Sources of guidance on right and wrong among adults who say their holy scripture is the word of God but should not be taken literally by state (2014) Switch to: State among adults who say their holy scripture is the word of God but should not be taken literally by sources of guidance on right and wrong
% of adults who say their holy scripture is the word of God but should not be taken literally who say they look to…most for guidance on right and wrong
| State | Religion | Philosophy/reason | Common sense | Science | Don't know | Sample size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 47% | 5% | 44% | 2% | 2% | 147 |
| Arizona | 42% | 9% | 39% | 7% | 3% | 183 |
| California | 37% | 10% | 44% | 6% | 3% | 855 |
| Colorado | 40% | 8% | 47% | 3% | 1% | 127 |
| Florida | 32% | 12% | 48% | 6% | 2% | 524 |
| Georgia | 52% | 7% | 35% | 4% | 2% | 266 |
| Idaho | 44% | 1% | 50% | 5% | < 1% | 106 |
| Illinois | 32% | 10% | 49% | 7% | 1% | 400 |
| Indiana | 33% | 8% | 52% | 4% | 4% | 186 |
| Iowa | 41% | 5% | 46% | 4% | 3% | 119 |
| Kansas | 38% | 4% | 56% | 2% | 1% | 105 |
| Kentucky | 47% | 5% | 41% | 6% | 1% | 104 |
| Louisiana | 48% | 7% | 38% | 4% | 3% | 129 |
| Maryland | 32% | 7% | 52% | 6% | 4% | 177 |
| Massachusetts | 27% | 11% | 53% | 8% | 2% | 154 |
| Michigan | 30% | 6% | 54% | 8% | 2% | 283 |
| Minnesota | 33% | 9% | 51% | 5% | 2% | 161 |
| Missouri | 39% | 9% | 43% | 4% | 4% | 181 |
| Nebraska | 42% | 6% | 45% | 6% | 1% | 106 |
| New Jersey | 37% | 9% | 46% | 6% | 1% | 266 |
| New York | 35% | 9% | 48% | 5% | 2% | 507 |
| North Carolina | 38% | 11% | 45% | 5% | < 1% | 262 |
| North Dakota | 37% | 7% | 53% | 3% | < 1% | 122 |
| Ohio | 37% | 9% | 44% | 7% | 3% | 366 |
| Oklahoma | 31% | 9% | 55% | 4% | 2% | 100 |
| Oregon | 42% | 9% | 44% | 4% | 1% | 108 |
| Pennsylvania | 44% | 9% | 42% | 4% | 1% | 401 |
| South Carolina | 51% | 4% | 39% | 2% | 5% | 127 |
| South Dakota | 37% | 9% | 48% | 5% | 1% | 114 |
| Tennessee | 47% | 10% | 36% | 4% | 3% | 160 |
| Texas | 43% | 9% | 40% | 8% | 1% | 704 |
| Utah | 59% | 8% | 28% | 3% | 2% | 126 |
| Virginia | 35% | 8% | 50% | 5% | 2% | 231 |
| Washington | 33% | 12% | 48% | 5% | 3% | 186 |
| Wisconsin | 32% | 9% | 49% | 7% | 3% | 180 |
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: Religion, Philosophy/reason, Common sense, Science
