The controversy involving Syria has 32% of Americans thinking that it’s all part of the “end times” as told in the Bible.

32%!

A third of Americans seem to think there will be a Left Behind novel written about Syria.

More specifically, 26% of Americans think that the Syrian conflict is foreshadowing Armageddon.

This is all according to Christian pollsters LifeWay Research:

Previous U.S. military action, like the war in Afghanistan or air strikes during 1990s war in Bosnia, didn’t get the same reaction, said [LifeWay Research President Ed] Stetzer. But the fact that Syria shares a border with Israel, and is specifically mentioned in the Bible, has people thinking about the end times. … Most premillennial dispensationalists believe Christians will instantly disappear from the earth during an event called the rapture, followed by seven years of war and catastrophe. After the battle of Armageddon, Jesus will return and set up his kingdom on earth.

A third of Americans buy into that bullshit.

If you looked at the demographics of those results, the stereotypes were in full force: Poor people and Southerners were far more likely to believe this nonsense than rich people and Northerners (not that their numbers are anything to brag about):

Those in the South (40 percent) and with household incomes under $25,000 (41 percent are more likely to see Syria’s woes in the Bible. Those in the Northeast (24 percent) or with incomes over $75,000 (20 percent) are more skeptical.

I’m so embarrassed for mankind right now…

More demographic breakdowns:

Women (36 percent) are more likely than men (28 percent) to see a link between current events in Syria and the Bible. … Those who attend worship once or twice a month are more likely to see a tie between Syria’s trouble and the book of Revelation (51 percent agree), as are evangelical, born again, and fundamentalist Christians (58 percent agree.) Fewer of those who rarely (25 percent) or never attend (14 percent) agree. … Older Americans are more likely to think U.S. airstrikes could lead to the battle of Armageddon, with 34 percent of those over 65 agreeing. Only 21 percent of those 18 to 29 agree.

Millennials shouldn’t pat themselves on the back yet, though. Check out how many young people think the world will end in their lifetime:

Younger Americans, however, are more likely to think the world would end in their lifetime. Twenty-four percent of those 18 to 29 agree, as opposed to only 15 percent of those over 65. About a third (32%) of evangelical, born-again, fundamentalist Christians believe the world will end in their lifetime.

Remember this guy?

A quarter of Millennials think he was on the right track!

You know what? If you live outside of America, you should seriously send all of us atheists here amazing Solstice presents because we have to deal with these people on a daily basis.

The poll was conducted via a phone survey of 1,001 Americans earlier this month. No word on what the margin of error was.

(via Christian Nightmares)



