NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm pretty new to this site, so I haven't had much time to scan, lurk and gain a real feel for environment. Those threads that I have read have deeply disturbed me, specifically one very incendiary thread that basically cursed athiests.

I spend a good portion of my daily time on the internet (as a Web Developer), and I run across a good number of articles on a wide range of topics. As luck would have it, I ran across a very intersting article yesterday on the decline of religion in the US. On the thread I referred to in the previous paragraph, someone of obvious personal bias stated that the US is 94% Christian. That is an outright lie, and not even close to the truth. In fact, America is approaching a new age where Protestant Christians will finally comprise less than 50% of the total population (with all Christians comprising less than 75% of the total population). Athiesm, agnosticism and humanism are all rapidly gaining in support, and many other people are turning to a more basic form of spiritual expression without the trappings of codified religion.

Reference: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&e=1&u=/usatoday/surveyusasprotestantmajoritymightsoonbenomore

Personally, I believe in a form of karmic balance, and such "information" as was presented needs a counter to restore that balance. I would sincerely hope that most posters here would understand the depths of ignorance in those posts, and I do have some faith that that is the case. So, take what I've said with a grain of salt, or discuss it at length...at least the balance is restored.

(And as an FYI: I am not a Christian (more of an Athiestic Taoist Pagan with a dash of Theravada Buddhism), and I am an American. I don't own a gun, I don't have a flag wafting from my car antenna, and I don't support the current regime in power, so please don't lump me in with all of the "ugly Americans" so prevelant in the world today. Thank you.)

I hope it wasn't titled "Radical atheists shove blah blah blah"


If it was, READ THE WHOLE GOD DAMN THING DAMMIT!! This is, what, the 10th person that didn't read the part where I said "RADICAL ATHEISTS"....R-A-D-I-C-A-L!!!!!!

If it wasn't, I'm sorry for that outburst.

If it was, READ THE WHOLE GOD DAMN THING DAMMIT!! This is, what, the 10th person that didn't read the part where I said "RADICAL ATHEISTS"....R-A-D-I-C-A-L!!!!!!

I think radical anything is negative, especially when it comes to religion or political views. I don't mind atheists or agnostics or anyone of any faith as long as they don't 1) try to blow me up; 2) try to force their beliefs down my throat; or 3) use their beliefs as a crutch to spew forth ignorance.

As Chrissie Hynde once sang,

But, I got a smile
For everyone I meet.
Long as you don't try dragging my bay,
Or dropping a bomb on the street.

Sarzonia, I was addressing problem number 2.

Yay. I'm part of a rapidly growing minority.
On the other hand...the article claimed that Mormons are a rapidly growing group as well...Raysia, do you have anything to say about this one?

Yay. I'm part of a rapidly growing minority.
On the other hand...the article claimed that Mormons are a rapidly growing group as well...Raysia, do you have anything to say about this one?

are mormans considered protostants?

(And as an FYI: I am not a Christian (more of an Athiestic Taoist Pagan with a dash of Theravada Buddhism), and I am an American. I don't own a gun, I don't have a flag wafting from my car antenna, and I don't support the current regime in power, so please don't lump me in with all of the "ugly Americans" so prevelant in the world today. Thank you.)

I don't think you can be an athiest and a pagan at the same time

are mormans considered protostants?
i woudlnt think so

they just get lumped in when its catholic/protestant dualism.

I don't think you can be an athiest and a pagan at the same time

YEAH
im gonna get his atheist membership card revoked!

I hope it wasn't titled "Radical atheists shove blah blah blah"
*snip*
If it wasn't, I'm sorry for that outburst.
Apology accepted.


I don't think you can be an athiest and a pagan at the same time
Perhaps Neo-Paganism is more accurate

Neo-Pagans are a community of faiths bringing ancient Pagan and magickal traditions to the modern age--including mostly Wicca but also Druidism, Asatru, Shamanism, neo-Native American, and more. Neo-Pagan is an umbrella term for various and diverse beliefs with many elements in common.

Just because one does not believe in a divine manifestation (ie a "god"), does not mean one cannot be spiritual and see aspects of "divinity" everywhere.

June issue of US News and World Report:
Special issue on the definition of America.

less than 1% of americans are athiests
90% are christians
but if you include all religions, that increases to 94% of Americans who believe in God etc. including christianity, islam, wicca.

US News has a reputation for being open and honest about their reporting unlike other print media like the New York Times which constantly bashes America.

90% Christian? Really? I thought it was closer to like 70%.

I spend a good portion of my daily time on the internet (as a Web Developer), and I run across a good number of articles on a wide range of topics. As luck would have it, I ran across a very intersting article yesterday on the decline of religion in the US. On the thread I referred to in the previous paragraph, someone of obvious personal bias stated that the US is 94% Christian. That is an outright lie, and not even close to the truth. In fact, America is approaching a new age where Protestant Christians will finally comprise less than 50% of the total population (with all Christians comprising less than 75% of the total population). Athiesm, agnosticism and humanism are all rapidly gaining in support, and many other people are turning to a more basic form of spiritual expression without the trappings of codified religion.

How many kinds of Christianity are there besides Protestantism? I might believe that 25% of us are Catholic (like my former self) but not that many people live in Utah. Anyway, I'm pleased to here that people are abadoning the enslavement.

BTW, Why do people say that if religion disappeared, people would find other excuses for their ridiculous vendettas? Are we really going to hear on the news that the "pro-life people of Israel" have invaded the west bank and killed many "pro-choice palistinians"? Religion is the cause of a lot of problems.

Well, at least the Catholic share in the nation's religious makeup remained the same (of which I am one). It's sad, however, to see that so many souls may be lost. I am wondering if our Protestant friends are losing members because of a period of experimentation, and not actual defection.
However, I'd like the statisticians in charge need to look at the Protestant makeup. Some churches, like the Lutheran and Episcopal churches, have experienced decline, while others, such as the Baptists, have been on the rise.

BTW, Why do people say that if religion disappeared, people would find other excuses for their ridiculous vendettas? Are we really going to hear on the news that the "pro-life people of Israel" have invaded the west bank and killed many "pro-choice palistinians"? Religion is the cause of a lot of problems.
*Nods head in agreement so vigorously that he gets whiplash*
Ow.
I agree. The Inquisition, Crusades, Thirty Years War, (to some degree) WWII, as well as almost every war in the mid-East...and the entirety of Islamic Terrorism (as well as homegrown stuff like abortion clinic bombings) are all the result of religion. Without religion, a lot less blood would have been shed over the course of human history.
-Disclaimer: I'm not saying that religion hasn't done a lot of good things, mind you. It's been very good at charity and such. Kudos, religious people.-

*Nods head in agreement so vigorously that he gets whiplash*
Ow.
I agree. The Inquisition, Crusades, Thirty Years War, (to some degree) WWII, as well as almost every war in the mid-East...and the entirety of Islamic Terrorism (as well as homegrown stuff like abortion clinic bombings) are all the result of religion. Without religion, a lot less blood would have been shed over the course of human history.
-Disclaimer: I'm not saying that religion hasn't done a lot of good things, mind you. It's been very good at charity and such. Kudos, religious people.-

how the hell was WW2 caused by religion

hitler was an athiest

90% Christian? Really? I thought it was closer to like 70%.
So did I.

How many kinds of Christianity are there besides Protestantism? I might believe that 25% of us are Catholic (like my former self) but not that many people live in Utah. Anyway, I'm pleased to here that people are abadoning the enslavement.
If your religion is branched off of christianity, the report considers your religion to be christian. That's I what I am assuming.

June issue of US News and World Report:
Special issue on the definition of America.

less than 1% of americans are athiests
90% are christians
but if you include all religions, that increases to 94% of Americans who believe in God etc. including christianity, islam, wicca.

US News has a reputation for being open and honest about their reporting unlike other print media like the New York Times which constantly bashes America.
No offense to US News, but I trust the N.O.R.C. (the source for the statistics in the USA Today article I linked to), much more than US News. I can't gain access to the US News story (as it is pay-per-view), but I can certainly get into here:

http://www.norc.uchicago.edu/projects/gensoc.asp

...which is the project webpage for the statistical survey which my article is drawn from.

Since the article is not available freely online, can you post the sources from which US News drew its incredible conclusions? I very much doubt the numbers printed are anywhere near accurate, or you are paraphrasing them inaccurately. Regardless, I'd like to see the author's sources.

The idea that 90% of America is Christian is ridiculous. Roughly half the people I know are not Christian. Check out some of these statistics (of unknown quality or accuracy):

http://www.adherents.com/adh_dem.html
http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html

Though they don't agree (even amongst themselves), none even approaches the absurd 94% listed by that USN article. It ALL depends on how you define Chirstianity, and how you define non-religious. If you lump Secular/Nonreligious in with agnostics and athiests, you end up with 15% of the US falling into that category. If the survey used by USN had only the "big" religious options, then its skewed to begin with.

No offense to US News, but I trust the N.O.R.C. (the source for the statistics in the USA Today article I linked to), much more than US News. I can't gain access to the US News story (as it is pay-per-view), but I can certainly get into here:

http://www.norc.uchicago.edu/projects/gensoc.asp

...which is the project webpage for the statistical survey which my article is drawn from.

Since the article is not available freely online, can you post the sources from which US News drew its incredible conclusions? I very much doubt the numbers printed are anywhere near accurate, or you are paraphrasing them inaccurately. Regardless, I'd like to see the author's sources.
I gave the magazine to someone else. If I hadn't lost my atm card, I would get an account and give you the password so you could look it up.

No offense to US News, but I trust the N.O.R.C. (the source for the statistics in the USA Today article I linked to), much more than US News. I can't gain access to the US News story (as it is pay-per-view), but I can certainly get into here:

http://www.norc.uchicago.edu/projects/gensoc.asp

...which is the project webpage for the statistical survey which my article is drawn from.

Since the article is not available freely online, can you post the sources from which US News drew its incredible conclusions? I very much doubt the numbers printed are anywhere near accurate, or you are paraphrasing them inaccurately. Regardless, I'd like to see the author's sources.
I've known that the christians in the U.S. only comprise about 3/4 of the population for a while. My source is the U.S. census. Why mess around with other sources, use the definitive.

76.5% seems to be the most common number...

http://www.gc.cuny.edu/studies/key_findings.htm

...I wonder if USN has an agenda they're trying to push...