Politics and policy are not the only things that separate conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats. There's a partisan divide when it comes to the proverbial Great Beyond as well. Twenty-one percent of Republicans and 36 percent of Democrats have been in touch with the dearly departed. Nine percent of the Grand Old Party have consulted a fortuneteller, compared to 22 percent of the Democrats. And 15 percent of Republicans say that yoga is a "spiritual" practice, compared to 31 percent of Democrats.
"Conservatives and Republicans report fewer experiences than liberals or Democrats communicating with the dead, seeing ghosts and consulting fortunetellers or psychics," said the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, which tallied such things across a wide swath of the American public and released its findings Thursday.
Consider that 23 percent of conservatives and 35 percent of liberals say that they have been in touch with the dead. Eighteen percent of conservatives and 33 percent of liberals believe in reincarnation. Another 18 percent of conservatives condone the power of "spiritual energy" compared to 30 percent of liberals.
In addition, 17 percent of both ideologies believe in the "evil eye," or the casting of a curse, the study said. One out of 10 conservatives have visited a fortuneteller, compared to a fifth of liberals who say they have done the same.
Wait, there's more. The political parties don't see eye to eye when it comes to the "evil eye" either.
Just 12 percent of the Republicans put any credence in the "evil eye", while 19 percent of Democrats believe in the phenomenon.
The findings were based on a nationwide survey of 4,013 adults conducted through the month of August.
"The religious beliefs and practices of Americans do not fit neatly into conventional categories," the nonpartisan research group concluded.
