Nearly a quarter of American adults report having witnessed a “miraculous, physical healing,” and, perhaps more surprisingly, 16% say they have actually experienced such a miracle themselves.
Researchers from Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion released these survey results in a standing-room-only press conference in Washington, D.C., on September 18.
The pool of 1,721 respondents from across the United States said they had been touched by the divine in other ways as well. More than half (55%) said they had personally been protected from harm by a guardian angel, and 20% reported hearing the voice of God speaking to them.
“Religious and mystical experiences are an overlooked aspect of our national religious life, neglected by researchers and ignored or even denied by leading theologians and seminary professors,” writes religion professor Rodney Stark in What Americans Really Believe, the book that analyzes the survey’s findings.
I took up Stark’s challenge and asked Christopher Bader, one of the researchers, to tell me a little bit about the people behind these statistics.
For one thing, Bader explained, more women than men (18% compared to 13%) report having had a miraculous healing, and nonwhites are more than twice as likely as whites to report the same. Education and income levels also enter into it: Basically, the more education you have, and the more money you earn, the less likely you are to report a miraculous healing.
That said, although half of those who say they have been miraculously healed had only an eighth-grade education, 1 in 10 had postgraduate degrees. In other words, belief in these experiences touches people from all walks of life.
Next page: The church you belong to plays a role
Comments (2)
one of ten children in my family, we have one sister that can be prayed up and powered up as we call it then pray with her hands on people and heal them. I SUFFERED WITH LOW BACK PAIN FROM HAVING MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER THIRTY YEARS AGO, MY SISTER PLACED HER HAND ON MY BACK AND PRAYED THAT JESUS WOULD HEAL MY BACK, ONLY ONCE SINCE I FELT A HEAT FROM HER HAND HAVE I FELT PAIN IN MY BACK. JESUS NOT ONLY GIVES PEOPLE THE POWER TO HEAL HE GIVES WHAT CHRISTIANS CALL GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT, ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE IN JESUS. SOME OF THOSE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT ARE DIFFERENT, MOST ARE TO ENLIGHTEN THE CHURCH FAMILY. MY GIFT IS INSIGHT, UNLESS I’M WALKING THE WALK OF A CHRISTIAN I WILL LOSE THE ABILITY TO HEAR JESUS SPEAK TO ME, THROUGH MY HEART AND MIND. MOST OF MY VISIONS ARE LIKE WATCHING A SHORT MOVIE. BELIEVE AND YOU TO WILL RECEIVE A GIFT FROM GOD.
I Do believe in physical healing, it’s called a miracle and only comes from God.
I have had many health issues in my life and only by the grace of God I’m still alive and well. when many doctors have only given me bad to worst news. I have believed in God’s Word and I believe he has honored His Word in my life! I will always praise Him for who He is!!!