Poll: Percent of Christians drop, those identifying as "none" soars

[sealybobo]

Notice they overwhelmingly solid numbers merely are unchurched rather than nonbelievers.

Atheists rose from 1.6% to 3.1%, and agnostics from 2.4% to 4%

Non believers went from 4% to 7.1%

Margain of error makes that 11.1%.

 

[hortysir]

I don't think we have to worry about this one.

Thanks



I think

 

[hortysir]

How many will come back if religion becomes nice? It will change if the current message isnt selling. Look how many catholics have come back to church because of the new pope. Even gay catholics visited the Vatican.

I already see an explosion of "feel good" churches that don't teach the 'fire and brimstone, wages of sin is death' message.
And, apparently, memberships are still waning

 

[sealybobo]

How many will come back if religion becomes nice? It will change if the current message isnt selling. Look how many catholics have come back to church because of the new pope. Even gay catholics visited the Vatican.

I already see an explosion of "feel good" churches that don't teach the 'fire and brimstone, wages of sin is death' message.
And, apparently, memberships are still waning

I think there will always be a lot of people who seek out religion but I think we'll be a much better off society when religions stop preaching fear and hate. Its losing more people than its winning over.

Omg the family guy is doing an episode on what happens when you die. One of the funniest episodes I've ever seen.

 

[Carla_Danger]

How many will come back if religion becomes nice? It will change if the current message isnt selling. Look how many catholics have come back to church because of the new pope. Even gay catholics visited the Vatican.

I already see an explosion of "feel good" churches that don't teach the 'fire and brimstone, wages of sin is death' message.
And, apparently, memberships are still waning

Who wants to feel good going to church? I prefer being yelled at about going to hell for an eternity, sent there by an all loving Gawd. These dang "feel good" churches probably don't even believe in beating your child with a rod.

 

[PratchettFan]

And yet we see billboards, holiday displays, etc. The purpose of advertising is to sell something.

Yeah it is. To sell you something you don't need.
--- And?

And.... that belies the claim that "Atheism has no agenda of attracting converts." That was the point, but the point was clearly false.

I don't follow.
What's the nature of advertising got to do with atheism?

Oh no, I'm not buying you are that obtuse. Please....

I'm "obtuse" because I haven't seen some obscure billboard in Minnesota?

Alllllll righty then....

This thread jumped the proverbial shark quite a ways back. Aloha.

I said I wasn't buying you were that obtuse, not that you were. I was inferring you weren't being honest. I know you've been here long enough that you have seen multiple examples of this and pretending you haven't isn't going to fly. Toodles.

 

[PratchettFan]

QUOTE]

If you're really curious, Google it. Let's not pretend that all atheists have a live and let live attitude, any more than we would pretend that all Christians are tolerant. The descriptors for both were intentionally used, and they're obnoxious people.[/QUOTE]

I have no doubt there are those who are activist about their opinions. This board is made of them.

But what would be the point of lobbying people to not-believe something?[/QUOTE]

If you've seen the activist atheists post around here, then you're aware of how they believe religion is a negative for society...the more who "see their light", the less who will work to infringe on their beliefs.[/QUOTE]
Then your perception is incorrect.

Those free from faith take no issue with religion, they correctly take issue with religious extremists who use religion as a political weapon to compel conformity through force of law, or force of violence. Religious extremists do not constitute the majority of theists, nor are they representative of all theists, but their extremism is harmful to society, not the religion they misappropriate and misrepresent – Christians, Jews, and Muslims.[/QUOTE]

The problem is that after almost 7 decades on the planet and talking on this subject with more people than I can recall, if not count, I have yet to meet anyone who is free from faith.

 

[Hollie]

QUOTE]

If you're really curious, Google it. Let's not pretend that all atheists have a live and let live attitude, any more than we would pretend that all Christians are tolerant. The descriptors for both were intentionally used, and they're obnoxious people.

I have no doubt there are those who are activist about their opinions. This board is made of them.

But what would be the point of lobbying people to not-believe something?[/QUOTE]

If you've seen the activist atheists post around here, then you're aware of how they believe religion is a negative for society...the more who "see their light", the less who will work to infringe on their beliefs.[/QUOTE]
Then your perception is incorrect.

Those free from faith take no issue with religion, they correctly take issue with religious extremists who use religion as a political weapon to compel conformity through force of law, or force of violence. Religious extremists do not constitute the majority of theists, nor are they representative of all theists, but their extremism is harmful to society, not the religion they misappropriate and misrepresent – Christians, Jews, and Muslims.[/QUOTE]

The problem is that after almost 7 decades on the planet and talking on this subject with more people than I can recall, if not count, I have yet to meet anyone who is free from faith.[/QUOTE]
I have only 2.2 decades on the planet and many more than half the people I know have no formal religious affiliation or actively pursue any religious practices.

 

[PratchettFan]

QUOTE]

If you're really curious, Google it. Let's not pretend that all atheists have a live and let live attitude, any more than we would pretend that all Christians are tolerant. The descriptors for both were intentionally used, and they're obnoxious people.

I have no doubt there are those who are activist about their opinions. This board is made of them.

But what would be the point of lobbying people to not-believe something?

If you've seen the activist atheists post around here, then you're aware of how they believe religion is a negative for society...the more who "see their light", the less who will work to infringe on their beliefs.[/QUOTE]
Then your perception is incorrect.

Those free from faith take no issue with religion, they correctly take issue with religious extremists who use religion as a political weapon to compel conformity through force of law, or force of violence. Religious extremists do not constitute the majority of theists, nor are they representative of all theists, but their extremism is harmful to society, not the religion they misappropriate and misrepresent – Christians, Jews, and Muslims.[/QUOTE]

The problem is that after almost 7 decades on the planet and talking on this subject with more people than I can recall, if not count, I have yet to meet anyone who is free from faith.[/QUOTE]
I have only 2.2 decades on the planet and many more than half the people I know have no formal religious affiliation or actively pursue any religious practices.[/QUOTE]

I said "free from faith".

 

[Hollie]

QUOTE]

If you're really curious, Google it. Let's not pretend that all atheists have a live and let live attitude, any more than we would pretend that all Christians are tolerant. The descriptors for both were intentionally used, and they're obnoxious people.

I have no doubt there are those who are activist about their opinions. This board is made of them.

But what would be the point of lobbying people to not-believe something?

If you've seen the activist atheists post around here, then you're aware of how they believe religion is a negative for society...the more who "see their light", the less who will work to infringe on their beliefs.

Then your perception is incorrect.

Those free from faith take no issue with religion, they correctly take issue with religious extremists who use religion as a political weapon to compel conformity through force of law, or force of violence. Religious extremists do not constitute the majority of theists, nor are they representative of all theists, but their extremism is harmful to society, not the religion they misappropriate and misrepresent – Christians, Jews, and Muslims.[/QUOTE]

The problem is that after almost 7 decades on the planet and talking on this subject with more people than I can recall, if not count, I have yet to meet anyone who is free from faith.[/QUOTE]
I have only 2.2 decades on the planet and many more than half the people I know have no formal religious affiliation or actively pursue any religious practices.[/QUOTE]

I said "free from faith".[/QUOTE]

Yes, you did. That just sounds kind of phony to me because my earlier comment includes religious belief, faith and any practice of religious faith.

 

[JakeStarkey]

"Religious extremists do not constitute the majority of theists, nor are they representative of all theists, but their extremism is harmful to society, not the religion they misappropriate and misrepresent – Christians, Jews, and Muslims."

As do militant atheists, such as the French revolutionaries and the 20th century communists, who saw religion as an essential enemy in the class war.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Normally by their panting and chanting. Not many of them are so foolish. We do see many religious proselytizers here, yes.

I'm curious, what do they paint and chant?

I read too fast a lot of the time hear.

Huh?

This is the second time I have answered this. Learn to differ between paint and pant.

 

[PratchettFan]

QUOTE]

If you're really curious, Google it. Let's not pretend that all atheists have a live and let live attitude, any more than we would pretend that all Christians are tolerant. The descriptors for both were intentionally used, and they're obnoxious people.

I have no doubt there are those who are activist about their opinions. This board is made of them.

But what would be the point of lobbying people to not-believe something?

If you've seen the activist atheists post around here, then you're aware of how they believe religion is a negative for society...the more who "see their light", the less who will work to infringe on their beliefs.

Then your perception is incorrect.

Those free from faith take no issue with religion, they correctly take issue with religious extremists who use religion as a political weapon to compel conformity through force of law, or force of violence. Religious extremists do not constitute the majority of theists, nor are they representative of all theists, but their extremism is harmful to society, not the religion they misappropriate and misrepresent – Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

The problem is that after almost 7 decades on the planet and talking on this subject with more people than I can recall, if not count, I have yet to meet anyone who is free from faith.[/QUOTE]
I have only 2.2 decades on the planet and many more than half the people I know have no formal religious affiliation or actively pursue any religious practices.[/QUOTE]

I said "free from faith".[/QUOTE]

Yes, you did. That just sounds kind of phony to me because my earlier comment includes religious belief, faith and any practice of religious faith.[/QUOTE]

Except I was responding to Clayton, who used the phrase "free from faith".

 

[JakeStarkey]

I grin when I read the pompous statements of millennials on these matters. I am sure my grandparents did the same when I spoke stupidly at the same age.

 

[Disir]

Christians drop nones soar in new religion portrait

Christianity still dominates American religious identity (70%), but the survey shows dramatic shifts as more people move out the doors of denominations, shedding spiritual connections along the way.
Atheists and agnostics have nearly doubled their share of the religious marketplace, and overall indifference to religion of any sort is rising as well. Only the historically black Protestant churches have held a steady grip through the years of change.

The shrinking numbers of Christians and their loss of market share is the most significant change since 2007 (when Pew did its first U.S. Religious Landscape survey) and the new, equally massive survey of 35,000 U.S. adults.
The percentage of people who describe themselves as Christians fell about 8 points — from 78.4% to 70.6%. This includes people in virtually all demographic groups, whether they are "nearing retirement or just entering adulthood, married or single, living in the West or the Bible Belt," according to the survey report
The "nones" — Americans who are unaffiliated with brand-name religion — are the new major force in American faith. And they are more secular in outlook — and "more comfortable admitting it" than ever before


Nones," at 22.8% of the U.S. (up from 16% just eight years ago) run second only to evangelicals (25.4%) and ahead of Catholics (20.8%) in religious market share.



.

Good. The more this occurs the less likely that someone/s will attempt to legislate their religious beliefs.

 

[JakeStarkey]

The more this occurs, the more 1st Amendment rights for believers and non-believers alike will be protected.

No one likes fundy atheists or fundy religionists.

 

[Hollie]

I grin when I read the pompous statements of millennials on these matters. I am sure my grandparents did the same when I spoke stupidly at the same age.

Why is it that you believe you are not still afflicted with stupidity?

 

[Hollie]

The more this occurs, the more 1st Amendment rights for believers and non-believers alike will be protected.

No one likes fundy atheists or fundy religionists.

It's not Atheists who are attempting to insert partisan religious dogma into the public schools and into government business. That would be you Christians.

 

[JakeStarkey]

I grin when I read the pompous statements of millennials on these matters. I am sure my grandparents did the same when I spoke stupidly at the same age.

Why is it that you believe you are not still afflicted with stupidity?

Because your pompousness makes me grin. Go for it, though, Hollie, 'cause life is short. Be a fundy atheist all you want.

 

[JakeStarkey]

No

The more this occurs, the more 1st Amendment rights for believers and non-believers alike will be protected.

No one likes fundy atheists or fundy religionists.

It's not Atheists who are attempting to insert partisan religious dogma into the public schools and into government business. That would be you Christians.

Not me. I believe in a firm separation of church and state, and I believe that fundies like you have the right to free speech and the right to be called out when you speak stupidly.