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Is atheism/agnosticism the trend now?
Just finished reading Christopher Hitchens's "God is not great". Is atheism the trend now? Or agnosticism? What is your rough estimate of atheists vs agnostics vs believers in % in your country?
About 10% in the US. It has increased slightly over time but not as much as one would expect based on the recent heightened publicity of atheism.
There is also the fraction of the population consisting of what one might call "practical atheists," meaning people who say they believe in a god but have little or no religious or "spiritual" practice to speak of. It's my impression that this is growing at least as fast as declared atheism or agnosticism.
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| Originally posted by Vector A "practical atheists," meaning people who say they believe in a god but have little or no religious or "spiritual" practice to speak of |
Meaning they say that they are not atheists, but behave about the same as the average (non-evangelical) atheist. "In practice," they might as well be atheists.
I think you're right VA; there's more and more people not practicing and althought they may "believe" many are becoming so far removed that for all intents, they might as well be athiest or agnostic.
But Boris, you're a little behind the curve; that book came out in 2007 Hitchens has since died, but even then it really came after Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion which was probably the biggest selling athiest subject book in history.
In the UK it's now calculated that less than 1m people still go to church (out of a population of 65m).
The states is a lot more religious but historically speaking, it's currently less religious than it's ever been (although certain news outlets would have you believe the opposite).
Reporting for France:
35% of the population is atheist, and one of two people from 18 to 35 y.o is atheist. By 2030, more than 50% of the population will be atheist.
It's not a surprise at all, since the French State and the Church became two separate institutions in 1789, when the Revolutionaries took over the Monarchy.
Altough there's still a church in every town (about 50 000 churches), French is definitely not a religious population.
Personally, I was baptize when I was a child and went to catechism classes for a few month, but it was bothering me to wake up at 8 on Sundays to sing for 2 hours in church. 
Btw, my parents aren't religous at all, I don't exactly know why they decided to get me baptized.
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| Originally posted by bluegmt Btw, my parents aren't religous at all, I don't exactly know why they decided to get me baptized. |
But as far as % of atheists in Canada I'm really not sure.
As far as my province is concerned since Vatican II the majority of French Catholics here basically said fuck you to the religious institution in this province and despite the fact that there's a church and priest in every town I would find it unlikely if 10 people showed up on Sundays.
Even our beautiful cathedral in downtown Montreal is completely empty on Sundays.
However, the English Catholic churches in Montreal are, for whatever reason, thriving.
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| Originally posted by bluegmt It's not a surprise at all, since the French State and the Church became two separate institutions in 1789, when the Revolutionaries took over the Monarchy. |
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| Originally posted by DJ RANN Boris, you're a little behind the curve; that book came out in 2007 Hitchens has since died, but even then it really came after Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion which was probably the biggest selling athiest subject book in history. |
Dawkins is a belligerent prick. It's unfortunate that he's the "face of atheism" to so many people. He is a preacher for the converted (or rather, the uncoverted) and his methods are only going to make religious people more hostile to the idea of atheism.
As for the question, depending on which survey you believe, around 25% of the UK's population categorise themselves as atheists. To be honest, aside from a few middle aged coworkers, I'd struggle to name a single person I know who is actually religious in an orthodox sense. Most people who do have any faith would say some variation of "I believe in something, but not the God you'd find in the Bible."
I think identifying as an atheist is just as dumb as identifying as religious. I agree with Sam Harris that it's probably best to just identify as non-religious.
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| Originally posted by Floorfiller I think identifying as an atheist is just as dumb as identifying as religious. |
Atheism just quickly became a religion of it's own for the "enlightened".
I figured out there was no god all on my own as a kid. I don't need to join any sort of organization to strengthen that belief or try to convert others around me. I mean what are we all going to tithe to the church of atheism? they are just trying to keep all of the formal religious aspects, but based on a new set of tenants and principles. I would rather the concept of religion just die.
Did anyone here actually go to church regularly? Because we did, as a family, before my parents got divorced (I was baptized Catholic) and I always felt really uncomfortable about it - like I was helping someone (adults) to lie but had to keep doing it because, well, you just do what's expected of you by your elders when you're a kid.
It really just felt wrong/off, and I remember feeling ashamed of "playing along" with it, knowing somehow it was all bullshit. I dunno, hard to describe, but I always felt fuckin weird and that what I was doing was not right when I went to church. I also remember being in Sunday school and thinking how embarrassing it was that the teacher wanted me to play stupid along with everyone else. Jesus it was truly awful.
Kids know what the fuck is up.
I went to Catholic school grades 1-4. First day of school I walked into the classroom in regular clothes while everyone else was wearing uniforms. That was the first sign of the things to come, lol.
Although I don't believe in God, I don't like to classify myself as an atheist nor do I push any of my thoughts on religion onto others. It is what it is. I don't even think about it, really. Unless I hear someone around me spewing something about Jesus and the rest of it. All that does, though, is give me a moment to 'thank God I'm me' and move on.
People have to find their own way to 'ideological' salvation. Ha.
My father didn't actually believe in God and I'm sure experiencing/fighting in the revolution had a lot to do with that. It was my mother who was eternally searching for something, and no doubt mine and my sister's baptism and all the church bullshit was her doing. My sister was pulled from Catholic school and put into public school along with me when I started kindergarten 3 years behind her. Yet we still went to fuckin church! Ugh!
Same here. Although my father is a religious scholar, he doesn't believe in a God. I guess that makes sense if you're going to study the world's religions, duh.
Me being in Catholic school was my mom's choice. I think she felt pressure from my grandparents to do it. Everyone in my fam was new to America at that time and that side of the family was still relatively religious (we're Polish and Pope John Paul is considered Jesus himself in Poland; it's insane). Once he died, they basically stopped giving a shit about religion and became the typical Catholic in this country who believes when it suits them best.
I think now they just go for Christmas and Easter masses, lol. Oh, and my mom still does cooks fish on Fridays during lent.
So I guess you could say my family has evolved since moving from Poland 
When I was really young, my primary feeling at church was boredom. My bother and I used to draw on those visitor cards in the pews with the little pencils that were provided and pass them to each other.
Rather than seeing it as a trend, maybe people are finally smart enough not to believe children's stories.
Actually, they are adults' stories. And adults use them to try and brainwash children to be better manipulated as adults. Funny, isn't it?
There are no female atheists in the bedroom.
hitchen's was a prick as well. in fact all these atheist spokesmen are ****s.
they are running a racket just the same as the churches and jessie jackson etc are.
I'm not an atheist, and I believe that Dawkins in particular is a complete asshole that wants to insult religious people into becoming atheists.
But, if any of you atheists want to listen to an atheist that is actually smart (scary smart, in fact) you should check out this Australian philosopher named Graham Oppy.
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| Originally posted by Floorfiller Atheism just quickly became a religion of it's own for the "enlightened". I figured out there was no god all on my own as a kid. I don't need to join any sort of organization to strengthen that belief or try to convert others around me. I mean what are we all going to tithe to the church of atheism? they are just trying to keep all of the formal religious aspects, but based on a new set of tenants and principles. I would rather the concept of religion just die. |
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| Originally posted by rubez hitchen's was a prick as well. in fact all these atheist spokesmen are ****s. they are running a racket just the same as the churches and jessie jackson etc are. |
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