Atheism and Non-Religosity on the Rise

[beso]

http://redcresearch.i...d-Atheism-25-7-12.pdf

Interesting statistics.

Religion is definitely declining but areas where it persists seem related to poverty. Poor people are generally less educated.

What conclusion do you draw? Is religion related to ignorance?

[tonyav]

Usually desperate to.

[Zacs-Master]

Common sense will always prevail. Maybe we should send atheist missionaries into these poor areas.

[Graham-W]

Poor people will also clutch at straws if they've been told, "God will provide", "There will be a better life for you in Heaven." etc.

[LazyGun]

They are interesting statistics, Beso. Slightly surprised to see Ireland trending so high in the nations of the godless - was there an Irish emphasis to this report?

You always have to be careful interpreting opinion polls, because selection bias can be huge, but when you have an opinion poll conducted in the same fashion with the same questions over a number of years, such biases tend to be averaged out, and the trends emerge.

Those areas where you have a culture, heritage and history of a strong, almost evangelical church often coincide with those areas of the globe that struggle economically, so its not just poverty or education, but these factors definitely play a part.Study after study has demonstrated this trend - that religiousity declines with increasing education and wealth, and with female emancipation.

Education, female emancipation and cultural heritage are probably the factors that most influence a decline in religiousity, in my opinion.

One of the more interesting data points in my view is the persistence of religiosity in the USA, being distinctly more religious than its european or asian economic equivalents.

[naomi24]

//Is religion related to ignorance? //

In backward and Third World countries, perhaps, but in the west I don’t think so. After all the discussions here, for example, where the inaccuracies of holy books and superstitious philosophies have been demonstrated beyond doubt to be in error, people - often seemingly intelligent people - nevertheless still believe. They are not ignorant – they are indoctrinated and afraid.

[Khandro]

//Is religion related to ignorance// 'Ignorance' means to be uninformed, lacking knowledge, a position held by many of the irreligious I suggest.

[naomi24]

Khandro, your suggestion means nothing without the reasoning behind it - unless you just wanted to be rude?

[Khandro]

naomi: The reasoning is quite strait forward; the embracing of any religion requires teaching, without teaching, a person remains ignorant and lacks the sufficiency for either rejection or acceptance.

[naomi24]

Khandro, you will find that religion has been taught to most of the non-believers here since childhood, but they haven’t limited their knowledge to that – they have gone on to improve upon that teaching by learning more – hence they are no longer believers.

[Khandro]

^(straight). naomi; Good! well that's all sorted then.

[naomi24]

There you go, Khandro. You're learning. ;o)

[Khandro]

naomi; As Rilke suggests; Humankind cannot bear very much reality, however as I'm in a generous mood this morning and to show my un-rude side, I am sending you a present, please make sure your sound is on.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Has anyone who's read the thread done stats? A thousand per country seems a bit low to me. Why no UK, I wonder?

[naomi24]

Khandro, such 'Joy'. If only I'd brought my piano...

.... but Rilke's statement is sweeping and presumptuous. It does not speak for all.

[Duncer]

Where are religions strongest? The dreadfully poor of Africa, South America and the Middle East; people who are desperately seeking solace, relief and straws to clutch at. now ask where education is most lacking? I'm sure there is some sort of correlation.

LG, America is an anachronism as you correctly point out, but factor in the educational levels of the "Bible Belt" and the need to utilise these people for gubernatorial control and you mas have an answer. The backward hillbillies and the brianwashed Christian Talibanista of America have both been misused for too long.

[plowter]

Have you read the report?

It interviewed 51,927 people out of a world population of 6,973,738,433 (source: world bank). That's 0.0000074461 of the world population.

File under pish.

[LazyGun]

@Duncer - I take your point re USA, but compare and contrast religiosity across the US as a whole and compare educational levels with some of the poorest and most educationally deprived countries and you get similar levels of religious belief - fervent too. I am still puzzled by that, because it does seem anomalous. One commentator I read (or saw) has suggested its because of the nature of the founding fathers, being, I suppose in one sense at least religious zealots, but I am not sure that is an answer.

And plowter has a point regarding the representative nature of this survey, given the small numbers versus global population. It does not invalidate it as a data point in a trend however. And I am also puzzled by the absence of the UK but the inclusion of Ireland, which does not feel right :)

[Duncer]

I was initially surprised at the decline of religiosity in Ireland, but the more I visit Dublin of late the more I see a modern secular city free of the yoke of old. Point taken about the Septic Tanks, I was just theorising.

[beso]

plowter // Have you read the report?

It interviewed 51,927 people out of a world population of 6,973,738,433 (source: world bank). That's 0.0000074461 of the world population //

It is done by a company that specialises in statistics. They would be able to tell you the range of uncertainty that would be expected for that sample size.