the number of americans with no religion doubled

[boracay]

'The American Religious Identification Survey in 2001 estimated that 29 million Americans had no religion, double the number from 1990.'

Is this good or bad?

[kurto]

its very positive

[Johnny Drama]

what was the increase %wise from 1990 to the latest available data?

example: in 1990, 5% of Americans identified with "no religion", in 2006, _% of Americans say they have "no religion".

[vhawk01]

[ QUOTE ]
what was the increase %wise from 1990 to the latest available data?

example: in 1990, 5% of Americans identified with "no religion", in 2006, _% of Americans say they have "no religion".

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd guess 8-9%? What is the population growth in the US? 1%?

[Duke]

Just to round things nicely, it's about 6% to 10%. So it's about a 4% increase.

The question I have is if the "actual" number is higher, or lower? I'm thinking that anyone who puts nothing is really nothing, but some de facto "nothings" will list a religion for various social, familial, and political reasons.

[testaaja]

I think that the number of people with no religion in finland doubles like every year. I think it's very positive.

[MidGe]

[ QUOTE ]
it is very positive

[/ QUOTE ]

Now we only need policies to follow suit!

[kurto]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
it is very positive

[/ QUOTE ]

Now we only need policies to follow suit!

[/ QUOTE ]

Still a minority. Since the irrational won't be led by the minority....

[Brenner Hayes]

Two more double-ups (which would get us to about 1/3 of the population) and I think we could hit a tipping point. When one out of three people in any conversation can point out the absurdities of these foolish fairy tales and feel quite secure in doing so because of being in such a sizable minority, the entire house of cards could crumble in no time.

This is a very good thing in my opinion.

[djames]

It's one thing to state on a harmless population survey that you don't believe in religion, and it's quite another thing to fight for no religion in matters of public policy. I highly doubt that 100% of such voters would fight for that belief. On the flop side, I find it much easier to believe that 100% of religious voters would fight for their beliefs.

[kurto]

[ QUOTE ]
It's one thing to state on a harmless population survey that you don't believe in religion, and it's quite another thing to fight for no religion in matters of public policy. I highly doubt that 100% of such voters would fight for that belief. On the flop side, I find it much easier to believe that 100% of religious voters would fight for their beliefs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well... a lot of religious people still don't want religion in their govt. And a lot of people who are religous are the kind who aren't exactly fundamentalists. The kind who go to church on Easter and Christmas... call themselves Christians but don't really think about it except on Holidays.

[boracay]

i believe it's increasing everywhere.

[mvdgaag]

I think it's great! Only unfortunately I've read that worldwide mor and more people are getting religious and people that already were are getting more religious and extreme as well.

[RJT]

[ QUOTE ]
'The American Religious Identification Survey in 2001 estimated that 29 million Americans had no religion, double the number from 1990.'

Is this good or bad?

[/ QUOTE ]

Relative to what - in what context?

Did these folk lose their Religion or did they never have a Religion and just “came out of the closet”? What Religions lost “believers"?

In other words what does this survey actually say? I have a hunch it probably doesn’t tell us much of anything.

[NotReady]

[ QUOTE ]

'The American Religious Identification Survey in 2001 estimated that 29 million Americans had no religion, double the number from 1990.'


[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe we're passing the baton to
South Korea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Korea)

[Nielsio]

[ QUOTE ]
'The American Religious Identification Survey in 2001 estimated that 29 million Americans had no religion, double the number from 1990.'

Is this good or bad?

[/ QUOTE ]


It's a completely natural transition in the age of information and the end of closed societies, groups and families.


This gives you a better understanding of the behaviour of such ideas:

Viruses of the Mind
http://www.simonyi.ox.ac.uk/dawkins/Worl...sesofmind.shtml (http://www.simonyi.ox.ac.uk/dawkins/WorldOfDawkins-archive/Dawkins/Work/Articles/1993-summervirusesofmind.shtml)

[bocablkr]

The number of people worldwide who claim to have no religion, are agnostic or atheist is over 1 billion. That is about 1/6 of the worlds' population. Only 5 billion to go...