Americans more religious, spiritual than previously thought, survey says

USATODAY.com - Americans more religious, spiritual than previously thought, survey says:

More Americans are active in religious groups than previously thought and many others without ties to congregations still believe in God or a higher power, according to a broad survey of faith in America released Monday.

The study also found that most traditional Christians reject the label "evangelical," preferring to describe themselves as "Bible-believing" or "born again."

The survey was conducted by the Baylor University Sociology Department and the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion as the first in a series on the spiritual life of Americans.

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Researchers found that only 10.8% of Americans have no ties to a congregation, denomination or faith group. Previous surveys had put that figure at 14%, overlooking about 10 million people involved in some form of organized religion, the Baylor report said.