A new opinion poll from YouGov has compared the US and Great Britain on a number of issues. It covers politics, social issues, troops in Iraq and Afganistan, free trade, globalisation, religion, immigration, the economy, etc etc.
Interestingly, the most marked difference between the two nations is in relation to belief in God.
I have copied a few excerpts here, but the full survey can be read at
http://www.yougov.com/uk/archives/pdf/UK%20US%20topline%20comparison.pdf
Do you believe there is a God?
Yes I do - UK 39% USA 80%
No I Don't - UK 36% USA 9%
Not sure - UK25% USA 11%
Do you believe that there is a Hell where sinners who do not repent their sins go when they die?
Yes I do - UK 16% USA 54%
No I don’t - UK 57% USA 27%
Not sure - UK
27% USA 19%How would you feel if the Prime Minister / President were an atheist?
I would be delighted - UK
11% USA 6%
I wouldn’t mind - UK
63% USA 28%
I would be sorry - UK
14% USA 31%
I would be angry - UK
2% USA 21%
Don’t know - UK
10% USA 14%
Which do you think is more likely to be the correct explanation for the origin of life on earth?
The theory of evolution - UK
63% USA 30%The account of creation as told in the Bible - UK
10% USA 40%“Intelligent design” – evolution has happened but by intelligent design - UK
13% USA 19%Not sure - UK 15% USA 11%
Do you regard sex between unmarried people as a sin or not?
Yes it is a sin - UK
5% USA 33%No it is not a sin but it is not generally desirable - UK
22% USA 29%No it is perfectly acceptable behaviour - UK
71% USA 34%Don’t know - UK
2% USA 4%Do you regard homosexuality as a sin or not?
Yes it is a sin - UK
13% USA 40%No it is not a sin but it is not generally desirable - UK
37% USA 27%No it is perfectly acceptable behaviour - UK 46% USA 26%
Don’t know - UK
4% USA 7%(I have added this one as I just read a thread on this topic.)
On the subject of climate change do you think…
The world is becoming warmer as a result of human activity - UK
55% USA 49%The world is becoming warmer but NOT because of human activity - UK 25% USA 19%
The world is NOT becoming warmer - UK
7% USA 18%Not sure - UK
13% USA 14%Although UK and USA contributors to JWD are probably not a completely representative sample of their respective nations, I have noticed some definite trends on this board showing opinions drawn along national lines . Makes for more interesting discussions!
On a tangent, and national trends aside, the fact that ex JWs have such a wide range of opinions as seen on JWD proves that the Governing Body does not succeed in permanently re-wiring brains and creating all members into drones (or are they trying to create members in their Own image?). Once out of the cult, the previously supressed opinions of ex members are as diverse as the rest of society. A fact to celebrate!