Most Think God Is the Same in All Religions : Beliefs: A majority in a U.S. survey also say that there is no such thing as absolute truth.

Most Americans think there is no such thing as absolute truth and believe that people of different religions all worship the same God, a new survey says.

George Barna, whose Barna Research Group of Glendale conducted the survey, has produced a book from it called “What Americans Believe.” His findings show that we are interested in religion. However, “if there is a revival going on,” it “must be viewed as a religious revival, not a Christian revival.”

Barna, a marketing research professional who has done work for Billy Graham and Pat Robertson, says a “massive realignment of thinking is taking place in which people are transferring many elements formerly deemed ‘necessary’ into the realm of the ‘optional,’ ” such as Bible reading, prayer and involvement in church.

While most people say religion is important to them, they’re increasingly likely “to feel that being part of a local church is not a necessity,” a summary of the findings says. “Traditional Christian beliefs are eroding, too.”

For instance, the report says, 82% of adults think that “God helps those who help themselves,” and 56% mistakenly think the idea comes directly from the Bible.

Actually, the saying is attributed to Benjamin Franklin. The report says it runs counter to Christian teaching that people cannot attain wholeness by their own deeds, but only through God’s forgiveness of their failings.

However, the self-sufficiency streak also shows up in another finding--that 82% of adults think that “every person has the power to determine his or her own destiny in life.”

This is “one of the guiding principles of the New Age movement,” the report notes, adding that many Christians have “unwittingly embraced” perspectives of popularized non-Christian religions.

In a similarly amalgamating way, 65% of Americans say Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists all “pray to the same God,” although called by different names.

“We seem intent upon making the God of Israel a generic god,” the report says. “Two out of three adults believe that it doesn’t matter what god or higher power you pray to, because that universal force will respond regardless.

“We are operating in a world in which people’s gods are impersonal forces. You cannot have an intimate, personal relationship with these gods.”

Also, 62% concur that “there is no such thing as absolute truth,” and that “different people can define truth in conflicting ways that will still be correct.” That figure rises to 74% for those 18 to 25 years old.

The survey involved telephone interviews with a representative 1,005 U.S. adults on about 60 different questions covering a broad range of topics. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Besides religion and values, the survey included questions on work, money, health, desires and expectations for the future. Respondents were classified by age, race, region, education and other factors.

The results found that most people--63%--think the “purpose of life is enjoyment and personal fulfillment,” which contrasts with the biblical vision of serving others and the ultimate purposes of God.

“In line with the secularization of the nation,” the report says, “Americans typically view life as a temporary effort to obtain all the satisfaction and pleasure possible during their tenure on this planet.”

In a similar vein, 63% agree that “when it comes right down to it, your first responsibility is to yourself.”

The report says that “over the last 25 years we have consistently built a mind-set which allows us to view each person as responsible only to himself” rather than to others.

Noting that 83% say “people are basically good,” the report says this ignores basic biblical insight into the prevalence of human weakness and sin, which Christianity sees as being overcome by Christ.

Only 24% agreed that “you can usually tell how successful a person is by examining what they own.”

About 90% believe there is “a God who watches over you and answers your prayers,” but only a third think the devil is a real being.