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Atheists - more unpopular than ...

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  • 25-03-2006 5:32pm
    #1
    pH
    Registered Users Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭


    ... just about everyone!

    http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/42536.html

    From a telephone sampling of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.” Atheists are also the minority group most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry.

    Another startling fact on 3% of Americans claim they're atheists - 97% are religious.

    Here's another (better) take on the survey

    http://www.sploid.com/news/2006/03/america_hates_a.php


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    #2
    Aporia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 377 ✭✭Aporia


    Well it written down that I'm a Catholic and I doubt that'll ever change. Not many children are born into Atheist families and since Christianity is so popular n'all most babies become instantly "religious".


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    #3
    Dades
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    Interesting reading. I wonder if the participants in the polls were offered "atheists" as a choice, or if they were came up with that 'threat' on their own.

    The tone of the "Sploid" article mocks the results, but doesn't really further any cause with statements like:

    "Most studies combine atheists and agnostics for a total of 12%, meaning some 36 million Americans – more than one in 10 – either don't believe in a god or couldn’t care less about the whole subject."

    I know a few agnostics that might beg to differ with that definition.


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    #4
    abetarrush
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭abetarrush


    3% of Americans claim they're atheists - 97% are religious


    That explains a LOT!


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    #5
    CiDeRmAn
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 34,528 CMod ✭✭✭✭CiDeRmAn


    Yup, the fact that the US administration is currently in the hands of religious fundamentalists of a Christian and Jewish hue is hardly surprising, never thought the Reagan administration was a good thing but at least the division of church and state was respected, now, since 9/11 its been open season over there on anyone "different", not american enough, so non christians are the easiest way to draw the line between them and others.
    Being an atheist in Ireland isn't a problem at all, although people seem to think whats to stop me going out and eating babies without a god to tell me its a sin, kinda putting the cart before the horse there.
    In the US where they, the vocal minority of the religious right, are extending their poisonous tendrils of suspicion and weaving them into even the ordinary joe soaps home via the media, its not surprising therefore that the new "Reds under the Bed" are Muslims, unusual that atheists who are as european as the respondents are would be a source of paranoia, perhaps they have some monstrous image of a godless heathen butchering his way throug their village in a deep race memory?


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    #6
    abetarrush
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭abetarrush


    Yeah, religion basically just tells u the basic ethics: Its wrong to steal, kill people etc

    BTW: Thou must not covet your neighbours wife

    Does this mean I can covet any wife that isnt my neighbour? :D

    anyway, yeah, religion gives u rules that are just natural to Humans, like killing and stealing, throw in some crazy stories, then create hate

    I think religion is what has created the whol DIFFERENT = WRONG attitude people have today, like, most religions spit on Gays/Lesbians, then basically anyone who doesn't practice their same religion

    I ratio of good and bad results of religion is literaly 1:1,000,000, IMHO


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    #7
    CiDeRmAn
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 34,528 CMod ✭✭✭✭CiDeRmAn


    The funny thing is that over in the US they are quite backward in their thinking on the subject, it would be interesting to see if Canada, a nation without the whole fear of state and also without the type of worship of the individual over the group, feels on the same subject.
    Given that geographicaly they occupy the same space as the US the basic cultural setup, their starting parameters as a nation are quite different, I don't reckon the fear of the outsider, of the "not us" would be anything like as strong.


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    #8
    MagnumForce
    Closed Accounts Posts: 630 ✭✭✭MagnumForce


    I just find it strange that Americans have such a fear of Outsiders and immigrants, when they're oustiders and immigrants originally themselves, theyre not really americans, they massacred all the real Americans and stole their land, maybe they're just afraid that because they did it, one day some more immigrants will come along and kill them and steal their land.


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    #9
    Funsterdelux
    Registered Users Posts: 3,376 ✭✭✭Funsterdelux


    I didnt know we were in a popularity contest. :o


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    #10
    MagnumForce
    Closed Accounts Posts: 630 ✭✭✭MagnumForce


    Funsterdelux wrote:
    I didnt know we were in a popularity contest. :o

    Arn't we all really


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    #11
    CiDeRmAn
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 34,528 CMod ✭✭✭✭CiDeRmAn


    Well, without a god to do it, who's going to love us unconditionally when all our folks are gone? We have to create some love in these people, get a float in the Paddys day parade, open a clinic for disadvantaged animals you know that sort of stuff!


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