The vast majority of Virginians believe in God and believe they can have a personal relationship with him, though what faith people follow varies considerably, according to a poll by Roanoke College.
The poll, which asked 600 Virginia residents about their beliefs, practices and view of the afterlife, found that 94 percent of residents believe in God, while 80 percent believe in life after death and 87 percent believe in heaven.
A near majority, 47.9 percent, believe their pets will join them in the next world.
"I don't know about others, but to me it's something I've believed in since I was a child and feel with all my heart," said Madeline Connor of Chesterfield County.
Connor said she is among the 72 percent of people in Virginia who say they have a personal relationship with God.
That type of strong faith means a great deal to individuals, said Imad Damaj, president of the Virginia Muslim Coalition for Public Affairs.
"Religion is such a positive force in people's lives" and a force for good, he said.
How Virginians worship varies a great deal. The study, released Thursday, found that most here describe themselves as Christians — 68 percent are Protestants, and 12.7 percent are Catholic. Protestants break down into several denominations, with Baptists making up 41.9 percent of that group.
Most Christians, 56.7 percent, say they are born-again Christians.
Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and other religions showed much smaller populations.
Harry L. Wilson, a professor at Roanoke College and director of the school's Institute for Policy and Opinion Research, said the reason for the small showing of other religions could be because of who was questioned.
"We probably undersampled people in non-Christian faiths," he said.
Even if some religions were underrepresented, the results show that strong beliefs cut across faiths, said Eric Rothgery, a professor in the religion and philosophy department at Roanoke College.
"Religious Americans have much more in common than most suspect, and there is tremendous room for common ground if members of religious communities would take the time to learn about one another's traditions and get to know one another," he said.
While the number of state residents who believe in God is nearly universal here, nationally 71 percent of Americans say that they are absolutely certain that he exists, according the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
Another big difference between Virginia residents and the nation is the importance of religion in people's lives.
The Roanoke College poll found that 70.6 percent of Virginians said their religion is a very important in their lives, compared with 56 percent nationwide.
"I'm not surprised. The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom opened the door for people" and set an early precedent for Virginians to be open toward faith, Damaj said.
Wilson is reticent to read too much into what the poll says about the state because it is a snapshot and the first one the school has done.
He expects to do another poll on religion in about three years.
Among other findings: 37 percent say they daily get a definite answer to a specific prayer request; 40.9 percent say they turn to religious beliefs and teachings for guidance on what's right and wrong — 8 percent said philosophy and reason; 82.7 percent said miracles continue to occur; and 17.3 percent said the Sept. 11 attacks were a warning from God to repent and change practices.
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