There are news reports out this morning on a new poll stating that “76 percent of Americans are True Believers.” However, I find it more remarkable that basically one-fourth of Americans said that they do not believe in God. Given the continued lure of faith-based politics, it is remarkable that atheists and agnostics still have so little influence on politicians. There are few groups that can claim one out of four Americans and yet politicians continue to denounce those who do not believe in God. That includes people who simply say that they do not know one way or the other. The poll has some other interesting facts.
Thirty-eight percent of Americans believe that they have received direct orders from God to take particular actions in their lives. Of those who believe in God, 53 percent believe God plays an active role in dictating weather and disasters. Only 17 percent believe that God does not play such a role.
By the way, despite common misconceptions, there is little difference between Democrats and Republicans on such questions. Some 42 percent of Republicans believe that they are acting on God’s orders as opposed to 40 percent of Democrats. Fittingly, “independents” are least likely to believe in such divine direction.
Yet, I am struck by the large number of atheists and agnostics given their small influence on politics. Compare more powerful groups like the 34 percent of gun owners or 22 percent Tea Party supporters or 12.9 percent over 65 or 3.5 percent Gay population or the 2.2 percent Jewish population. Non-believers constitute 25 percent of the population but continue to be not only marginalized politically but vilified socially. It is an interesting contrast with other groups of similar or strikingly smaller size with more power politically.
What do you think?
The really terrifying thing is if this is true it means 3 out of 4 Americans are insane! To believe in prayer when science proves there has never been a single case of anyone healed through it, not a single documented miracle, absolute proof there is no such thing as a bad boy Lucifer & near 100% proof there is no god at all yet we have people out there who really believe in things like the Easter Bunny. This delusional thinking process getting into government would have angered the founders but it is destroying the nation.
These 3 of 4 people should be put on psychiatric drugs so they come into reality & get off the magical thinking of delusions.
It’s to the point now when someone brings up a god, I simply ignore them & keep walking. At least I do know 70% of those aged 22 or younger are Agnostic, Atheists or Humanist so that is one saving force for our future or we would have ended up as a Theocracy with the most secular constitution on earth to prevent it.
I don’t mind if someone wants to make believe in private but to bring it out in public is something I don’t tolerate.
I know far too much about science to bother with people who refuse to be human & at least adult acting. I can understand a child who was indoctrinated into something from delusional parents but no adults please.
http://www.godisimaginary.com is your proof that you need if you are delusional.
The 76% “true believers” shows me that many Americans dare not to admit they do not believe in God. This however is an alarming sign which shows that the society does not allow free thinking.
Interesting article on Atheist Churches:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ATHEIST_MEGACHURCH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-11-10-17-03-15
“They don’t bash believers but want to find a new way to meet likeminded people, engage in the community and make their presence more visible in a landscape dominated by faith.”
“”There was so much about it that I loved, but it’s a shame because at the heart of it, it’s something I don’t believe in,” Jones said. “If you think about church, there’s very little that’s bad. It’s singing awesome songs, hearing interesting talks, thinking about improving yourself and helping other people – and doing that in a community with wonderful relationships. What part of that is not to like?””
“Sunday Assembly – whose motto is Live Better, Help Often, Wonder More – taps into that universe of people who left their faith but now miss the community church provided, said Phil Zuckerman, a professor of secular studies at Pitzer College in Claremont.”
Not much, if any, seperation here between God (cap G, one & only concept) & the spirit of man. You could never prove the former in a milenia of Sundays. That you & others are a spirit is relatively easy to prove.
Bush invaded Iraq because of Bible prophecies
Jacques Chirac wanted to know what the hell President Bush had been on about in their last conversation. Bush had then said that when he looked at the Middle East, he saw “Gog and Magog at work” and the biblical prophecies unfolding. But who the hell were Gog and Magog? Neither Chirac nor his office had any idea. But they knew Bush was an evangelical Christian, so they asked the French Federation of Protestants, who in turn asked Professor Römer.
He explained that Gog and Magog were, to use theological jargon, crazy talk. They appear twice in the Old Testament, once as a name, and once in a truly strange prophecy in the book of Ezekiel
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2009/aug/10/religion-george-bush
Someone up above in a comment employed the word “dogma”. As a human in a prior life who got rid of my religion, and now a dog in this life, I am leery of folks who use the word “dogma”. In our neck of the woods a “dogma” is a mom dog. Now a dogma will always tell the pups to not poop on the golf course or fart in church when you guide blind guy into church. So those two admonitions stay with one through life. It is also bad luck to poop by the 8th Hole. And that is a fact, Jack. One can observe the depth of religion shared by a congregation– when they all flood out of the church service halfway through communion all over a single dog fart. Of course, my blind guy who is next to me thinks it was the guy on the other side of me who cut the fart so I do not get the blame. Then, when we are the last folks in there the preacher will come down to say goodbye as we walk out and lament that the flock left before they got fleeced.