Atheism in the States

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2006-12-31 12:37pm

Is it on the rise or decline? Or has it been stagnant for the last decades?

Trajanus · Post by **Trajanus** » 2006-12-31 12:46pm

This was taken from religioustolerance.org

The Graduate Center of the City University of New York conducted a massive interview of over 50,000 adults. They estimate that 902,000 (0.4%) of Americans identify themselves as Atheists.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-12-31 01:49pm

I remember reading something almost a year ago that the atheists are the fastest growing "religion" in the United States and that the percentage has risen from 8 to 14 percent of the population. I'll see if I can find a source.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-12-31 02:18pm

Addendum to my earlier post... Apparently, it was the same report (the 2001 ARIS report) that Trajanus referred to. According to the report, 14.1% of the U.S. population describe themselves as "without religion" which naturally doesn't mean that they're atheists. In addition to the figure mentioned by Trajanus, 0.5 % claimed themselves to be agnostics.

Some polls (such as this BBC poll) indicates higher numbers (the BBC poll, along with other studies and polls, can be found here).

Gustav32Vasa · Post by **Gustav32Vasa** » 2006-12-31 03:37pm

Mange wrote:I remember reading something almost a year ago that the atheists are the fastest growing "religion" in the United States and that the percentage has risen from 8 to 14 percent of the population. I'll see if I can find a source.

So the US have as many Atheist as Sweden have Religious.
You have my pity.

How is it is the schools in the states, is there much religion among the student body?

Master of Cards · Post by **Master of Cards** » 2006-12-31 03:44pm

Gustav32Vasa wrote:
Mange wrote:I remember reading something almost a year ago that the atheists are the fastest growing "religion" in the United States and that the percentage has risen from 8 to 14 percent of the population. I'll see if I can find a source.
So the US have as many Atheist as Sweden have Religious.
You have my pity.

How is it is the schools in the states, is there much religion among the student body?

Most High School students are meh to religion

Dominus Atheos · Post by **Dominus Atheos** » 2006-12-31 03:52pm

Master of Cards wrote:
Gustav32Vasa wrote:
Mange wrote:I remember reading something almost a year ago that the atheists are the fastest growing "religion" in the United States and that the percentage has risen from 8 to 14 percent of the population. I'll see if I can find a source.
So the US have as many Atheist as Sweden have Religious.
You have my pity.

How is it is the schools in the states, is there much religion among the student body?
Most High School students are meh to religion

Pretty much. Even if asked, they may identify themselves as Christian, the number of young people who go to church (willingly) is incredibly low.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-12-31 04:18pm

Gustav32Vasa wrote:
Mange wrote:I remember reading something almost a year ago that the atheists are the fastest growing "religion" in the United States and that the percentage has risen from 8 to 14 percent of the population. I'll see if I can find a source.
So the US have as many Atheist as Sweden have Religious.
You have my pity.

Well, I remember a survey from a few years ago which said that 85% of us Swedes are atheists.

Ritterin Sophia · Post by **Ritterin Sophia** » 2006-12-31 04:28pm

Gustav32Vasa wrote:
Mange wrote:I remember reading something almost a year ago that the atheists are the fastest growing "religion" in the United States and that the percentage has risen from 8 to 14 percent of the population. I'll see if I can find a source.
So the US have as many Atheist as Sweden have Religious.
You have my pity.

That's funny, you know if he could Bush Senior would revoke the citizenship of every atheist in the US.

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-12-31 10:25pm

Dominus Atheos wrote:
Master of Cards wrote:
Gustav32Vasa wrote:[

How is it is the schools in the states, is there much religion among the student body?
Most High School students are meh to religion
Pretty much. Even if asked, they may identify themselves as Christian, the number of young people who go to church (willingly) is incredibly low.

Untrue at least in my experience in the cock of the bible belt (Florida). Although the fact that I'm in crazyland right now explains it. Kids here are deeply religious if not very vocal or active. It's almost ingrained in them as an afterthought but an irremovable one.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-12-31 11:05pm

In my experience, even religious people who never darken the doors of their church will still often feel a sense of loyalty to its political goals. So they may not show up on Sunday, but they'll vote the way the preacher wants them to. That's how you get places where maybe a quarter of the population faithfully attends church every Sunday but 80% of them will vote against gay marriage.

Trajanus · Post by **Trajanus** » 2006-12-31 11:13pm

Dominus Atheos wrote:
Master of Cards wrote:
Gustav32Vasa wrote: So the US have as many Atheist as Sweden have Religious.
You have my pity.

How is it is the schools in the states, is there much religion among the student body?
Most High School students are meh to religion
Pretty much. Even if asked, they may identify themselves as Christian, the number of young people who go to church (willingly) is incredibly low.

Well, I'm from Michigan. When I went to high school, a little over half of the students identified themselves as agnostic with the rest being Christian. However, most of them were fairly liberal in their beliefs except for the few who were brainwashed by fundamentalists.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-12-31 11:20pm

Trajanus wrote:Well, I'm from Michigan. When I went to high school, a little over half of the students identified themselves as agnostic with the rest being Christian. However, most of them were fairly liberal in their beliefs except for the few who were brainwashed by fundamentalists.

Quite frankly, it doesn't mean a damned thing when someone calls himself "agnostic". The term has an actual definition but most of the people who call themselves "agnostic" don't even know what that definition is. In practice, it just means "I'm confused, so I'll just say I'm agnostic".

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2007-01-01 12:02am

Most people who identify themselves as "christian" at my high school are the average people that go to church because their parents make them, and don't really give a damn about religion. Haven't met any religious nut-cases here, but that's probably because they're keeping quiet.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2007-01-01 12:51pm

About how many of the Christians in the U.S. belongs to fundamentalist churches?

Master of Cards · Post by **Master of Cards** » 2007-01-01 01:24pm

Mange wrote:About how many of the Christians in the U.S. belongs to fundamentalist churches?

Define Fundamentalist

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2007-01-02 12:07am

Master of Cards wrote:
Mange wrote:About how many of the Christians in the U.S. belongs to fundamentalist churches?
Define Fundamentalist

You know, the "Earth is 6,000 years old" etc. type of fundamentalists.

CaptJodan · Post by **CaptJodan** » 2007-01-02 10:18am

Mange wrote:You know, the "Earth is 6,000 years old" etc. type of fundamentalists.

I would argue this isn't the best definition. For example my parents believe in the 6,000 years old garbage, but don't attend church and frankly find the churches more authoritarian teachings to be rather vile. They cherrypick the good parts, but otherwise really don't make religion a big part of their lives.

I'd have to say that a definition regarding a fundementalist would have to include ideals that shape one's behavior in the real world to somehow discriminate against a certain group of people because they're not (insert quality which makes that person different here), or otherwise that their religion has a vast enough effect on the way they live their life. Obviously this isn't a comprehensive listing, just some tips on what might be included.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2007-01-02 11:16am

CaptJodan wrote:
Mange wrote:You know, the "Earth is 6,000 years old" etc. type of fundamentalists.
I would argue this isn't the best definition. For example my parents believe in the 6,000 years old garbage, but don't attend church and frankly find the churches more authoritarian teachings to be rather vile. They cherrypick the good parts, but otherwise really don't make religion a big part of their lives.

I'd have to say that a definition regarding a fundementalist would have to include ideals that shape one's behavior in the real world to somehow discriminate against a certain group of people because they're not (insert quality which makes that person different here), or otherwise that their religion has a vast enough effect on the way they live their life. Obviously this isn't a comprehensive listing, just some tips on what might be included.

I wrote "etc." didn't I? That a fundamentalist has the attributes you describe doesn't really have to be spelled out.

Post by **K. A. Pital** » 2007-01-02 12:21pm

They estimate that 902,000 (0.4%) of Americans identify themselves as Atheists.

0,4%. Just ponder this for a moment. I know that including some agnostics who don't understand they're really atheists will make this number bigger, but not by a significant amount...

This is sad. A society in which only 0,4% of people have the balls _and_ logical understanding to profess disbelief in a superior being. I would've thought a First World nation to be better than that. America is indeed uncanny when it comes to the matters of religious.

CaptJodan · Post by **CaptJodan** » 2007-01-02 12:24pm

Mange wrote:I wrote "etc." didn't I? That a fundamentalist has the attributes you describe doesn't really have to be spelled out.

A definition of fundementalist was requested. You listed one trait that I don't think is a very great qualifier myself and then put the word "etc" as if THAT is a definition for anything.

Dictionary.com has a passable definition that at least covers more than "etc".

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2007-01-02 12:28pm

CaptJodan wrote:
Mange wrote:I wrote "etc." didn't I? That a fundamentalist has the attributes you describe doesn't really have to be spelled out.
A definition of fundementalist was requested. You listed one trait that I don't think is a very great qualifier myself and then put the word "etc" as if THAT is a definition for anything.

Dictionary.com has a passable definition that at least covers more than "etc".

Oh please. There is a common definition of fundamentalist Christianity, there's absolutely no need to start to list all the qualifiers.

Gustav32Vasa · Post by **Gustav32Vasa** » 2007-01-02 12:36pm

I would define a fundamentalist Christian as one who believes everything in the bible.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2007-01-02 12:52pm

Gustav32Vasa wrote:I would define a fundamentalist Christian as one who believes everything in the bible.

Well, that the Bible is never in error, that Jesus died on the cross for "our sins" and his subsequent resurrection.

Ritterin Sophia · Post by **Ritterin Sophia** » 2007-01-02 05:17pm

Stas Bush wrote:This is sad. A society in which only 0,4% of people have the balls _and_ logical understanding to profess disbelief in a superior being. I would've thought a First World nation to be better than that. America is indeed uncanny when it comes to the matters of religious.

I take that to mean only 0.4% of Americans aren't in need of some form of psychiatric help.