Guardian Angels Are Here, Say Most Americans

Guardian Angels Are Here, Say Most Americans

Saw this odd headline, and was rather surprised.

Full Article - Guardian Angels Are Here, Say Most Americans

"More than half of all Americans believe they have been helped by a guardian angel in the course of their lives, according to a new poll by the Baylor University Institute for Studies of Religion. In a poll of 1700 respondents, 55% answered affirmatively to the statement, "I was protected from harm by a guardian angel." The responses defied standard class and denominational assumptions about religious belief; the majority held up regardless of denomination, region or education—though the figure was a little lower (37%) among respondents earning more than $150,000 a year."

"The guardian angel encounter figures were "the big shocker" in the report, says Christopher Bader, director of the Baylor survey that covered a range of religious issues, parts of which are being released Thursday in a book titled What Americans Really Believe. In the case of angels, however, the question is a little stronger than just belief. Says Bader, "If you ask whether people believe in guardian angels, a lot of people will say, 'sure.' But this is different. It's experiential. It means that lots of Americans are having these lived supernatural experiences."

I haven't even heard much "angel talk" in recent years. Plenty of God and Jesus, but not angels. At first I wondered what their definition of "guardian angel" was. Were the respondents speaking of their kindly neighbor, or a best friend who helped them through hard times? But it seems pretty clear they were speaking of the supernatural.