A new Canadian study sheds light on why: the vast majority of Americans believe God is directly concerned with their personal affairs, with most assuming a divine reason for everything from job promotions to speeding tickets.
“In American culture — much less so in Canada — there’s a really constant flow of God-talk that references these small, personal interactions. It’s almost like a self-absorbed view of divine will,” says study author Scott Schieman, a professor of sociology at the University of Toronto.
“The extent that it’s so visible, almost saturating the culture at times, makes me think it’s not just metaphor or symbolism; many, many people believe these processes are real.”
Eight in 10 Americans say they depend on God for decision-making guidance.
Seven in 10 believe that when good or bad things happen, the occurrences are part of God’s plan.
And six in 10 believe God has set the course of their lives.
The study, published in the March issue of the journal Sociology of Religion, is generating considerable buzz online — much of it linked to Schieman’s finding that a third of Americans agree with the rather defeatist statement: “There’s no sense in planning a lot because ultimately my fate is in God’s hands.”
“There’s no sense in planning a lot because ultimately my fate is in God’s hands.”
Except that God helps those who help themselves.