“We can see numerous inconsistent patterns of thought and belief throughout the responses.  “For instance, over a third of all Americans believe failing to take proper care of their bodies is sinful.  Yet far fewer believe obesity or tobacco are sins – even though medical science consistently shows using tobacco and being overweight are two of the most harmful things they can do to their bodies.  Other inconsistencies are that over four out of ten evangelicals believe it is a sin not to tithe, while other studies consistently show relatively few evangelicals actually do so; that the Roman Catholic church consistently teaches that sex before marriage, abortion, pornography, and homosexual activity are sins, yet as many as half of all practicing Catholics do not personally define each of these as sinful; that 43% of Democrats believe homosexual activity is sinful, and half believe this about having an abortion, even though their political party consistently supports gay rights and access to abortion; and that while most religions teach that lying is morally wrong, the vast majority of Americans – including a third of evangelicals, a majority of all Protestants, and three out of four Catholics – don’t feel telling a ‘little white lie’ is a sin.  But then inconsistency of thought is fairly common in this country, when studies consistently show a majority of Americans simultaneously want increased government services, decreased government debt, and lower taxes.”