Unlike Christians, most Jewish adults don’t view God as seen in Bible: survey

There’s always been diversity of views within individual religions. Now, a new survey sheds light on some of the breadth of viewpoints among people of the same faiths and belief systems.

About 80 percent of American adults surveyed who identified themselves as Christian for the Pew Research Center study said they believe in God as portrayed in the Bible. Eighteen percent said they don’t but believe in some “other” kind of “higher power” or “spiritual force,” and 1 percent of Christians said they don’t believe in any higher power.

About 33 percent of Jewish adults surveyed said they believe in God as “described” in the Bible. Fifty-six percent said they believe in another kind of “higher power” or “spiritual force.”

Among those surveyed who belong to no particular faith, 17 percent reported believing in the God of the Bible, 53 percent said they have an alternative view on a higher power and 27 percent don’t believe in either.

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