Posted on 11/07/2013 11:02:25 AM PST by Responsibility2nd
This post originally appeared at Pew Research Center’s Fact Tank blog.
Estimating the number of atheists in the U.S. is complex.
Some adults who describe themselves as atheists also say they do believe in God or a universal spirit, according to Pew Research Center surveys. At the same time, some people who identify with a religion (e.g., say they are Protestant, Catholic or Jewish) say they do not believe in God.
The debate over the definition and identity of atheists came up recently during Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Diana Nyad, a self-identified atheist who recently gained attention for her Cuba-to-Florida open swim.
Here’s what we know about self-described atheists and their beliefs:
1. The number of people who identify themselves as atheists in the United States has been rising, modestly but steadily, in recent years. Our aggregated data from 2012 show that 2.4% of American adults say they are atheists when asked about their religious identity, up from 1.6% in 2007.
2. Atheists, in general, are more likely to be male and younger than the overall population; 67% are men, and 38% are ages 18-29(compared with 22% of all U.S. adults). About four-in-10 atheists (43%) have a college degree, compared with 29% of the general public.
. Although the literal definition of “atheist” is “a person who believes that God does not exist,” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, 14% of those who call themselves atheists also say they believe in God or a universal spirit. That includes 5% who say they are “absolutely certain” about the existence of God or a universal spirit. Alternatively, there are many people who fit the dictionary definition of “atheist” but do not call themselves atheists. More Americans say they do not believe in God or a universal spirit (7%) than say they are atheists (2.4%).
4. Not all atheists see a contradiction between atheism and spirituality. A quarter (26%) say they think of themselves as spiritual people, and 3% consider themselves religious people. Four-in-10 atheists (41%) say they often think about the meaning and purpose of life.
5. Among atheists, 82% say they either often (52%) or sometimes (30%) feel a deep connection with nature and the earth; among all American adults, 85% either often (58%) or sometimes (26%) feel such a connection.
Atheists and the non-religious, are overwhelmingly democrats.
And almost all CINOs(Catholic in name only) are democrats also.
LOL.
God bless them anyway.
I think most self-described atheists are really agnostic. I think the agnostic position requires far less faith than atheism requires and is more honest as well.
No, I’d guess it was just people who don’t know what words mean... your average liberal
JINOS are more common it seems.
Well, that would depend on whether they adhered to weak agnosticism or strong agnosticism.
This confusion explains why some without a belief in a literal god but an adherence to a theology don't call themselves "atheist", and why some that are spiritual but don't have a recognized theology call themselves "atheist".
Same thing has happened with the word "socialism". Many people believe that any collective social action is a form of socialism. No. Socialism is a system where labor controls the means of production. That's something else entirely.
If the argumentative “atheists” were intellectually honest, they would be agnostic because they cannot offer objective proof of their belief.
That's pretty close to the number who are queer. I wonder if their atheism cures them of the disgust that normal people feel about homosexual behavior.
If the argumentative “atheists” were intellectually honest, they would be agnostic because they cannot offer objective proof of their belief.
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Would that not then be also true of theists? That to be intellectually honest they would be agnostic for the same lack of objective proof?
See post 10. I’m betting many atheists wish they had the power of the press and of the government promoting their ideals like the queers have.
Sheesh, another literalist. Besides, let’s see what happens once the bullets start flying.
“.... as our free will allows to us to wander off and lose our way at times.”
.
And it is exactly the actions of our free will that is the basis of God’s judgment.
No free will, no responsibility, no culpability, no judgment.
LOL, don't expect that to be answered in humility. After all, all that they have is from n-th hand transmission.
A theist would likely not require objective proof. He / she has declared a belief, not asserted an objective fact.
Atheists
Atheists and agnostics comprise 9% of adults nationwide (2007); 6% of souls over 61, 9% of those ages 42-60, 14% of those 23-41, and 19% of those 18-22. Indications from the past indicate that these beliefs stay fairly constant through life. http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrowPreview&BarnaUpdateID=272
In 2008, 70% of Americans believed in a personal God, roughly 12% of Americans are atheist (no God) or agnostic (unknowable or unsure), and another 12% are deistic (a higher power but no personal God). The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2008. http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/ARIS_Report_2008.pdf
Among 5 groups, American atheists and agnostics were the segment most likely to describe themselves as being politically liberal (32%) and were the group least likely to describe themselves as being conservative (4%) http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/66-american-faith-is-diverse-as-shown-among-five-faith-based-segments?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=
Protestants constitute 51% of the total US adult population, with Catholics being 24%, and Jewish, Mormon, Atheist and Agnostic all being 2%. Total Unaffiliated: 16%. Orthodox, “Jehovah's witnesses” (so-called) and Buddhist were at 1%, while “Other Christian, Hindus and Other World Religion were 0.5%. All figures rounded off. http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf '
42% of American atheists and agnostics (who make up approx. 8% of the American adult population) claimed to be stressed out,and 14% said they were lonely. 68% were concerned about the moral condition of th country, versus 98% of evangelicals, and 4% describe themselves as being conservative, versus 64% of evangelicals, but 71% of the former said they have traditional or family-oriented values., with 96% of the latter group concurring. http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/80-peoples-faith-flavor-influences-how-they-see-themselves
Evangelicals averaged 6% participation in each of eight behaviors, (exposure to pornography, using profanity in public, gambling, gossiping, engaging in sexual intercourse with someone to whom they were not married, retaliating against someone, getting drunk, and lying.) http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/16-teensnext-gen/25-young-adults-and-liberals-struggle-with-morality Note : unlike other pollsters, Bara evangelicals, being a movement, are not identified by religious denomination or self-identification, but according to responses to basic criteria: See http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/13-culture/111-survey-explores-who-qualifies-as-an-evangelical?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page= and http://www.peacebyjesus.com/RC-Stats_vs._Evang.html
Skeptics (atheist or agnostic) averaged five times the level (29%) of evangelicals. Common acts among skeptics included exposure to pornography (50%), gossip (34%) and drunkenness (33%) http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/16-teensnext-gen/25-young-adults-and-liberals-struggle-with-morality
While only representing 10% of the population, the segment of the prison population which self-identifies as non-religious is approximately twice as large as found in the general population.” http://www.adherents.com/misc/adh_prison.html
Among 5 groups, American atheists and agnostics were the segment most likely to describe themselves as being politically liberal (32%) and were the group least likely to describe themselves as being conservative (4%) http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/66-american-faith-is-diverse-as-shown-among-five-faith-based-segments?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=
70% of self-proclaimed atheists and agnostics affirmed abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances, while 60% approve of clergy performing gay marriages, and 90% approve of cohabitation. ^
More than three out of four of self-proclaimed atheists and agnostics embrace pornography as a moral behavior; and 66% deem drunkenness and using profanity to be morally acceptable acts. ^
75% of the above say that all moral truth is relative to the person and circumstances; only 10% believe in absolute moral truth. ^
Self-proclaimed American atheists and agnostics were the group that is least concerned (41%) about the moral condition of the nation. ^
30% of atheists and agnostics grew up regularly attending Christian churches. Just 10% believe that the Bible is totally accurate in all that it teaches; only 25% say their religious faith is very important in their life; and 15% reject belief in the existence of Satan; 13% do not believe in the reality of the Holy Spirit, and 20% reject that Jesus led a sinless life. ^
A major survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that only 14% of atheists and 10% of agnostics believe that homosexuality is a way of life that should be discouraged by society, versus 51% of of Protestant churches (64% of Evangelical) and 30% of Catholics. http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report2religious-landscape-study-key-findings.pdf
Just 13% of atheists and 14% of agnostics believe abortion should be illegal in most cases, versus 49% of Protestant churches (61% of Evangelical) and 45% of Catholics. ^
Only 19% of atheists said their values are threatened by Hollywood, versus 53% of those in evangelical churches , 46% of Protestant churches and 43% of Catholics. ^
Atheists and agnostics religious skeptics were also much less likely to be driven to have a clear sense of purpose in life (55%, compared to 77% of all American adults) or to want just one marriage partner for life (58% versus an 80% U.S. average). They were also less interested in making a difference in the world (45%, versus 56% nationally) and in having close friendships, http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/18-congregations/29-survey-reveals-the-life-christians-desire (2008) and the least likely to look forward to spending time with friends http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/13-culture/145-americans-just-want-a-good-night-of-sleep?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=
56% atheists and agnostics believe that “radical Christianity” is just as threatening in America as is radical Islam. http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/102-atheists-and-agnostics-take-aim-at-christians?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=
22% of those who self-identified as having No Religion in 2001 were living together with a partner outside marriage (fornication), versus 6% or less of those in Catholic or Protestant denominations. ARIS 2001, p. 27 http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris.pdf However, the 2008 Pew study shows the first category as 10%: http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf
51% of atheists and 42% of adults who associate with a faith other than Christianity had co-habited. http://atheismexposed.tripod.com/atheists_divorce.htm
Based upon the percentage of single adults from the The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2001, atheists are 58.7 percent more likely to get divorced than Pentecostals and Baptists, the two born-again Christian groups with the highest rate of divorce, and more than twice as likely to get divorced than Christians in general. Stated in “The Irrational Atheist," by Vox Day, (Dallas, TX: BenBella Books, Inc., 2008). http://www.scribd.com/doc/7682654/The-Irrational-Atheist-by-Vox-Day based upon (ARIS) 2001 http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris.pdf
The percent currently divorced or separated varies from a low of 6% (Jehovah’s Witnesses) to a high of 14% (Pentecostals), with Catholics and No Religion being 9%. ^
At 19%, the No Religion group showed the lowest incidence of marriage of all twenty-two groups. In sharp contrast, those identifying with the Assemblies of God or Evangelical/Born Again Christians showed the highest proportions married, 73% and 74% respectively. ^
In the U.S. population as a whole, 48 percent of adults are male, as are 47 percent Catholic adults. By comparison, males account or 56 percent of the no-religion group, 70 percent of Atheists, and 75 percent of Agnostics. ^ Also, the Pew Research Landscape study finds 70% of atheists and 64% of agnostics are male, and 30% and 34% respectively, are female. http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf
While Pentecostals, Baptists, and Mainline Christians are 56%-58% female, those who profess no religion or self-identified as atheists or agnostics have a ratio of 60 males to 40 females. (ARIS) 2001 http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris.pdf
37 percent of all Americans, and 55 percent of atheists are are under age 35. Only 20 percent of the latter are 50 and over. http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris.pdf ^
As regards voter registration (2001), those with No Religion were 43% Independent, 30% Democrat, and 17% Republican. Those identifying as Evangelical/Born Again were 58% Republican, 20% Independent and 12% Democrat. ^
Self-proclaimed American atheists and agnostics were the group most likely to define themselves as “mostly liberal” on current issues in 2002. They were also least likely to donate any money to a religious center or non-profit organization. Among those who did donate funds to non-profits, atheists and agnostics gave away the least amount of money during the year. 5 http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/66-american-faith-is-diverse-as-shown-among-five-faith-based-segments?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page
78% of atheists and agnostics were registered to vote, versus 89% of active-faith Americans. 20% of the former volunteer to help a non-church-related non-profit, and 41% of said they personally helped or served a homeless or poor person versus 30% and 61%, respectively, of active-faith Americans. http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/102-atheists-and-agnostics-take-aim-at-christians?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=
The typical no-faith American donated $200 in 2006, versus $1500 contributed by the prototypical active-faith adult. Even when church-based giving is subtracted from the equation, active-faith adults donated twice as many dollars last year as did atheists and agnostics, and only 7% of active-faith adults failed to contribute any personal funds in 2006, versus 22% among the no-faith adults. ^
12% of atheists and agnostics were focused on living a comfortable, balanced lifestyle, versus 4% of Christians in general. to be 10% of the former class were focused on acquiring wealth, versus 2% of the latter. ^
25% of atheists and agnostics said the phrase "deeply spiritual" accurately describes them, while 67% described themselves as being "at peace,” a state 90% of Christians affirmed. ^
About 40% of skeptics were registered as Democrats, 40% as independents and just 20% as Republicans. 76% of atheists and agnostics gave their vote to Sen. Obama, while only 23% backed Sen. McCain. That is a step up from the level of support Democrats have previously received from skeptics. In 2004, 64% of atheists and agnostics voted for Democratic challenger John Kerry. http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/13-culture/18-how-people-of-faith-voted-in-the-2008-presidential-race?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=
On average, weekly churchgoers donate 3.8% of their income to charity, compared to 0.8% for those who never go. Independent Sector (charitable clearing house): Atheists won’t save Europe by Don Feder; http://www.frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=27937
Religious citizens who make $49,000 gave away about 3.5 times as much money as secular citizens with the same income. They also volunteered twice as often, are 57 percent more likely to help homeless persons, and two-thirds more likely to give blood at their workplace. Arthur C. Brooks' Who Really Cares. http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2008/001/8.11.html
On questions about Christianity in 2010, which included various questions about the Bible, Mormons (7.9 out of 12 right on average) and white evangelical Protestants (7.3 correct on average) showed the highest levels of knowledge. Jews (7.9 out of 11) and atheists/agnostics (7.4) had the best grades on questions about other world religions, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism. White mainline Protestants scored 5.8 and 4.9 respectively, and white Catholics scored 5.9 and 5.1. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, “U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey,” Spet. 28. 2010 Back
Nice set of facts and data there. Thanks for posting.
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