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Gallup - 10% Americans Do Not Believe in God

If you had data points you could construct an X and moving range chart. My guess is the six standard deviations and resulting control limits would be well within the range of data points, meaning the process is out of control, which is great actually, considering the direction of the trend.
 
I am actually pretty sure that at least 60% of the people I know and that I encounter on a daily basis are atheists, or in the closet atheists. Whenever I get into a religious discussion it always comes to that uncomfortable gap where one of us has to admit we are an atheist first, and then the other leaps right in with a whew and an appreciation that they can speak honestly.
 
I suspect it's closer to 10% believers in reality. People here are largely ideological Christians. Few have had experiences in their lives that would inspire belief in God and demonstrate nothing in the way of agape or forgiveness or loving their neighbors. I don't know about you, but I would expect such personal relationships with a loving God would produce loving people. Unless God experiences can be described as zenophobic stupidity, then yeah, lots of "believers" here.
 
hylidae said:
I suspect it's closer to 10% believers in reality. People here are largely ideological Christians. Few have had experiences in their lives that would inspire belief in God and demonstrate nothing in the way of agape or forgiveness or loving their neighbors. I don't know about you, but I would expect such personal relationships with a loving God would produce loving people. Unless God experiences can be described as zenophobic stupidity, then yeah, lots of "believers" here.
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It's still possible that a worshiping a loving god (even a non-existent one) would produce loving worshipers. Unfortunately, Jesus promised to turn families against each other, instructed slaves to obey their masters instead of instructing masters to free their slaves, and commanded his followers to kill those who don't believe. Also there's his bizarre and childish tantrum that resulted in tree-icide. If that's their idea of love worthy of worship, I do not want to know what they consider an example of a hateful god.
 
Tom Sawyer said:
I agree. It's a Mystery how He's able to pull thus off and I join you in kneeling in awe before Him for this wonderous ability.
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I'm amazed at God's ability to make me not belive in him. That's non-existent omnipotence for you.
 
Underseer said:
hylidae said:
I suspect it's closer to 10% believers in reality. People here are largely ideological Christians. Few have had experiences in their lives that would inspire belief in God and demonstrate nothing in the way of agape or forgiveness or loving their neighbors. I don't know about you, but I would expect such personal relationships with a loving God would produce loving people. Unless God experiences can be described as zenophobic stupidity, then yeah, lots of "believers" here.
Click to expand...

It's still possible that a worshiping a loving god (even a non-existent one) would produce loving worshipers. Unfortunately, Jesus promised to turn families against each other, instructed slaves to obey their masters instead of instructing masters to free their slaves, and commanded his followers to kill those who don't believe. Also there's his bizarre and childish tantrum that resulted in tree-icide. If that's their idea of love worthy of worship, I do not want to know what they consider an example of a hateful god.
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I agree. But even that would be a first hand, subjective experience in the form of examining one's own conscience and behavior. You can't emulate or obey even a supposedly loving God without either that experience I described or a conscious effort to question one's own thoughts and behavior and to practice new behaviors that fit the lovingkindness ideal.

Christian America does not demonstrate those things and that groupthink ideology is arguably the most powerful force driving prejudice in the US, regardless of the small percentage who have the wherewithal to take some responsibility for themselves. The majority are acting on outrage, misinformation, and a delusional sense of superiority. They've neither examined their own hearts as the Bible actually tells them to do, nor experienced anything transformative or transcendent in relation to that ideology.
 
The "American religious identification survey" is better than Gallup. It asks, not only what people identify as, but in detail exactly what they believe.

It shows a dramatic increase for weirdness. Today a "Christian" identity tells you nothing about what they actually believe.

And the fact remains that atheism has a bad reputation still (which is worthy of its own topic). But lots of functionally atheistic people avoid the label. Neil DeGrasse Tyson is one example. Simply because they think that atheist comes with so many negative connotations they avoid the label. But to me I firmly would put these in the atheist camp.

There's also the little detail that the terms atheist and agnostic are quite vague terms.

But organised religion is on a dramatic decline. That's always something.

So what exactly is that Gallup poll really measuring? It's not so much beliefs as today's most popular labels.
 
I think the change in percentages may have to do with peoples openness about expressing their doubt.
 
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