Americans Were Asked if God Gave the U.S. a Special Role in Human History. Here's the Result.

Despite notions of rising secularism and dwindling faith in the USA, the majority of Americans still see divine intervention at play when it comes to the United States' role in the world, according to a new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute.

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In fact, 62 percent of Americans said they believe that God has given the United States a special role in human history.

Perhaps most significant is that this percentage is unchanged from three years ago, when 62 percent of Americans said the same back in 2012. But when it comes to political perspectives, there are some key differences on this issue that are worth noting.

While eight in 10 conservatives said they believe that God has granted America a special role in history, only 45 percent of liberals agreed. On the flip side, 50 percent of liberals flatly rejected that sentiment.

As for whether America is a Christian nation, only 35 percent said they believe that the nation was Christian in the past and remains so today; 45 percent said they believe that the U.S. was once a Christian country but no longer is.

An additional 14 percent said they believe that the U.S. is not and never was a Christian country.

There are likely a variety of reasons why so many believe that America is no longer a Christian nation, but the survey makes one fact clear: Sixty-one percent of those who said America was once Christian and no longer is see this change as unfavorable, with just 29 percent seeing it as a positive move.

Despite these overall differences on the faith front, 63 percent of Americans said they have never not been proud to call themselves citizens of the United States, with 83 percent believing in the importance of displaying flags, among other patriotic actions, to show their public support for the country.

In that vein, the survey found some intriguing metrics when it comes to American identity, with 69 percent saying that "believing in God is an important component of being a true American," according to the the Public Religion Research Institute.

Fifty-three percent said that being Christian, more specifically, is essential to being a true American.

Additionally, nine in 10 Americans cited speaking the English language as an indicator of truly being an American, with 58 percent saying that being born inside of the country is also important to the American identity.

Public Religion Research Institute

Despite the majority's overwhelming support for the U.S., many Americans worry about the moral example that the country is setting for the rest of the world, with 43 percent of citizens saying that America sets a good example and 53 percent claiming that it does not.

Read the study in its entirety here and let us know what you think. Did God grant America a special role in human history? Take the poll:

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