Many German ‘Christians’ don’t believe in God – Poll

Many people in Germany who see themselves as Christians do not actually believe in God, according to a survey by pollsters Kantar Public commissioned by the Spiegel news magazine.

In 2005, 85 per cent of Catholics said that they believe in God, but that number had fallen to 75 per cent in the Spiegel survey published on Good Friday. The figure for Protestants has fallen from 79 to 67 per cent.

Overall, only about 55 per cent of people in Germany believe there is “one God,” whereas in 2005 it was 66 per cent.

There was scepticism about other faith issues as well: For example, only 58 per cent of Protestants and 61 per cent of Catholics believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The figure is particularly surprising as this weekend Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday after his crucifixion and death on Good Friday. Belief in the resurrection is considered a central tenet of the Christian faith.

Kantar Public carried out the survey between March 12 and 14 and asked 1,003 people questions like “Do you believe in a God?” And “Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead?”

Source: dpa