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Three Years After 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, Many In Santa Fe Say They Are Thinking More About Religion And Taking Action To Be More Religious

Three years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a new poll finds that tens of thousands of Santa Fe residents are thinking more about religion and taking action to be more religious in their daily lives.

The poll was commissioned by the Barnabas Institute, a nondenominational religious organization in based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Preliminary survey findings include the following:

• Thirty percent of the 1,000 residents interviewed said they are thinking more about the religious or spiritual side of their lives. This represents more than 29,000 adults in Santa Fe county.
• Residents of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin are thinking more about the spiritual side of their lives than non-Hispanics (37% v. 23%).
• More than one-third (38% - more than 15,000) of adult Catholics say they are thinking more about the religious or spiritual side of life.
• Even 19% of those who attend religious services less than once a year or never (45% of adults, equivalent to 44,000 Santa Feans) say that they are thinking more about the spiritual.

"Although nearly three years have passed since 9/11, it is clear that its impact is still strongly felt in Santa Fe," noted Miki Vasquez, president of the Barnabas Institute. "Churches in the area and nationally should be thinking of how to satisfy the needs of both Christians and non-Christians who want to be more religious.

"Results of a national poll of 2,000 adults that we conducted in July reinforce this conclusion," she said. "Nationally, 32% of adults said that they were more concerned about the religious or spiritual side of their lives since 9/11."