Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
CSO press release regarding religious demographics
Options
Comments
-
-
-
Peregrinus wrote: »I wouldn’t be so sure!
Since atheism doesn’t import any kind of practice requirement comparable to mass attendance, an exact analogy isn’t possible. But it could well be that a fair chunk of the 277,237 that koth mentions fail to conform to the platonic ideal of an atheist, so to speak, except that nobody has measured this yet.
They’ve measured it in the US, of course. (There are measures of everything there, if you look hard enough.) And there are some slightly surprising findings.
Among American atheists and agnostics, for example - that’s not including the no-religionists; it’s people who actively identify as atheist or agnostic - 16% say that religion is either very important or somewhat important to them. (Comparable figure for those the no-religionists: 42%; for those with a religious affiliation; 91%). 7% of atheists/agnostics say they are religious; 34% are spiritual but not religious; only 57% are neither. Startlingly, 24% of atheists/agnostics are either absolutely certain or fairly certain of the existence of a god or universal spirit. Another 14% have some degree of openness to the possibility while only 54% exclude it entirely. 6% of atheists/agnostics report that they pray daily(!) and a further 11% at least monthly. 75% of atheists/agnostics believe that religion plays an important role in helping the poor, 73% that it is important in building community bonds and 35% think that churches, etc, contribute a great deal, or some, to solving important social problems. 35% also agree that churches, etc, protect and strengthen morality in society.
Of course, these findings wouldn’t necessary be replicated in a study of Irish atheists and agnostics. Still, there’s a striking contrast there between some of those findings and the model of atheism/agnosticism which predominates on this Board. You can’t help feeling that if a similar study were undertaken of the view and attitudes of Irish atheists/agnostics, there might be a couple of “disparities” lurking in there.
Ha! That's mad altogether:-) Wasn't aware of that at all. Have to say, I thought atheism was about NOT believing in any deity. I'll take your point so
0 -
An atheist looks for proof of any god and none is there, hence they do not believe in any god. An agnostic is prepared to believe it's possible, in spite of no proof and adopts a "we don't know, so wait and see" attitude, rather than one of disbelief.
If there was definitive proof of god, it would render disbelief null and void. Obviously. And that's what's wrong with your point AFAIK.
It's more that a/gnosticism is a statement about knowledhe (thats what gnostic means) whereas a/theism is about belief.
Someone who is gnostic claims to know something, so an agnostic is someone who claims to not have 100% evidence on a position.
Whereas an a/theist is someone with a position on a god claim.
It is therefore possible to be a gnostic theist (someone who is SURE there is a god), an agnostic theist (someone who admits they cannot have 100% evidence there is a god) and the opposite is true as well.
I am, disproving GarITs post, an agnostic atheist. I do not claim to know 100% there is no god: I have just never seen a single piece of convincing evidence for him. If I were handed convincing evidence tomorrow, I would reconsider. That's the point of trying to be rational.
Agnosticm and atheism are not different points on a sliding scale, but relative on an axis. I will dig out the standard image in a mo
0 -
-
Advertisement
-
Ah, thankyou:-) That saves me a good bit of wallowing about in terminology! Ok, seems I'm an agnostic atheist too.
Most people I've talked to are
It's a weird thing though, I've seen many, many religious people try to make atheists fit the definition GarIT posted, I assume in an attempt to play the old "you're just like us when it comes down to it only you worship atheism instead of our god" but for the vast majority it simply is not true.0 -
-
Doctor DooM wrote: »Most people I've talked to are
It's a weird thing though, I've seen many, many religious people try to make atheists fit the definition GarIT posted, I assume in an attempt to play the old "you're just like us when it comes down to it only you worship atheism instead of our god" but for the vast majority it simply is not true.
It's one of those bizarre arguments that's made.
"See you're just as irrational as we are!"0 -
Doctor DooM wrote: »
Agnosticm and atheism are not different points on a sliding scale, but relative on an axis. I will dig out the standard image in a mo
Far-right, Tea Bagger, Christine O'Donnell dumped her boyfriend because he believed he was going to heaven, but she knew she was, with 'absolute certainty'.
As good a reason as any. :rolleyes:0 -
Doctor DooM wrote: »It's a weird thing though, I've seen many, many religious people try to make atheists fit the definition GarIT posted, I assume in an attempt to play the old "you're just like us when it comes down to it only you worship atheism instead of our god" but for the vast majority it simply is not true.
Thats exactly how we were told it worked in school, still have it written down in an old copy
Literally what I have is "An Atheist does not believe in any higher power and believes that it is not possible that there is a higher power. An Agnostic person thinks there is no god but would be convinced otherwise if there was proof."
It would make you think that some things need to be changed but for this discussion I still think all children should be classed as no religion, or the census shouldnt be allowed to ask the religion of people under 18.0 -
Advertisement
-
Thats exactly how we were told it worked in school, still have it written down in an old copy
Literally what I have is "An Atheist does not believe in any higher power and believes that it is not possible that there is a higher power. An Agnostic person thinks there is no god but would be convinced otherwise if there was proof."
It would make you think that some things need to be changed but for this discussion I still think all children should be classed as no religion, or the census shouldnt be allowed to ask the religion of people under 18.
I suppose if it was a religious school it makes sense to make atheists seem silly and dogmatic!0 -
-
-
It's how I was taught it in school too. It's a simplified version for consumption by children. Sadly, religious instruction in this country never rises above that level, and most people retain this misconception.Thats exactly how we were told it worked in school, still have it written down in an old copy
Literally what I have is "An Atheist does not believe in any higher power and believes that it is not possible that there is a higher power. An Agnostic person thinks there is no god but would be convinced otherwise if there was proof."0 -
-
Jaysus, an Irish school teaching something incorrect; who would have thunk it?Thats exactly how we were told it worked in school, still have it written down in an old copy
Literally what I have is "An Atheist does not believe in any higher power and believes that it is not possible that there is a higher power. An Agnostic person thinks there is no god but would be convinced otherwise if there was proof."
It would make you think that some things need to be changed but for this discussion I still think all children should be classed as no religion, or the census shouldnt be allowed to ask the religion of people under 18.
Incidentally there's a whole thread of 'Most Incorrect Things You Were Taught' over in AH, if you want more examples of top-notch Irish school teaching.0 -
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
It is interesting. We haven't been hit as badly as other areas in Ireland with damning child abuse reports. It wouldn't have surprised me if Cloyne had seen the biggest drop in religion, for example.Peregrinus wrote: »Interesting. Why is Galway so godless, I wonder?
It says that Galway City and Kilmacduagh (County Galway) had the biggest drops in religious affiliation in the country. It's kind of ironic that Kilmacduagh is famous for its old monastery.
Ha, I've just noticed this.
Forever alone.56.2: The percentage of those with no religion (incl. Atheist and Agnostic) who were single, the highest
of any religious group
0 -
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
![[Deleted User]](/applications/dashboard/design/images/defaulticon.png)
Advertisement