A large swath of Americans across the religious spectrum believe they are living in the last days of humanity, a new study has shown.
Nearly two in five Americans, including Christians and those not affiliated with any religion, responded in the affirmative when asked if they believed “we are living in the end times,” according to a Pew research study published last month.
The study addressed Americans’ views on land, the environment, and climate change, but a specific part was directed at respondents about their views on the end of the world.
At 58%, the majority of those surveyed did not believe they were living in the end times, but about four in 10, or 39%, said they believed they were.
CHRISTIANITY FASTLY DECREASING IN US, ON PASS TO BECOME A MINORITY RELIGION: STUDY
Nearly two in five Americans, including Christians and those not affiliated with any religion, said they believe “we are living in the end times.”
(Romolo Tavani via Getty Images)
The majority of those who believe the end is near were self-proclaimed Christians, 47% of whom believe they are living in the last days. The study further disaggregated the statistics to determine that 14% of such Christians believe that the end of the world will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ and that world conditions will only get worse until then.
Black Protestants (76%) and Evangelicals (63%) were the most likely to believe they are living in the end times.
HERE IS WHY CHRISTIAN ACADEMICS WHO STUDY THE END TIMES SAY THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD
Mainstream Protestants (31%) and Roman Catholics (27%) were least likely to say they are living in the last days.
Cycle of Frescoes of the Last Judgment by Federico Zuccaro and Giorgio Vasari in the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. Historically, Christians have differed on the details of how the world will end.
Historically, Christians have differed on the details of how the world will end, with some believing that many end-time prophecies in the Bible were fulfilled during the first century, while others believe that many have yet to be fulfilled. According to the Apostles’ Creed, which is Christianity’s oldest historical statement of faith, all Christians believe that Jesus “will come to judge the quick and the dead.”
Among those who adhere to a non-Christian religion, nearly three in 10 (29%) said they believe the world is ending. A quarter of American adults overall said they believe they are living in the end of the world, but don’t have such specific views on how it will happen, according to the study.
A solid majority of those surveyed believe that humans have a duty to care for the Earth.
(Reuters/Mathew Childs/File)
Among the study’s other findings, those who believe humanity is in its last days are less likely than their counterparts to say climate change is an extremely or very serious problem (51% vs. 62%).
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The study also found that “the majority of American adults, including a strong majority of Christians and a large number of people who identify with other religious traditions, consider the Earth sacred and believe that God gave humans the duty to to care for her,” the researchers said.
