Poll Reveals Israelis Believe in Angels, Ghosts

Global adherence to religion measured by international poll. Poll director: Only in Israel religious belief lessens with age

28 March 2008

by Eldad Beck

A poll studying religion on an international level unearthed some interesting numbers regarding Israeli belief in religion and God. 38% of the population was found to believe in a higher power, 16% asserted a belief in ghosts and spirits, and 45% were found to believe in angels.

The poll was conducted by the German Bertelsmann Foundation. It determines that the population calling itself 'extremely religious' in Israel is composed mostly of young people, between the ages of 18-29.

According to the poll, 39% of the citizens of Israel between the ages of 18-29 view themselves as being 'extremely religious', while 47% of those belonging to this age group have a 'religious outlook', and only 13% are not religious at all.

The percentages displaying religious affiliation drop as the age rises. Of the Israeli citizens between the ages of 30-39, 35% deem themselves 'extremely religious', and among those aged 50-59 only 26% answer to this term.

According to Dr. Martin Jaeger who directed the survey, where religion is concerned Israel diverges from the norm. In the other 18 countries in which the poll was conducted, religious affiliation was shown to rise with age.

"Only in Israel, the younger you are the more conservative you are. Since the age group in question is the largest existing in the country, it would be interesting to see if Israel becomes more religious in the next few years," Jaeger remarked.

Regarding the Israeli population's belief in a higher power, the poll determined that 28% of the general population feels shame towards God, while 34% do not. 47% relate to God, while 23% do not relate to Him at all. 17% of Israelis feel anger towards God, while 64% do not feel any anger towards Him.

God makes 52% of the general population happy, and gives 58% hope. Perhaps this is the reason that 57% of Israelis do not believe that the end of the world is imminent.