Religion, Church and Society

Opinion on religion and politics or religion and church as well as society.

1. Party proximity: intention to vote in the next Bundestag election and party preference (Sunday question); alternatively electable parties; vote decision in the last Bundestag election; sympathy scale for the parties CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP, Linke, Grüne, NPD, Republicans and DVU.

2. Religion and politics: opinion on more religious people in public office; opinion on the influence of church leaders on government decisions; opinion on the weight of churches in the CDU; significance of Christianity in the CDU or CSU in a possible vote decision for these parties.

3. Religion and church: attitudes to religion and church (more peaceful world without religion, religion yes, church no, with church and religion nothing in mind); only one true religion, important truths in many religions or in no religion; opinion on Islamic education for Muslim children in state schools in Germany; denomination; frequency of churchgoing; church affiliation; former denomination or religious community or possible membership of a religious community (only those without denomination); self-assessment of religiousness; religiousness of the parental home; future significance of religion; attitude to a church burial.

4. Beliefs: faith in God or in a spiritual power; drawing comfort and strength from faith; faith in a life after death; faith in the devil; faith in a rebirth; optimism about the future.

5. Social acceptance: attitude to homosexuality, single parent education, abortion and euthanasia on demand.

6. Societal development: concerns regarding: loss of traditional values, more and more people on the losing side, destruction of livelihoods through pollution; opinion on control of life through secret agreements and plans; natural calling of women to create a climate of security for the family; loss of social ideals.

Demography: sex; age; marital status; cohabitation with a partner; children; number of children; education: school-leaving certificate or desired school-leaving certificate; university degree; completed apprenticeship; employment status; job security; current or former occupational status; household size; number of persons in the household aged 18 and over; trade union member in the household; party affiliation; strength of party affiliation; type of party affiliation; basic party affiliation or current party affiliation; number of telephone numbers in the household.

Additionally coded was: questionnaire no.; federal state where the respondent is entitled to vote; residential district formerly West Berlin or East Berlin; city size; weighting factor.