GSS 1972-2024 Cumulative Datafile - Release 3

What is your religious preference?  Is it Protestant, Catholic, 
Jewish, some other religion, or no religion?

What is your religious preference?  Is it Protestant, Catholic, 
Jewish, some other religion, or no religion?  A. What specific 
denomination is that, if any?  
 As of 2024, DENOM has been recoded to only account for seven broad 
denomination categories. This has been retroactively applied to all 
previous years of DENOM. The original DENOM containing data 1972 to 
2022 has been renamed DENOM_7222.

A. What specific denomination is that, if any?

A. Do you consider yourself to be Jewish for any reason?

B. Do you consider yourself Orthodox, Conservative, Reform or none of 
these? (PROBE FOR EXACT DENOMINATION)

Fundamentalism/Liberalism of Respondent's Religion

NOTE: See GSS Methodological Report No. 43. If planning to perform 
trend analysis with this variable, please consult GSS Methodological 
Report No. 56.

How often do you attend religious services? (USE CATEGORIES AS 
PROBES, IF NECESSARY.)

A. When you were growing up, how often did your mother (MOTHER 
SUBSTITUTE) attend religious services?

B. When you were growing up, how often did your father (FATHER 
SUBSTITUTE) attend religious services?

C. How often does your (husband/wife) attend religious services? 
(USE CATEGORIES AS PROBES, IF NECESSARY.)

Would you call yourself a strong (PREFERENCE NAMED IN RELIG) or a not 
very strong (PREFERENCE NAMED IN RELIG)?

NOTE: RELITENV and RELITENNV replace RELITEN in the 2021 GSS 
Cross-section web mode. This variable shows sensitivity to mode of 
administration. Research and interpretation done using the data 
should take extra care to ensure the analysis reflects actual changes 
in public opinion and is not unduly influenced by the change in data 
collection methods.

C. Would you call yourself a strong Jew or not a very strong Jew?

Do you believe there is a life after death?

Do you believe there is a life after death?
A. Of course, no one knows exactly what life after death would be 
like, but here are some ideas people have had. (HAND CARD AA) How 
likely do you feel each possibility is? Would you say very likely, 
somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all? (CIRCLE ONE 
NUMBER BESIDE EACH IDEA)
1. A life of peace and tranquility.

Do you believe there is a life after death?
A. Of course, no one knows exactly what life after death would be 
like, but here are some ideas people have had. (HAND CARD AA) How 
likely do you feel each possibility is? Would you say very likely, 
somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all? (CIRCLE ONE 
NUMBER BESIDE EACH IDEA)
2. A life of intense action.

Do you believe there is a life after death?
A. Of course, no one knows exactly what life after death would be 
like, but here are some ideas people have had. (HAND CARD AA) How 
likely do you feel each possibility is? Would you say very likely, 
somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all? (CIRCLE ONE 
NUMBER BESIDE EACH IDEA)
3. A life like the one here on earth only better.

Do you believe there is a life after death?
A. Of course, no one knows exactly what life after death would be 
like, but here are some ideas people have had. (HAND CARD AA) How 
likely do you feel each possibility is? Would you say very likely, 
somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all? (CIRCLE ONE 
NUMBER BESIDE EACH IDEA)
4. A life without many things which make our present life enjoyable.

Do you believe there is a life after death?
A. Of course, no one knows exactly what life after death would be 
like, but here are some ideas people have had. (HAND CARD AA) How 
likely do you feel each possibility is? Would you say very likely, 
somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all? (CIRCLE ONE 
NUMBER BESIDE EACH IDEA)
5. A pale, shadowy form of life, hardly life at all.

Do you believe there is a life after death?
A. Of course, no one knows exactly what life after death would be 
like, but here are some ideas people have had. (HAND CARD AA) How 
likely do you feel each possibility is? Would you say very likely, 
somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all? (CIRCLE ONE 
NUMBER BESIDE EACH IDEA)
6. A spiritual life, involving our mind but not our body.

Do you believe there is a life after death?
A. Of course, no one knows exactly what life after death would be 
like, but here are some ideas people have had. (HAND CARD AA) How 
likely do you feel each possibility is? Would you say very likely, 
somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all? (CIRCLE ONE 
NUMBER BESIDE EACH IDEA)
7. A paradise of pleasure and delights.

Do you believe there is a life after death?
A. Of course, no one knows exactly what life after death would be 
like, but here are some ideas people have had. (HAND CARD AA) How 
likely do you feel each possibility is? Would you say very likely, 
somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all? (CIRCLE ONE 
NUMBER BESIDE EACH IDEA)
8. A place of loving intellectual communion.

Do you believe there is a life after death?
A. Of course, no one knows exactly what life after death would be 
like, but here are some ideas people have had. (HAND CARD AA) How 
likely do you feel each possibility is? Would you say very likely, 
somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all? (CIRCLE ONE 
NUMBER BESIDE EACH IDEA)
9. Union with God.

Do you believe there is a life after death?
A. Of course, no one knows exactly what life after death would be 
like, but here are some ideas people have had. (HAND CARD AA) How 
likely do you feel each possibility is? Would you say very likely, 
somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all? (CIRCLE ONE 
NUMBER BESIDE EACH IDEA)
10. Reunion with loved ones.

A. People picture life after death in many different ways. We'd like 
to know how you think of life after death. Here is a card with sets 
of contrasting images. On a scale of 1-7 where would you place your 
image of life after death. Look at the first set of contrasting 
images. If you think that life after death is "A life like the one 
here on earth only better," you would place yourself at 1. If you 
think it is "A life without many things which make our present life 
enjoyable" you would place yourself at 7. If you think it is 
somewhere between these two you would place yourself at 2, 3, 4, 5, 
or 6. Where would you place your images of life after death for . . 
.?

A. People picture life after death in many different ways. We'd like 
to know how you think of life after death. Here is a card with sets 
of contrasting images. On a scale of 1-7 where would you place your 
image of life after death. Look at the first set of contrasting 
images. If you think that life after death is "A life like the one 
here on earth only better," you would place yourself at 1. If you 
think it is "A life without many things which make our present life 
enjoyable" you would place yourself at 7. If you think it is 
somewhere between these two you would place yourself at 2, 3, 4, 5, 
or 6. Where would you place your images of life after death for . . 
.?

A. People picture life after death in many different ways. We'd like 
to know how you think of life after death. Here is a card with sets 
of contrasting images. On a scale of 1-7 where would you place your 
image of life after death. Look at the first set of contrasting 
images. If you think that life after death is "A life like the one 
here on earth only better," you would place yourself at 1. If you 
think it is "A life without many things which make our present life 
enjoyable" you would place yourself at 7. If you think it is 
somewhere between these two you would place yourself at 2, 3, 4, 5, 
or 6. Where would you place your images of life after death for . . 
.?