Most Americans believe in God, but they don't always follow God's instruction on how to live their lives, according to a new survey that found 76 percent of respondents are true believers.
The survey of 764 adults by YouGov.com, taken Oct. 17-18, also found that 38 percent of respondents said they had taken some kind of action because God told them to.
The survey showed that Republicans — about 42 percent of those polled — were more likely to follow God's instructions, but only slightly more than Democrats, 40 percent of whom told researchers they responded when God called them to action.
Breaking down the respondents by faith, the survey found that evangelical Christians — about 65 percent — were the most willing to follow God's orders.
It also revealed that about 44 percent of Southerners believe that God has told them to do something, compared to 41 percent of respondents in the West, 32 percent in the Midwest, and 30 percent in the Northeast.
But even though more than three-quarters of respondents said they believe in God, only about 31 percent said God has complete control over the weather and natural disasters; 17 percent said God has no control over those matters.
In 2011, a poll by Public Religion Research Institute found 38 percent of Americans though
God used natural disasters to dispense judgment.
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