Reasons to believe
For those who participated in a national study carried out in 2001, reasons for religious beliefs are the following (to a great extent):
– believing in God (81,08%)
– respect for the traditions of the family and of the people (71,35%)
– tranquillity and spiritual peace (70,59%)
– education (66,25%)
– the need for protection and security (66,02%)
– the desire to preserve a pure soul (64,45%)
– the desire for redemption (63,71%)
– "it makes me a more honest, decent and moral person” (59,31%)
– religious practices (58,73%)
– "I experience special feelings in church” (55,21%)
– habit (33,29%)
– encouragement from relatives (24,39%)
Study results chart: “I believe because…”
| To a great extent (%) | Probably(%) | Not at all (%) | No answer (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I am sure that God exists | 81,08 | 13,09 | 2,50 | 3,33 |
| I want my soul to be redeemed | 63,71 | 22,73 | 6,12 | 7,45 |
| I experience special feelings in church | 55,21 | 25,01 | 10,88 | 8,90 |
| It makes me a more honest, decent and moral person | 59,31 | 25,01 | 7,31 | 8,38 |
| I want to keep my soul pure | 64,45 | 20,59 | 6,09 | 8,88 |
| It makes me feel more protected, like I am safe | 66,02 | 18,40 | 7,33 | 8,28 |
| Believing gives me tranquillity and spiritual peace | 70,59 | 17,13 | 5,64 | 6,64 |
| The religious practices are appealing (beautiful) | 58,73 | 22,80 | 8,83 | 9,64 |
| I respect the traditions of the family and the people | 71,35 | 15,23 | 6,52 | 6,90 |
| I was educated this way | 66,25 | 17,49 | 9,14 | 7,12 |
| It’s a habit | 33,29 | 25,11 | 25,68 | 15,92 |
| My relatives encourage me to | 24,39 | 20,06 | 38,46 | 17,09 |
National Survey “The Religiosity of the Romanian population in 2001”, Ministry of Religions, Department of Socioreligious Research, Constantin CUCIUC, Laurentiu TANASE (Dir.) Unpublished information.
2 October 2012 Manuela Gheorghe
