Interpreting scripture among conservatives by state (2014) Switch to: State among conservatives by interpretation of scripture

% of conservatives who say the holy scripture is…

StateWord of God; should be taken literallyWord of God; not everything taken literallyWord of God; other/don't knowNot the word of GodOther/don't knowSample size
Alabama61%23%4%9%2%267
Alaska30%31%4%31%4%115
Arizona40%38%2%17%3%264
Arkansas56%31%3%6%4%130
California41%28%2%21%7%1,134
Colorado42%26%5%18%9%170
Connecticut26%29%3%36%7%110
Florida45%27%4%19%6%760
Georgia51%30%3%10%5%417
Idaho34%35%2%24%5%138
Illinois33%36%3%21%6%459
Indiana51%27%4%14%4%276
Iowa34%38%4%16%8%142
Kansas41%38%3%12%5%132
Kentucky58%22%3%13%4%189
Louisiana48%30%3%14%5%234
Maryland39%34%2%18%7%170
Massachusetts23%33%5%35%4%160
Michigan47%31%4%15%3%342
Minnesota37%38%3%13%8%192
Mississippi72%17%6%2%3%150
Missouri46%31%3%14%7%251
Montana29%41%6%18%6%138
Nebraska47%34%4%12%4%132
Nevada39%27%3%27%5%116
New Hampshire34%34%1%20%10%102
New Jersey35%30%7%20%8%271
New Mexico43%24%5%20%8%106
New York35%33%3%22%7%606
North Carolina52%26%5%12%5%411
North Dakota43%32%1%20%5%161
Ohio45%31%4%17%3%456
Oklahoma50%30%2%12%6%162
Oregon36%28%3%19%13%125
Pennsylvania43%29%2%19%6%498
South Carolina64%25%1%7%3%218
South Dakota43%39%1%11%6%139
Tennessee57%21%5%10%6%322
Texas51%29%3%14%4%1,050
Utah26%53%5%10%5%150
Virginia53%24%5%13%5%344
Washington43%33%4%14%6%215
West Virginia59%21%5%10%5%139
Wisconsin42%31%3%19%5%247
Wyoming50%29%4%15%2%143
Sample sizes and margins of error vary from subgroup to subgroup, from year to year and from state to state. You can see the sample size for the estimates in this chart on rollover or in the last column of the table. And visit this table to see approximate margins of error for a group of a given size. Readers should always bear in mind the approximate margin of error for the group they are examining when making comparisons with other groups or assessing the significance of trends over time. For full question wording, see the survey questionnaire.

Learn More: Word of God; should be taken literally, Word of God; not everything taken literally, Not the word of God