A significant portion of U.S. adults and nearly half of the county's Christians say the world, as we know it, is headed for destruction, according to a Pew Research survey.
Following recent years that have included a pandemic, notable natural disasters, and extreme political partisanship, a total of 39% of U.S. adults told Pew Research Center that "we are living in the end times."
A total of 47% of Christians agreed, including Black (76%), and evangelical (63%) Protestant traditions.
Overall, Protestants (55%) were more likely than Roman Catholics (27%) to say we are living in the end times.
However, 58% of U.S. adults and 49% of U.S. Christians say we are not living in the end times. That included 70% of Roman Catholics and 65% of mainline Protestants.
Among non-Christian religions — which includes Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus — 29% say we are living in the end times. A total of 23% of Americans with no religious affiliation agree.
Pew Research Center also asked Americans whether Jesus "will return to Earth, one day."
More than half (55%) of all U.S. adults, including three-quarters of Christians, say Jesus will return. Protestants in the evangelical (92%) and historically Black (86%) traditions are more likely than other Christians to say this.
Roughly 4-in-10 Americans either do not believe Jesus will return (25%) or say they do not believe in Jesus (16%).
Respondents who say Jesus will return also were asked how certain it will happen during their lifetime. Only 1-in-10 say the second coming of Jesus will definitely or probably occur during their lifetime, 27% are not sure, and 19% say Jesus definitely or probably will not return during their lifetime.
The proportion of U.S. adults saying Jesus definitely or probably will return during their lifetimes is higher among Protestants in the historically Black (22%) and evangelical (21%), traditions, and lower among Catholics (7%) and mainline Protestants (6%).
The Pew survey also asked whether Jesus will return after a worsening of global conditions leads to a low point for humanity (a view consistent with a theological belief known as "premillennialism"), or whether Jesus will return after an improvement in conditions leads to a high point of peace and prosperity (a view consistent with a belief called "postmillennialism").
The survey found that premillennial beliefs are more common than postmillennial beliefs (20% vs. 3%). Each of these positions about the specific circumstances of Jesus' return are held by a minority of U.S. adults.
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