More than eight in ten adults in the world say religion is an important part of their daily lives, according to Gallup surveys conducted last year in 114 countries.
Indonesian Christians pray during a protest against rising violence by Islamic hard-liners in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010. Several hundred people from the Forum for Religious Freedom Solidarity held a rally, protesting what they said was the government's inaction in dealing with the hard-liners.
And, as past surveys have found, there remains a strong correlation between a country's socioeconomic status and the religiosity of its residents.
In the world's poorest countries - those with average per-capita incomes of $2,000 or less - the median proportion who say religion is important in their daily lives is 95 percent, reported Gallup on Tuesday.
In contrast, the median for the richest countries - those with average per-capita incomes over $25,000 - is 47 percent.
"Social scientists have put forth numerous possible explanations for the relationship between the religiosity of a population and its average income level," noted Gallup editor Steve Crabtree.
"One theory is that religion plays a more functional role in the world's poorest countries, helping many residents cope with a daily struggle to provide for themselves and their families. A previous Gallup analysis supports this idea," he added.
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SOURCE: Christian Post - Aaron J. Leichman
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