- Introduction
- Patterns
Certainty about going to heaven (Demographic Patterns)
How certain are you that you will get into Heaven?. Results weighted by WEIGHT (Baylor Religion Survey, Wave 2, 2007)
Certainty about going to heaven by Age
| 18-29 years old | 30-44 years old | 45-59 years old | 60-74 years old | 75 years and older | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all certain | 1.1% 3 | 2.2% 11 | 2.9% 13 | 2.6% 7 | 4.9% 6 | 2.5% 40 |
| Not very certain | 4.6% 12 | 2.4% 12 | 5.2% 23 | 6.7% 18 | 4.1% 5 | 4.4% 70 |
| Somewhat certain | 19.2% 50 | 17.0% 86 | 24.0% 107 | 18.0% 48 | 21.3% 26 | 19.8% 317 |
| Quite certain | 13.4% 35 | 16.6% 84 | 14.6% 65 | 19.9% 53 | 13.9% 17 | 15.9% 254 |
| Very certain | 32.6% 85 | 29.5% 149 | 30.3% 135 | 29.2% 78 | 23.0% 28 | 29.7% 475 |
| I don't believe in heaven | 13.0% 34 | 13.5% 68 | 8.8% 39 | 10.1% 27 | 10.7% 13 | 11.3% 181 |
| I don't know | 16.1% 42 | 18.8% 95 | 14.2% 63 | 13.5% 36 | 22.1% 27 | 16.4% 263 |
| Missing | 10 | 5 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 49 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 261 | 100.0% 505 | 100.0% 445 | 100.0% 267 | 100.0% 122 | 1600 |
Certainty about going to heaven by Church attendance
| Never | Less than once a month | Less than once a week | Weekly or more | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all certain | 3.3% 12 | 3.3% 15 | 2.8% 8 | 0.8% 4 | 0 | 2.5% 39 |
| Not very certain | 4.9% 18 | 5.1% 23 | 5.0% 14 | 3.1% 15 | 0 | 4.4% 70 |
| Somewhat certain | 12.6% 46 | 29.4% 133 | 21.7% 61 | 15.2% 73 | 4 | 19.8% 313 |
| Quite certain | 8.7% 32 | 16.3% 74 | 22.8% 64 | 17.1% 82 | 2 | 16.0% 252 |
| Very certain | 11.2% 41 | 15.5% 70 | 32.7% 92 | 55.3% 265 | 6 | 29.6% 468 |
| I don't believe in heaven | 34.7% 127 | 8.6% 39 | 2.5% 7 | 1.0% 5 | 3 | 11.3% 178 |
| I don't know | 24.6% 90 | 21.9% 99 | 12.5% 35 | 7.3% 35 | 4 | 16.4% 259 |
| Missing | 12 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 46 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 366 | 100.0% 453 | 100.0% 281 | 100.0% 479 | 19 | 1579 |
Certainty about going to heaven by Education
| Less than high school | High school graduate | Some college or vocational training | College graduate | Postgraduate work/degree | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all certain | 3.4% 4 | 1.8% 8 | 3.2% 19 | 1.4% 3 | 1.5% 3 | 2 | 2.4% 37 |
| Not very certain | 5.1% 6 | 5.1% 23 | 4.0% 24 | 4.8% 10 | 2.5% 5 | 2 | 4.3% 68 |
| Somewhat certain | 27.1% 32 | 23.8% 107 | 19.3% 115 | 15.9% 33 | 13.1% 26 | 4 | 19.9% 313 |
| Quite certain | 15.3% 18 | 21.3% 96 | 13.1% 78 | 14.0% 29 | 14.6% 29 | 4 | 15.9% 250 |
| Very certain | 21.2% 25 | 27.1% 122 | 34.1% 203 | 30.4% 63 | 26.6% 53 | 8 | 29.7% 466 |
| I don't believe in heaven | 5.1% 6 | 9.1% 41 | 9.4% 56 | 16.9% 35 | 21.6% 43 | 1 | 11.5% 181 |
| I don't know | 22.9% 27 | 11.8% 53 | 16.9% 101 | 16.4% 34 | 20.1% 40 | 8 | 16.2% 255 |
| Missing | 8 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 46 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 118 | 100.0% 450 | 100.0% 596 | 100.0% 207 | 100.0% 199 | 29 | 1570 |
Certainty about going to heaven by Political party
| Democrat | Independent | Republican | Other | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all certain | 2.6% 15 | 3.0% 10 | 1.5% 9 | 11.8% 4 | 3 | 2.4% 38 |
| Not very certain | 5.3% 31 | 3.9% 13 | 3.8% 23 | 5.9% 2 | 1 | 4.4% 69 |
| Somewhat certain | 22.6% 132 | 17.8% 60 | 18.8% 114 | 8.8% 3 | 7 | 19.8% 309 |
| Quite certain | 15.4% 90 | 14.8% 50 | 17.8% 108 | 0.0% 0 | 5 | 15.9% 248 |
| Very certain | 19.0% 111 | 22.8% 77 | 43.4% 264 | 29.4% 10 | 12 | 29.6% 462 |
| I don't believe in heaven | 16.6% 97 | 15.1% 51 | 3.6% 22 | 20.6% 7 | 6 | 11.3% 177 |
| I don't know | 18.4% 107 | 22.6% 76 | 11.2% 68 | 23.5% 8 | 3 | 16.6% 259 |
| Missing | 13 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 47 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 583 | 100.0% 337 | 100.0% 608 | 100.0% 34 | 37 | 1562 |
Certainty about going to heaven by Sex
| Male | Female | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all certain | 3.5% 26 | 1.5% 13 | 2.4% 39 |
| Not very certain | 4.8% 36 | 4.0% 34 | 4.4% 70 |
| Somewhat certain | 19.5% 146 | 20.2% 171 | 19.8% 317 |
| Quite certain | 13.7% 103 | 17.7% 150 | 15.8% 253 |
| Very certain | 25.2% 189 | 33.6% 285 | 29.7% 474 |
| I don't believe in heaven | 14.3% 107 | 8.8% 75 | 11.4% 182 |
| I don't know | 19.1% 143 | 14.2% 120 | 16.5% 263 |
| Missing | 24 | 25 | 49 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 750 | 100.0% 848 | 1598 |
Certainty about going to heaven by Religion
| Protestant | Catholic | Jewish | None | Other | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all certain | 2.4% 22 | 2.9% 10 | 0.0% 0 | 1.2% 2 | 6.3% 6 | 0 | 2.6% 40 |
| Not very certain | 3.2% 29 | 8.3% 28 | 3.3% 1 | 6.4% 11 | 1.1% 1 | 0 | 4.5% 70 |
| Somewhat certain | 19.4% 176 | 30.4% 103 | 13.3% 4 | 6.4% 11 | 14.7% 14 | 9 | 19.9% 308 |
| Quite certain | 17.3% 157 | 20.1% 68 | 3.3% 1 | 2.3% 4 | 20.0% 19 | 5 | 16.1% 249 |
| Very certain | 42.3% 384 | 15.0% 51 | 3.3% 1 | 3.5% 6 | 20.0% 19 | 13 | 29.8% 461 |
| I don't believe in heaven | 3.1% 28 | 4.7% 16 | 46.7% 14 | 57.2% 99 | 17.9% 17 | 9 | 11.3% 174 |
| I don't know | 12.3% 112 | 18.6% 63 | 30.0% 9 | 23.1% 40 | 20.0% 19 | 18 | 15.7% 243 |
| Missing | 23 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 46 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 908 | 100.0% 339 | 100.0% 30 | 100.0% 173 | 100.0% 95 | 54 | 1545 |
Notes
The Baylor Department of Sociology received a three-year grant from the John M. Templeton Foundation, to conduct a nationally representative multi-year study of religious values, practices, and behaviors. Wave 2 of the Baylor Religion Survey was collected in 2007 and includes a deep selection of questions related to religious behaviors, beliefs and belonging. Special topic modules examine race and religion, and personality.
