Beliefs About Jesus

• Introduction
• Patterns

Beliefs About Jesus (Demographic Patterns)

Which one statement comes closest to your personal beliefs about Jesus?

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Beliefs About Jesus by Gender (Baylor Religion Survey, 2005)

	Male	Female	TOTAL
Jesus is a fictional character	1.2% 9	0.8% 8	1.0% 17
Jesus probably existed, but he was not special	4.7% 34	2.3% 22	3.3% 56
Jesus was extraordinary person/wasn't messenger of God	11.0% 80	5.7% 55	8.0% 135
Jesus was one of many messengers or prophets of God	12.7% 93	11.9% 114	12.2% 207
Jesus is the son of God	65.2% 476	75.2% 722	70.9% 1198
I have no opinion	5.2% 38	4.1% 39	4.6% 77
Missing	15	16	31
TOTAL	100% 730	100% 960	1690

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Beliefs About Jesus by Race (Baylor Religion Survey, 2005)

	White	Black	Other	Missing	TOTAL
Jesus is a fictional character	1.1% 16	0.0% 0	1.0% 1	0	1.0% 17
Jesus probably existed, but he was not special	3.0% 45	1.5% 1	9.0% 9	1	3.3% 55
Jesus was extraordinary person/wasn't messenger of God	8.1% 121	1.5% 1	9.0% 9	4	7.9% 131
Jesus was one of many messengers or prophets of God	12.1% 179	15.2% 10	14.0% 14	4	12.3% 203
Jesus is the son of God	71.0% 1055	80.3% 53	61.0% 61	29	70.8% 1169
I have no opinion	4.6% 69	1.5% 1	6.0% 6	1	4.6% 76
Missing	23	0	3	5	31
TOTAL	100% 1485	100% 66	100% 100	44	1651

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Beliefs About Jesus by Religion (Baylor Religion Survey, 2005)

	Protestant	Catholic	Other	None	Missing	TOTAL
Jesus is a fictional character	0.1% 1	0.3% 1	6.7% 15	0.0% 0	0	1.0% 17
Jesus probably existed, but he was not special	0.6% 6	0.5% 2	20.5% 46	1.2% 1	1	3.3% 55
Jesus was extraordinary person/wasn't messenger of God	2.3% 22	4.3% 16	35.3% 79	12.8% 11	7	7.7% 128
Jesus was one of many messengers or prophets of God	10.3% 101	8.8% 33	14.7% 33	41.9% 36	4	12.2% 203
Jesus is the son of God	84.7% 827	82.9% 310	7.1% 16	41.9% 36	9	71.6% 1189
I have no opinion	1.9% 19	3.2% 12	15.6% 35	2.3% 2	9	4.1% 68
Missing	14	6	7	0	4	31
TOTAL	100% 976	100% 374	100% 224	100% 86	34	1660

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Beliefs About Jesus by Age (Baylor Religion Survey, 2005)

	18-30	31-44	45-64	65+	Missing	TOTAL
Jesus is a fictional character	3.1% 4	1.6% 6	0.8% 6	0.2% 1	0	1.0% 17
Jesus probably existed, but he was not special	3.9% 5	4.3% 16	2.6% 19	3.7% 16	0	3.3% 56
Jesus was extraordinary person/wasn't messenger of God	10.9% 14	9.4% 35	8.8% 65	4.6% 20	1	8.0% 134
Jesus was one of many messengers or prophets of God	12.4% 16	11.0% 41	13.1% 97	12.1% 52	1	12.3% 206
Jesus is the son of God	63.6% 82	69.2% 258	70.1% 519	75.4% 325	14	70.8% 1184
I have no opinion	6.2% 8	4.6% 17	4.6% 34	3.9% 17	1	4.5% 76
Missing	2	6	9	11	3	31
TOTAL	100% 129	100% 373	100% 740	100% 431	20	1673

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Beliefs About Jesus by Church attendance (Baylor Religion Survey, 2005)

	Never	< 1 Month	< 1 a Week	Weekly +	Missing	TOTAL
Jesus is a fictional character	4.2% 15	0.4% 2	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0	1.0% 17
Jesus probably existed, but he was not special	11.5% 41	2.0% 9	0.9% 3	0.6% 3	0	3.4% 56
Jesus was extraordinary person/wasn't messenger of God	24.2% 86	8.1% 37	1.8% 6	0.4% 2	4	7.8% 131
Jesus was one of many messengers or prophets of God	15.2% 54	21.6% 99	11.0% 36	3.0% 16	2	12.3% 205
Jesus is the son of God	31.3% 111	63.5% 291	84.1% 275	95.9% 509	12	71.0% 1186
I have no opinion	13.5% 48	4.4% 20	2.1% 7	0.2% 1	1	4.5% 76
Missing	3	16	2	7	3	31
TOTAL	100% 355	100% 458	100% 327	100% 531	22	1671

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Beliefs About Jesus by Preference in 2004 Election (Baylor Religion Survey, 2005)

	Bush	Kerry	Other	Missing	TOTAL
Jesus is a fictional character	0.6% 5	1.5% 10	1.1% 2	0	1.0% 17
Jesus probably existed, but he was not special	0.9% 7	6.4% 43	3.2% 6	0	3.3% 56
Jesus was extraordinary person/wasn't messenger of God	2.8% 23	12.9% 86	13.2% 25	1	8.0% 134
Jesus was one of many messengers or prophets of God	5.8% 47	19.9% 133	13.2% 25	2	12.2% 205
Jesus is the son of God	86.9% 710	53.3% 356	63.7% 121	11	70.9% 1187
I have no opinion	3.1% 25	6.0% 40	5.8% 11	1	4.5% 76
Missing	14	11	2	4	31
TOTAL	100% 817	100% 668	100% 190	19	1675

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Beliefs About Jesus by Education (Baylor Religion Survey, 2005)

	< HIGH SCH	HS GRAD	SOME COLL.	JR COLL.	BA DEGREE	GRAD DEGRE	Missing	TOTAL
Jesus is a fictional character	1.6% 1	1.2% 3	1.7% 7	0.7% 1	0.7% 3	0.5% 2	0	1.0% 17
Jesus probably existed, but he was not special	0.0% 0	1.6% 4	3.5% 14	2.2% 3	2.4% 10	6.0% 24	1	3.3% 55
Jesus was extraordinary person/wasn't messenger of God	3.2% 2	3.2% 8	5.2% 21	5.8% 8	10.7% 44	12.4% 50	2	8.0% 133
Jesus was one of many messengers or prophets of God	1.6% 1	4.8% 12	10.0% 40	12.4% 17	13.1% 54	20.1% 81	2	12.3% 205
Jesus is the son of God	91.9% 57	85.2% 213	73.8% 296	71.5% 98	69.4% 286	56.6% 228	20	70.8% 1178
I have no opinion	1.6% 1	4.0% 10	5.7% 23	7.3% 10	3.6% 15	4.5% 18	0	4.6% 77
Missing	0	7	9	3	3	3	6	31
TOTAL	100% 62	100% 250	100% 401	100% 137	100% 412	100% 403	31	1665

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Beliefs About Jesus by Marital status (Baylor Religion Survey, 2005)

	Married	Cohab	Widowed	Div/Sep	Never Marr	Missing	TOTAL
Jesus is a fictional character	1.0% 10	0.0% 0	0.7% 1	1.3% 3	1.6% 3	0	1.0% 17
Jesus probably existed, but he was not special	2.7% 28	5.1% 3	2.7% 4	4.2% 10	5.3% 10	1	3.3% 55
Jesus was extraordinary person/wasn't messenger of God	7.0% 72	10.2% 6	3.4% 5	9.2% 22	14.7% 28	2	8.0% 133
Jesus was one of many messengers or prophets of God	11.0% 113	22.0% 13	8.1% 12	14.6% 35	16.8% 32	2	12.3% 205
Jesus is the son of God	74.6% 766	52.5% 31	77.9% 116	65.0% 156	57.4% 109	20	70.8% 1178
I have no opinion	3.7% 38	10.2% 6	7.4% 11	5.8% 14	4.2% 8	0	4.6% 77
Missing	16	2	4	2	2	5	31
TOTAL	100% 1027	100% 59	100% 149	100% 240	100% 190	30	1665

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Beliefs About Jesus by Household income (Baylor Religion Survey, 2005)

	< 20000	20k-35k	35k-50k	50k-100k	100k +	Missing	TOTAL
Jesus is a fictional character	0.5% 1	0.9% 2	1.7% 5	0.7% 4	1.2% 4	1	1.0% 16
Jesus probably existed, but he was not special	4.1% 8	1.8% 4	2.7% 8	3.1% 17	5.2% 17	2	3.4% 54
Jesus was extraordinary person/wasn't messenger of God	3.6% 7	6.1% 14	7.8% 23	8.6% 47	11.6% 38	6	8.1% 129
Jesus was one of many messengers or prophets of God	9.7% 19	11.8% 27	12.6% 37	12.1% 66	14.6% 48	10	12.4% 197
Jesus is the son of God	79.0% 154	75.0% 171	70.6% 207	70.6% 385	62.8% 206	75	70.7% 1123
I have no opinion	3.1% 6	4.4% 10	4.4% 13	4.8% 26	4.6% 15	7	4.4% 70
Missing	2	4	9	4	3	9	31
TOTAL	100% 195	100% 228	100% 293	100% 545	100% 328	110	1589

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Notes

Baylor Religion Survey, 2005: The Baylor Religion Survey (BRS) is national population survey of religious characteristics, orientations, and attitudes modeled after the General Social Survey. The 2005 BRS data includes 1,721 responses collected by the Gallup Organization. A third of the survey is dedicated solely to religion items; focusing on affiliation, identity, belief, experience, and commitment. Two-thirds of the survey is dedicated to topical modules which will be rotated in subsequent administrations. The 2005 survey includes modules on moral and political attitudes, the consumption of religious goods, the paranormal and civic engagement.