We’re growing. Scepticism is growing. This poll shows that a full 18% are nontheistic people — a nice jump over years past. A nice 8% specifically said they don’t believe in God, with another 10% on top of that are “not sure”. BUT, if asked about belief without the “Not Sure” option, they go secular!That’s about 50 Million Seculars!Lots of others have beliefs in reincarnation, spooks, astrology, and other non-Christian beliefs, which may be why the Christians are making up stuff to make us look bad.Here’s the poll
The Religious and Other Beliefs of Americans 2005 ROCHESTER, N.Y. ? December 14, 2005 ? That very large majorities of the American public believe in God, miracles, the survival of the soul after death, heaven, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the Virgin birth will come as no great surprise. What may be more surprising is that significant minorities believe in ghosts, UFOs, witches, astrology, and in reincarnation ? the belief that they were themselves reincarnated from other people. Six in ten believe in hell and the devil. These are some of the findings of The Harris Poll of 889 U.S. adults conducted online by Harris Interactive? between November 15 and 22, 2005. The survey also found that women are more likely than men to hold both Christian and non-Christian beliefs. Republicans are more likely than Democrats and Independents to hold Christian beliefs. The level of belief is generally highest among people without a college education and lowest among those with postgraduate degrees. ? The 82 percent of adults who believe in God include 86 percent of women and 93 percent of Republicans but only 78 percent of men, 69 percent of those with postgraduate degrees, and 75 percent of political independents. ? The 73 percent of adults who believe in miracles include 79 percent of women, 83 percent of those with high school education or less and 76 percent of Republicans. Fewer (66%) men, post graduates (50%) and Independents (65%) believe in miracles.? The 70 percent of those who believe in the survival of the soul after death include 74 percent of women, 82 percent of Republicans but only 66 percent of men. Three-quarters (76%) of those without a college degree share this belief but only 53 percent of those with postgraduate degrees believe in this.? The 70 percent who believe in heaven includes 76 percent of women and 64 percent of men. This falls to 60 percent of Independents and 49 percent among people with postgraduate degrees. ? Seven in ten (70%) believe that Jesus is God or the son of God. This belief is more prevalent among women (75%) than men (64%), among those with less education (77%) than among post graduates (48%) and among Republicans (82%) than Independents (62%). On almost all the beliefs that are central to Christianity, there is a general pattern with: ? Higher prevalence of belief among women than among men.? Higher prevalence of belief among people with no college education and lower prevalence of belief among those with postgraduate education. Other interesting findings include: ? Six in ten adults believe in the devil (61%) and in hell (59%).Forty percent of the public, including 46 percent of women and 33 percent of men believe in ghosts.? One third (34%) believe in UFOs. More men (38%) than women (31%) hold this belief.? Just under three in ten (28%) adults believe in witches with slightly more men (30%) than women (27%) believing in them.One quarter (25%) of adults believe in astrology including 30 percent of women and 19 percent of men.One in five (21%) believe in reincarnation, the belief that they were once another person. While many people are very clear on what they do or do not believe in, there is a significant proportion (ranging from 10% to 25%), depending on the belief, that indicates that they are ?not sure? one way or another. For example, 10 percent say they are ?not sure? if they believe in God and 25 percent say they are ?not sure? if they believe in reincarnation or UFOs.
Noodles
There ya go.
Comment from: The Noodly Apendage [Member]
I have answered…..here’s my email address. Far to long to take space here on Dave’s server.
phreedm@intergate.com
Seeker:
Good article. To fulfill Phreddy’s prophesy – worldnetdaily?
I distrust most news sources (both left & right), as they tend to play only the selected highlights.
Has anyone else published this story? Are there more details, elsewhere?
I’m betting there is.
I have a problem w/any media outlet that espouses Coulter, anywhoways.
phreddy:
Ah, yes, a truly Xtian response, a truly Xtian attitude…NOT!
Not Confuscius, is it? No…Lao-Tzu? I’m pretty sure they were both from China, but I think Korea was a part of China in those days, so I’ll guess anyway.
reluctant
My son saved it; said we should send it in to Leno for his “Headlines” bit.
I don’t know who your philosopher is/was, but I had a fortune cookie the other day that had a fortune saying “Do ONTO others as you would have others do ONTO you.” ONTO wasn’t in all caps, but those were the words used! NO lie!
I was watching the History Channel earlier this week. The episode was about the discovery and recovery of the remains of large Roman pleasure ships. Those ships had been constructed with large cut nails.
The study failed to take into account the age of the participants. I would assume that 50> demographic scores significantly higher in their religious beliefs than those 30
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47892
Seeker……..great article.
Won’t take long for someone to complain about the source though.
It seems there is a finite number of web sites acceptable for news here. I believe it’s up to 6 now.
Alexgator
I feel for you. I really do. Our church is known here in Raleigh as the “Gay Church” as we have openly gay singles, couples, and ministers. We organize PFLAG events, fight for equal marriage rights. We provide a forum for people with a lot of hurt to come and find acceptance. I take abuse from the bigoted for going to the church, but I don’t care.
I would challenge you with the idea that all those with religion are not your enemies. The next person’s feelings you hurt without caring might have been the same person that defended you and was working for the same goals you are. It’s the stupidity and bigotry that I think you react to. I would encourage you not to participate in your own form of bigotry.
seeker,
I can see that the decorations on the outside of the door might make the management nervous – but it does seems rather petty.
What gets me is banning the singing of Xmas carols. Surely that is a violation of free speech.
Of course – this assumes that the article is fair and balanced.
And phreedm leaves my question to rot. I assume, based on your appaerent unwillingness to answer a direct question, you’re simply lying about it. Congratualations on blowing your last shred of credibilty.
Managers in charge of two federally subsidized housing facilities have told residents in one case they cannot sing Christmas carols, and in another they can’t decorate their own entry doors with religious symbols, according to a religious-liberty law firm.
GREAT quote:
“The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a lunatic asylum.”
-Thomas Paine
Alex,
Spanders makes a good point. There are Christians out there that are very open minded. I think I have brought up my Aunt in a previous conversation, but we had a discussion when I was at her house about a month ago that left me in awe. She fully supports equal rights for EVERYONE. She thinks it’s horrible that other people are against gay marriage. This is coming from a woman who knows the bible inside out and will soon have a college degree. She actually caused a controversy within my family because she told a few people (who aren’t so open minded) that she fully supports gay marriage. She is probably the most sensible Christian in my family. I wish there were more people like her in this world.
Oh, and a bonus, she is against teach ID in science class. This is good news because she is getting her degree in teaching.
HeatheNZ, Phreedm
Seems there are extremes on all sides. To some “merry Christmas” is offensive, to others, not saying “merry Christmas” is offensive.
It reminds of a thought I posted recently. Some women call you a chauvinist if you hold the door, other rail against your bad manners if you don?t.
No matter what you do or say, someone is offended.
Comment from: The Noodly Apendage [Member]
What you think I was born yesterday?
As if your opinion matters to me.
I’ve got far better things then to waste my time on an amateur….
I LOVE this statement. I mean get real. All you ever do here is waste your time as well as ours. Your convoluted and fallacious logic, your double standard for what constitutes credible sources, and your overtly aggressive and belligerent approach only serves to provoke us into a frenzy while simultaneously verifying whatever stereotypes each one of us might be harboring about your side.
I still can’t for the life of me figure out what you’re hoping to accomplish here. Why are you wasting your time?
BTW,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
r4d:
Isn’t it obvious?
He’s a fisher of men.
Throwing the heathens into an uproar is an added perk.
Not to mention the overfeeding of an already obese martyrdom complex.
That’s MHO, anyways.
Rainbow…
From a Christian perspective, it’s called a “sin of the spirit.” Christians often avoid “sins of the flesh,” such as swearing, drinking, etc., but indulge in arrogance and self-conceit.
The writer of Proverbs listed seven things God hates. ?A proud look? tops the list. Nothing speaks louder against the existence of God than those who profess him verbally but deny his existence with their arrogant actions. Even Apost. Paul noted this in his letter to Titus, ?They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him.? I call them practical atheists.
Christians love to collect war stories of encounters with those with whom they disagree.
Comment from: rainbows4dinosaurs [Member] ? http://www.pogoto.com
Interesting. First off do you really believe noodly was interested in an answer? It was a setup. Anyone a mile away could smell it.
And a double standard? We’ll see…..
As for Dave’s friends at Planned Parenthood……
“11-year-old’s rape
swept under rug?
Planned Parenthood removes revealing letter from website”
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47927
From Preedm’s article:
Now since we are shifting the topic and poisoning the well at the same time, perhaps we can note the record of that fine Xian body – the catholic church? THose wonderful Xian leaders who actually commit child abuse, and then their fellows who try their damndest to cover it up.
Msnbc has an article on its site written by a paleo. whos researched suggests that religion leads to social ills!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10351693/
seeker
I always hold the door for whomever is coming. I’ve never had a negative reaction. Men seem just as comfortable and appreciative as women to having the door held for them. I think if a woman reacts poorly to a man holding a door for her, she’s got much bigger problems than chauvinism.
And from Phred’s article
Talking about PP. As R-40 pointed out, the RCC is guilty of this thousands of times over, jeezus has yet to step in & prevent any of his lackeys from repeated sexual abuse, let alone punish them for it.
Yes Phred, hypocrisy abounds, but stop throwing smoke screens.
pmswift and Alex
I hear you loud and clear!! And women are treated no better by conservative christians. I am so sick of them blaming the feminists and gays for all the world problems! And I am sick of them constantly reminding me that it was woman who caused mans fall and that women are inferior to men and any man who doesnt behave how they believe men should behave is just as wicked as women who make their own choices. GRRRR!!!!! It only makes for a hostile society! It is them who are destroying society!
kareninKS
“I always hold the door for whomever is coming. I’ve never had a negative reaction. Men seem just as comfortable and appreciative as women to having the door held for them. I think if a woman reacts poorly to a man holding a door for her, she’s got much bigger problems than chauvinism.”
Well said!!
Comment from: vford13 [Member]
“Hmmm, wonder what is next? No graduate degrees allowed since that is a clear path to the darkside…
I actually worry more about the paranormal beliefs than whether people are religous or not, since these tend to throw out a much broader set of rational thought and logic”.
Huh?
A talking burning bush spouting the wisdom of angels is more believable than a bunch of emaciated grey stickmen landing in a gaily colored suacer?
How?
Religion and superstition seem pretty much the same.
You know those community college class schedule pamphlets? We get them all the time here. Usually I toss them right out, but recently my wife and I have found a renewed interest in math and are looking for some higher math courses to take together. So when the latest catalog came in (all non-credi_t classes mind you) we were eagerly thumbing through it hoping to find a upper level trig or a calculus course. Guess what? NOT A SINGLE MATH COURSE IN THE ENTIRE THING.
But here’s a nice sample of what you can take:
Electronic Voice Phenomenon
“Learn how to record and decipher communication from Ghosts & Spirits.”
Ghost Hunting 101
“Learn theories on the paranormal, the basics of its research, and the equipment and protocol used in investigations.”
Numerology Made Easy
“Find out what your birth date & name say about you. The unique combination of YOUR numbers will uncover hidden aspects of your career.”
Plus:
Read The Tarot: Parts I and II
Reiki for Couples
The Art of Energy Healing
Aromatherapy
And of course you can:
Explore Hinduism
Explore Islam
Explore Buddhism
Explore Judaism
Explore Christianity
Which is certainly fine, but any surprises as to what is missing from this particular list?
I’m thinking about trying to set up a ‘Baloney Detection 101′ class and perhaps an ‘Explore Atheism’ class. I wonder if anybody would show up.
(sigh)
Well, I know Aromatherapy can be helpfull, as pleasing odors can relax you. Won’t cure cancer, but will ease your mind.
Unless you’re like me and you’re both allergic to practically all perfumes and you’re impervious to the placebo effect.
I did find one class that might be worth someone’s time though:
A Scientist Looks at Creationism
“How does a scientist view creationism? Does this theology affect American society and education? Come review the ideas of creationism, related theologies and evolution to develop your own thoughts and opinions about the concept.”
So, in other words, Phreedumb, you have a feeling?
Believe and you will Believe
r4d:
Heretoforward, I dub thee Alpha geek
.
(this, of course, is gentle ribbing only).
karen:
To which, I say,
“If I say I’m a wise man, it surely means I don’t know.”
- Kansas (the band, not the state)
karen—
In case you don’t wander over to the “Atheist Scholarship” thread, thought you might like to know that people are looking for you there!
HAHA! Actually I used to think I was terrible at math, back before I could see a real use for it. Then I got into flash and game programming and a light bulb went off. Now I’m not afraid of it anymore and I suddenly find myself wanting to learn as much as I can.
And the moral of this story is:
Never stop learning, and never sell yourself short.
HeatheNZ:
That will be $29.95 please.
jus kiddin’
R4D,
Can I charge it to my VISA?
1666 2666 3666 4666 Exp 6/2006
Name on Card: HeatheNZ
Believe and you will Believe
Question.
Are those UFO’s with or without little green men?
Technically, UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object which could mean any number of random pieces of junk or secret government projects hurtling above our heads that we (may) see but don’t know what they are. I believe in that type of UFO but not the type with aliens in them. After all, who would want to visit us? I certainly wouldn’t.
Other than that, this report only reinforces what we already know. The more educated someone is, the less likely they are to beleive in invisible men in the sky.
Any theories on why women (versus men) are more likely to beleive in god?
reluctant
Well, THAT certainly clears things up!!!!
“I see.” said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw.
Comment from: Blueflame [Member]
“Any theories on why women (versus men) are more likely to beleive in god”
Well, for starters most women tend to be more emotional than rational.
Example: When our government announces a new mesure, I think about the economic impact, my wife thinks about the social impacts. Ying and Yang.
Sword,
I note you wisely chose not to alude to intelligence. ☺
I find it a little odd as women seem to gain less from religion than men. I wonder if there’s a distinction made from participating in organized religion or believing in God for women (both really, but I think women can be penalized in organized religion). Do the women here have any ideas?
spanders
I really have no idea why anyone believes in god, but for the moment, I tend to agree with sword that women may be more subject because of their emotions and a need to have someone to rely on. Most of the men I know who are overtly and exceptionally religious are also rather emotional also, kind of in touch with their feminine sides. HAH! Now I’m waiting for SNTC to bring the feminist hammer down on sword and me!!!
I hadn’t answered till now cos I was still ruminating on it. I think I’ll do that some more.
Just a thought, haven’t looked into it. Maybe women are naturally more right-brained and open to fantasy (Dungeons and Dragons aside) what with our compunction for happily-ever-after and all that rot. Perhaps all the dress-up play and tea parties, which I never could get the hang of, are practice for our grown-up imaginary friend.
OK Slice and dice me.
I know the what the statistics say, but I’m weary of attributing magical thinking in women to something in their biology. I suspect it has more to do with their traditionally more sheltered existence in society.
Most of the women in my life are pretty damn skeptical.
sword_strike
I’m not sure I like how you phrased how women were emotional and men were rational, but I think I know what you ment. lol
Yes, women think more with their emotions of compassion and men think about the economics. Both are rational in my view.
But, lets not forget who, why and how religion focusses on women and their emotions. It also preys on their self conscience. Women are more worry about what others think of them cuz for so long they have been judged and beaten into believing that men are superior and have all the answers and that they are weaker and weaker minded. Look at all the propaganda that is thrown at us by religion. Think about what the myth of the fall is saying about women. It says we are an after thought made from a man for his use, then it shows how easy we can be tricked and cause problems for EVERYONE. We are taught from an ealy age that we are more sinful and it is all our fault. It was all done to control us, especially our sexuality. If man doesnt control women then how is he to know who he fathered? I hope I am coming across clear, I’m kinda rushing right now?
Sorry I was rushing earlier. Dinner was calling me.
I also think that so many women believe in Jesus because of the romantic picture the church paints about jesus and his forgiveness of them. The NT isnt quite as brutal to women as the OT and some other pagan religions of the time and erea. Christianity was also a revival of the virgin goddess cults that had been gods worse enemy throughout the OT. Over the years the patriarchs of the church humanized the goddess and only praised god the father and god the son and demotted the church priestesses to nuns.
Man there is so much to talk about on this topic and my head is spinning with tons of info, I now cant seem to get into words. grrr I hate when that happens!
Someone put an add up at the on base mini mart for womens bible studies classes. This is another way to get other women to convince them that their soul purpose in life is to serve their husbands and bring forth his children. This is what they tell women god wants from them. Its all about bowing down to men! GRRRRR!!! In the mens bible study classes they teach them to be head of the house and how to lead their wives to the lord by his good deeds. Its a constant bombardment of male domination and religious propaganda.
I’m getting all worked up now so I better go work out. I dont want to come across as male bashing. I love men, just not christian men who believe they are the devine head of women.
And I spelled area wrong on my last post. sorry. lol