BELIEF IN GOD.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18888, 31 December 1926, Page 4

BELIEF IN GOD.

* CHURCH QUESTIONNAIRE. (mom odb owk cobrespohdekt.) SAN FRANCISCO, November 25. American churches are to use daily newspapers to ascertain how many persons in the United States believe in God, and the question, "Do you believe in God?" and eleven others will make up a questionnaire to be submitted to newspaper readers all over the country by the church advertising department of the International Advertising Association in the early future, it was announced in New York. The questionnaire will ask: "Do you believe in God? Do you believe in immortality? Do you believe in prayer as a means of personal relationship with God? Do you believe that Jesus was Divine, as no other man was Divine? Do you regard the Bible as inspired, in a sense that no other literature could be said to be inspired? "Are you an active member of any church? Do you regularly attend any religious services? Would you be willing to have*, your family grow up in a community in which there is no church? Do you regularly have 'family worship' in your home? Were you brought up in a religious home? Do you send your children io any school for religious instruction? Do you think religion in some form is a necessary element of life for the individual and the community?" Newspapers are to be asked to print these questions daily and publish daily totals of the religious pool. Names of those answering will not be published. Charles Stelzle, publicity counsellor of the church advertising department, said the facts developed by the poll "will, no doubt, be startling to largo numbers of church leaders whose opinions concerning the state of mind on religion have been based upon comparatively limited personal acquaintance, mainly with those sharing their opinions.

"Nobody," added Mr Stei7,lc,."is in a position to secure these data quite as well as the newspapers. They will make a unique contribution to the religious life of the Nation by giving the country the information thus obtained. The non-sectarian nature of the questions will permit everybody to participate."

Prominent ministers all over the Uni' ted States arc connected with the cam paign.