Some inmates are outraged. Two of them, a Christian and an Orthodox Jew, in a federal prison camp in upstate New York, filed a class-action lawsuit last month claiming the bureau's actions violate their rights to the free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Children fighting

The survey also found:

* 93% of people would help if someone had collapsed in the street

* 61% would try to intervene if they saw two children fighting

* 32% said they would get involved if they saw teenagers spraying graffiti

* 24% would say something if someone was talking too loudly on a mobile phone while on a bus or train

The survey also compared attitudes between generations.

Given what is at stake, I must say the traditionalist side has me worried. Part of the problem is that some traditionalists are so consumed with "end times" theorizing, they've virtually given up on politics. The sentiment is that "it is only going to get worse - so why bother."

Of course, that doesn't stop them from investing into their retirement funds.

"This is a twist on an age old question - does a belief in God influence moral behaviour"" says Shariff. "We asked, does the concept of god influence cooperative behaviour" Previous attempts to answer this question have been driven by speculation and anecdote."