End Time Beliefs: A Tyndale House sponsored Barna Group poll indicates 40% of Americans believe the world will end in supernatural intervention, 50% aren’t convinced that the physical world will end and another 10% aren’t sure. Of the respondents who believe the world will end, 38% gave a religious-based reason as the end-time cause, mentioning God would play a key role. 25% of those polled said environmental disaster would cause the end to come, and 18% believe war will destroy the world. About 55% of Catholics and 69% of mainline Protestants who responded said they believe it’s very likely Jesus will physically return to earth during the last days. About 75% of non-mainline churchgoers, 88% of evangelicals, and 77% of “born-again” Christians agreed. 48% of all respondents believe the Middle East will be heavily involved in end-time events. 61% of those who believe in an end-time also believe they will go to heaven during the end time. Born-again Christians are nearly twice as likely as non-Christians to believe they would go to heaven if the end-time came tomorrow (77% to 43%). 87% of evangelical Christians are confident they would go to heaven. (CBA Online 10/16/01)
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