We lie about going to church (and God knows!)

USA Today has an article today, reporting that people in the US fib the most in the world about their church attendance when asked in surveys. How often do you go to church? How often do you say you go? Do you think it matters?

God knows, we lie about going to church
From USAToday

Did you attend a worship service last weekend? Really?
God knows if you're telling the truth -- and so, in a way, does Philip Brenner, University of Michigan research fellow with the Institute for Social Research.

Brenner plowed through 400 surveys and time diaries across four decades with three quarters of a million respondents in 13 nations to find that Americans exaggerate their church attendance more than anyone else.

About 23% of Americans actually do attend church "regularly" (two or three times a month or more) according to time diaries (in which people account for 24 hours of recent activity). But 35% to 45% say they attend regularly when asked on surveys.


Comments (1)

Pretty much every Sunday (lay person here) . . . but I have noticed I tend to have a lower illness-threshold for church, than for other activities! ;-/ [Rationalized ala "Throat tickle? Don't wanna infect all of St Swithin's now, do I?"]

JC Fisher

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