Belief in miracles on the rise

Our take: Although Americans are turning away from organized religion, there has been a steady increase in the number of people who believe in miracles, with a 22 percent increase in the past two decades.

These days, it may seem like a miracle that people still believe in miracles.

But even as more people appear to be turning away from organized religion, a new study finds that the number of Americans who definitely believe in religious miracles increased 22 percent in the past two decades, with 55 percent now certain of this supernatural phenomenon.

Overall, some four in five Americans believe miracles definitely or probably occur, researcher Robert Martin of Pennsylvania State University reported at the recent meeting of the American Sociological Association in Denver.

While beliefs in heaven and hell have remained steady in recent decades, the increased belief in miracles crosses all religious traditions, with the strongest gains reported by those who attend services infrequently, Martin reported.

So why this new interest in religious miracles at a time when the number of Americans with no religious affiliation has been increasing?

Read more about Belief in Miracles on the Rise on Huffington Post.