnd they are taking more and more from people … who can donate and support less and less outside of government control .. intentional ??? Yes.
Report Post »MeteoricLimbo
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:58pmmagnetic balance
Report Post »blue_sky
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:35pm.
========================================
RON PAUL called Obama “not a socialist, but a fascist”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTdp7fKMPSE
(warning: no tele-prompter!)
==================================
Report Post »Steve
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:34pmWhat I find most compelling are the words within speeches and letters given by the founders. Let me be perfectly clear to my fellow atheists, agnostics and pagan worshippers. We are not a Christian nation but a country formed by the grace of God through the founders beliefs in the Carpenter Of Nazareth. Even those who were proclaimed diests acknowledge Christianity as the light that was essential to this. TJ and BF quotes are easily accessiable to prove this statement
Why would it be such a surprise that those who formed this country shouldn’t be emulated by those who live in it today. There are those who try desperately to shout out their anti Christian rhetoric. Trying to drown out the passive Christian faith with strawman arguments and smoke and mirror deflection points. . Muslims Nazi Germany and Communists share a common link in their brutal and evil methods in silencing Christianity. Today we have these same groups hidden within the progressive deemocratic movement calling for violence and war. They rant and rave in the forefront screaming of the demise of the very principals that shaped this republic. Do they have a voice to spread their anti religious views?. Sure do! Are they correct? Absolutely not. The hope and change we were told would unite us has simply divided us.
It’s not a matter of faith as much as it is a matter of knowledge of our history and respecting those who have faith in the same beliefs as our founders did.
Report Post »Nobar
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:33pmKey difference between Libs and Cons. Libs believe government is God. Conservatives do not. Study is therefore not surprising.
Report Post »jakartaman
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:32pmI think this study is overreaching!
Report Post »nannyatnannydotgov
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:20pmOf course, you would think that!
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:30pmWho do you trust more? God or Obama? My money’s on God. Therefore it’s not a stretch to say that Christians want less government in their lives because government is unreliable and corrupt. It is the affairs of man, not God. It can‘t run anything on time and on budget and if you’re seen as a liability, you get cut off. One only has to look as some of Obama’s advisors during the Obamacare debacle to understand this. Ezekeil Emanuel (brother of Rahm) advised Obama. He believes the elderly have less value to society than “productive” younger people so therefore, the elderly should be denied money for care. Then look at what Obama has actually done. Cut money from Medicare and moved it to his expansion of Medicaid. He’s proposed more cuts with his recent “revenue” (don’t call it taxes) campaign. This is echoed by other Obama appointees like “Czar of Science” John Holdren and Cass Sunstein so it’s not an isolated case. Statists place the state over man. Christians place God over man. So who do you trust? Ask a Christian if he would deny care to the elderly or the needy. The answer would be no. The question was should an able bodied person receive unemployment checks(lets be clear, this is a long term even generational recipient we’re talking about, not short term)..the logic is an able bodied person should be able to and be motivated to find work, hence no. But ask a Christian if that same person should starve to death. The answer will be no. Cha
Report Post »Git-R-Done
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:22pmIt makes sense since Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the European countries tend to have larger atheist populations than the US and they’re more dependent upon the government than the US is.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:21pm.
Report Post »Can you please hurry up with the Rapture already?………………
They SMEAR what they FEAR
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 10:02amThere’s still work to be done.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:20pmIN GOD WE TRUST … government not so much!
TEA!
Report Post »Git-R-Done
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:19pmThis makes sense since look at Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Western European countries. They‘re less likely to believe in God and they’re more dependent upon the government.
Report Post »grannyjojo
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:17pmTell me something I didn’t already know. Of COURSE, as Christians, we believe the Lord has a hand in EVERYTHING that happens, whether it be the economy, our personal finances, our health, EVERYTHING. I have always believed those tenets. As a matter of fact I always though most all Christians believed that way. I see the hand of God in every aspect of my life and in life in general. I firmly believe that the bad things that are happening now (persecution of Christians more and more, wild weather, the worsening economy and more) are being directed and is predicted in the Bible. I can only pray that more people will turn to the Lord and have their eyes opened. God bless “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess”
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:16pmAtheist and Agnostics are about 10 percent…So the other 17% are just stupid people I guess…
Report Post »W@nd@
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:13pmWell i guess that is why they are targeting Christianity
Report Post »in a full on onslaught to marginalize it!
Only those who have never experienced the the reality of it
think you can discredit it!
4truth2all
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 9:44pmDon’t you find it in the least odd that if this survey is true, how could this nation be in such a mess. If this is indeed true God is/will discipline us for the purpose of turning us back to him. How much will it take ???
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:09pmThat percentage seems very close to the percentage of conservatives vs. progressives. Not surprising.
Report Post »