We may never know why bad things happen to good people, but most Americans””except evangelicals””reject the idea that natural disasters are divine punishment, a test of faith or some other sign from God.
The poll released Thursday (March 24), by Public Religion Research Institute in partnership with Religion News Service, was conducted a week after a March 11 earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan.
Nearly six in 10 evangelicals believe God can use natural disasters to send messages””nearly twice the number of Catholics (31 percent) or mainline Protestants (34 percent). Evangelicals (53 percent) are also more than twice as likely as the one in five Catholics or mainline Protestants to believe God punishes nations for the sins of some citizens.
I’d venture most don’t thank God for their blessings, either.