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India tops the list of countries that believe in many Gods or Supreme Beings. According to a poll conducted by global research company, Ipsos, one half (51 per cent) of global citizens definitely believe in a “divine entity” compared to 18 per cent who don't and 17 per cent who just aren't sure.
India ranked first among the 23 countries that believe in “many Gods or Supreme Beings.”
Similarly, half (51 per cent) believe in some kind of afterlife while the remaining half believe they will either just “cease to exist” (23 per cent) or simply “don't know” (26 per cent) about a hereafter. Lastly, the survey revealed that four in 10 believe in human evolution compared to 28 per cent who believe in creationism and 31 per cent of the global population who are unsure what to believe.
“India has traditionally been a secular country where different religious beliefs co-exist. This in itself contributes to a belief that God could be seen to manifest in different forms. Even within the Hindu religion, followed by the majority of Indians, there is a multiplicity in the forms of manifestations of Gods and Goddesses, with the individual having the freedom to choose the form he wishes to have faith in. It is not uncommon to find different members in the family having faith in different Gods. Interestingly, all of the different forms of the main deities are manifestation of the trinity and the ultimate power Shakti,” said Ms Sonia Pall, CEO, Ipsos, India.
The findings are from a survey conducted in 23 countries among 18,829 adults.
Definitive belief in a God or Supreme Being is the highest in Indonesia (93 per cent), followed by Turkey (91 per cent), Brazil (84 per cent), South Africa (83 per cent) and Mexico (78 per cent). Those most likely to believe in “many Gods or Supreme Beings” live in India (24 per cent), China (14 per cent) and Russia (10 per cent).
Those who say they do not believe in God or Supreme Being(s) are most likely to live in France (39 per cent) followed by Sweden (37 percent), Belgium (36 per cent), Great Britain (34 per cent), Japan (33 per cent) and Germany (31 per cent).
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