The largest percentage of students, 17.9 percent, reported themselves as Catholic.

“There was a pretty big Ö wave of Catholic settlement in the late 19th, early 20th century in and around the Twin Cities,” said sociology professor Penny Edgell.

The next largest population of students report themselves as agnostic.

“People will debate whether (agnostic) means somebody is truly not religious or whether it means that they just are not willing to say one way or another, because they just don’t know,” said sociology professor Joe Gerteis. “One thing that happens among college students is that people sort of search for what they believe in – college is a time of seeking.”

Some of the more rare belief systems that students associated with were Animism/Shamanism, Bahá`í and Buddhism.

“Generally speaking, in the U.S, those are not very common,” Edgell said. “None of those groups have a long-established history in the United States.”

Specific ideas

Aside from religious affiliation and specific belief systems, University students also reported their thoughts on specific spiritual ideas.

According to the survey, 67 percent of University students believe in some kind of afterlife. Similarly, three-fourths of students believe in a higher power.

Gerteis said it is a national trend that many Americans believe in an afterlife and a higher power.

“Most Americans are religious on some dimension,” he said.

Students reported on other ideas such as miracles – which 65 percent of students said they believe in – and karma. Forty-five percent of students said they believe in karma.

Edgell said most people try to grapple with the idea of justice and consequence, and karma becomes a reasonable answer. The idea of karma is a part of many religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism.

Influence on daily lives

These belief systems and ideas impact how students live day to day. According to the survey, 67 percent of students agreed their beliefs affect their daily lives.

Many students on campus meditate or pray, with about 70 percent of students reporting that they do so.

Seven percent of students reported reading religious material every day, while the rest averaged less than one day a week.

“I think a lot of (students) have beliefs, but they’re studying or reading a lot of other things,” said sociology professor Douglas Hartmann.

Edgell said this trend is also similar throughout the nation.

“Reading in general has declined in our society,” she said. “Also, religious groups don’t tend necessarily to lead people to believe that that’s the way you should express your faith.”

Students’ beliefs also affect the way they spend money. The poll reported 34 percent of students said it does.

“Religious beliefs tend to Ö make you think about your values and (if) the way you’re spending your money corresponds to your values or not,” Edgell said.

Another moral issue concerning money is the concept of materialism, Hartmann said.

“It’s both about producing things and consuming things,” he said. “That we’re obsessed by things; we’re obsessed by the material world.”

Religion and ‘U’

Although University students span a wide variety of religious beliefs, 10 percent reported membership in a religious student organization on campus.

More than half of students polled said the University is supportive of student religious groups on campus.

However, 52 percent of students agreed strongly or agreed somewhat that their personal beliefs are misunderstood.

“They’re right,” Edgell said. “In interpersonal conversation, one on one, we don’t talk about religion very much. There is a sense of taboo still that that’s personal.”

Gerteis said another reason for these feelings might be that religion has become such a public political issue. In reaction some people resent that their religion is being pulled into the public debate.