Majority of Americans Surveyed Believe Heaven and Hell Exist, the Devil and Angels Are Real and God is Not Responsible for Recent U.S. Tragedies

NEW YORK, May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Against a backdrop of horrific crimes and devastating natural disasters, 56% of Americans surveyed believe in the devil, 53% believe in hell and 43% believe in hell as "a place of suffering and punishment where people go after they die," according to a recent poll of 1,218 Americans conducted over Memorial Day Weekend.

The survey also found that Americans don't hold God responsible for these tragedies with 86% believing natural disasters such as the Oklahoma tornado and Hurricane Sandy are a function of nature. 61% believe recent terror and crime episodes, such as the London terrorist attack, the Cleveland kidnapping / imprisonments and the Sandy Hook massacre are caused by "the evil in people's hearts" rather than "divine retribution." An equal amount of respondents (38%) believe that people who commit violent criminal acts go to hell as well as those who don't ask God's forgiveness for their sins before they die. 61.5% of respondents believe they're going to heaven while only 1.5% believe they will go to hell. 

Commissioned by the True Life in God Foundation (TLIG), established by international author / humanitarian Vassula Ryden (author of the bestseller Heaven is Real But So Is Hell; released in March, 2013), the poll was conducted online from May 23-27, 2013 among 1,218 Americans, age 18-60 and older with a margin of error of +/-2.9%. Respondents were equally split (50%) between male and female. 

The new survey shows that while a majority of Americans still believe in hell (54%), the number is declining. A 2008 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life / US Religious Landscape Survey showed that 59% of Americans believed in hell in 2008, and an earlier Pew study reported that 71% believed in hell as of 2001. 

Other key findings in the new survey include:

• 62% believe in heaven and think they are going there.
• 44% believe in hell as "a place of suffering and punishment where some people go after they die;"
• The 56% overall belief in the existence of the devil and 53% belief in hell was consistent across all the four survey age groups;
• With regard to what causes evil in the world, i.e., the Boston Marathon Massacre, Sandy Hook shooting and 9/11, older respondents (45-60) feel people are evil while younger  respondents (18-29) feel people are sick;
• 41% identify the devil as "Satan the fallen angel who rebelled against God and now tempts humans to do the same;"

The True Life in God Foundation conducted the survey to help Americans explore the existence and causes of evil in the world. The Foundation commissioned Survey Monkey, one of the leading polling companies in America, to survey a cross section of Americans from every age group, region, ethnicity, religion, and household income. The survey follows the release of the book, Heaven Is Real But So Is Hell, which hit No. 1 on Barnes & Noble online, as well as #1 in Christian Orthodoxy on Amazon following its March 16, 2013 release. The book details Vassula Ryden's spiritual journey in which she received visions of heaven, hell, demons and angels, and the battle between good and evil in the world. 

Vassula cautions skeptics who scoff at the existence of the devil: "The devil's most powerful tool is convincing us that he – and hell – do not exist. He works subtly and silently, feeding our doubts and inadequacies, sowing dissension and creating chaos and confusion in our lives. Evil is real, and we have to know how to respond to it." Vassula's believes prayer, forgiveness, reconciliation, and service to others are the main tools to overcome the forces of evil.

About True Life In God Foundation:

The True Life in God Foundation, founded by International author / humanitarian Vassula Ryden, is an international non-profit organization that funds 25 Beth Myriam homes serving the poor in six countries.  A Greek Orthodox Christian, Ryden has more than 1 million followers on social media, and has spoken to millions of people in 80 countries, including over 500,000 in the Philippines alone. An internationally-acclaimed advocate for peace and unity, Ryden was twice awarded Bangladesh's Gold Medal Peace Prize for her work in religious tolerance and helping the poor. She has been endorsed by many government and religious leaders, and has met with leaders at the U.N., the World Council of Churches and the Vatican, including Pope Francis I and his two predecessors. Ryden advocates "unity in diversity" between Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians, and reconciliation between all world religions. For more information visit: www.tlig.com.

CONTACT: Frank Tobin, 323-661-3720, or Renee Young, 914-523-5320

SOURCE The True Life in God Foundation