Unless they're all Randians... On Tue, Aug 14, 2012 at 2:02 PM, Jim Devine <[email protected]> wrote:
> from SLATE: > > Poll Shows Fivefold Increase in Ranks of U.S. Atheists > The survey also shows a downward trend in the number of people who say > they are religious. > > By Jeffrey Bloomer | Posted Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012, at 2:44 PM ET > > A new poll suggests that 1 in 20 Americans now call themselves > atheists, a fivefold increase from the last time the survey was taken > in 2005. > > The Religion News Service reports that, to go along with the jump, > just 60 percent of Americans now identify as religious, down from 73 > percent the last time the Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism poll > was taken seven years ago. The decline has also been felt in many > other countries around the world, including double-digit drops in > several European and North American countries. > > Here's the question pollsters asked 50,000 or so people from 57 > countries and five continents: "Irrespective of whether you attend a > place of worship or not, would you say you are a religious person, not > a religious person, or a convinced atheist?" > > Overall, the WIN-Gallup International-conducted poll found about 13 > percent of respondents worldwide consider themselves atheists, and > also showed notable disparities in atheism among faiths. > > The stark findings set off some expected resistance, including a > theory that the poll shows less a rise in atheists than in people who > are willing to identify as one, especially with the rise of popular, > outspoken skeptics like Richard Dawkins. Others questioned the poll's > international standards. > > Sharp as the rise in self-identified American atheists may seem, the > poll also notes that the new findings merely bring the United States > in line with Saudi Arabia, which also reports 5 percent convinced > atheists. China remains the global leader, with 47 percent. > -- > Jim Devine / If you're going to support the lesser of two evils, you > should at least know the nature of that evil. > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > -- Cheers, Tom Walker (Sandwichman)
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