More than half of adults in Hawaii say religion is important in their lives, and almost everyone identifies with one religion or another, according to a survey conducted by a local research and marketing firm.
James E. Dannemiller, president of SMS Research, said the survey on religious identity, the importance of religion and religious practice was part of extensive research conducted between 2009 and 2011 for the Hawaii Community Well Being Survey.
In addition to listing the six religions specified in U.S. Census research — Judaism, Buddhism, Catholicism as well as evangelical and Protestant faiths, and a nondenominational category — the local survey included “Native Hawaiian beliefs and traditions.”
The survey’s data were collected by way of an SMS Syndicated Survey that included 1,451 telephone interviews (land-line and cell) with adult residents of Hawaii. The sample margin of error is plus or minus 2.6 percent at the 95 percent confidence interval.
Here are some of the survey’s conclusions.
» A report issued by SMS states: “Nearly everyone in Hawaii (94 percent) identifies with one religion or another. Most of us tend to consider ourselves Christians of some type. Catholics make up the largest single religious group among our survey respondents with 32 percent.” It continued, “Some of us (26 percent) say we belong to a religious group other than the options listed,” including Muslims, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, among other groups. Very few survey interviewees called themselves evangelicals (2 percent) and about the same percentage said they identified with Native Hawaiian beliefs and traditions.”
» About three-fifths of the survey-takers identified religion as an important part of their lives. While most of the others surveyed claim a religion as their own, they “don’t think it makes much difference in our everyday lives,” the report states. In response to the question “How important is religion in your life?” 57 percent of those interviewed said it was either “very important” or “important.” Twenty percent said religion was “unimportant” or “very unimportant” — a 3-1 ratio.
» ”Nearly 40 percent of us never go to church or temple,” according to the survey. Nineteen percent go less than once a month, and about 41 percent go once a week or more, the report says. Also measured was how often respondents attended religious services. “Other research we have done in Hawaii suggests that religion makes a difference primarily among those who attend some sort of services at least once a week,” the survey notes.
For more information, contact Dannemiller at JDannemiller@smshawaii.com. Established in 1960, SMS is at 1042 Fort Street Mall, Suite 200; visit www.smshawaii.com.
