In a year where there is a political electricity surging everywhere you turn, I couldn’t hold back from this post. Just statistics is all…
“Republicans are significantly less interested in the paranormal than Democrats and Independents. The typical Republican believes in fewer than two of the paranormal subjects we asked about on our survey (ghosts, fortune-telling, Atlantis/ancient, advanced civilizations, telekinesis, psychic powers, astrology, UFOs, haunted houses, and monsters). Democrats and Independents believe in two of these subjects, on average. A similar relationship holds for paranormal experiences. Republicans are the least likely to have a paranormal experience, and self-described Independents are the most likely.” (Statistics from the Baylor Religion Survey, 2005)
Source: Bader, C., Mencken, F, & Baker, J. (2010). Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture. New York & London: New York University Press.
February 29th, 2012 at 8:55 pm
That’s a telling portrayal of how people think. It actually correlates exactly how I’d expect it to.
February 29th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Same here. It also gets really interesting when they compare religious groups and denominations.
February 29th, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Ha I bet!
February 29th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
I agree with Ash. I would have expected the same. Asking myself why I would expect that outcome, I come to my belief that Democrats and Independents may be more open to expanding their base of information, rather than defending set beliefs.
March 1st, 2012 at 6:36 am
I also think politics are pretty similar to religion – you are whatever you’re parents taught you to be. Some people eventually start thinking for themselves, others don’t.