90% in U.S. believe in a higher power, half accept God as portrayed in the Bible

Fewer people belong to traditional religious denominations in the United States, but the vast majority of Americans still believe in God, according to a new study.

Just how people view God, though, might be surprising.

The Pew Research Center study found that roughly 90 percent of American adults believe in God or a “higher power of some kind.”

But just over half of those surveyed say they believe in God as portrayed in the Bible.

A third reported believing “in some other higher power” or “spiritual force.”

Yet some of the people who described themselves as non-believers were among those saying they believe in some kind of higher power.

The same study found that nearly half of the adults surveyed “believe God determines what happens to them most or all of the time.

“Eight in 10 U.S. adults think God or a higher power has protected them, and two-thirds say they have been rewarded by the Almighty.”

The Religion Roundup is also featured on WBBM Newsradio (780 AM and 105.9 FM) on Sundays at 6:22 a.m., 9:22 a.m. and 9:22 p.m. For more religion coverage, check out suntimes.com. Email tips and comments to Robert Herguth at rherguth@suntimes.com.