Pew: 8 facts about atheists
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Anonymous
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https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/07/8-facts-about-atheists/
Atheists make up 4% of U.S. adults, according to our 2023 National Public Opinion Reference Survey. That compares with 3% who described themselves as atheists in 2014 and 2% who did so in 2007. In the U.S., atheists are mostly men and are relatively young, according to a Center survey conducted in summer 2023. Around six-in-ten U.S. atheists are men (64%). Almost all U.S. atheists (98%) say religion is not too or not at all important in their lives, according to the same summer 2023 survey. An identical share say that they seldom or never pray. U.S. atheists and religiously affiliated Americans find meaning in their lives in some of the same ways. In a 2017 survey, we asked an open-ended question about this. Like a majority of Americans, most atheists mentioned family as a source of meaning. However, atheists (26%) were far more likely than Christians (10%) to describe their hobbies as meaningful or satisfying. Atheists were also more likely than Americans overall to describe finances and money, creative pursuits, travel, and leisure activities as meaningful. Very few atheists (4%) said they found life’s meaning in spirituality. Atheists make up a larger share of the population in many Western European countries than in the U.S., according to a spring 2023 Center survey that included 10 European countries. For example, nearly a quarter of French adults (23%) identify as atheists, as do 18% of adults in Sweden, 17% in the Netherlands and 12% in the United Kingdom. Most U.S. atheists express concerns about the role religion plays in society. An overwhelming majority of atheists (94%) say that the statement “religion causes division and intolerance” describes their views a great deal or a fair amount, according to our summer 2023 survey. And 91% say the same about the statement “religion encourages superstition and illogical thinking.” Nearly three-quarters (73%) say religion does more harm than good in American society. Atheists may not believe religious teachings, but they are quite informed about religion. In our 2019 religious knowledge survey, atheists were among the best-performing groups. On average, they answered about 18 out of 32 fact-based questions correctly, while U.S. adults overall got roughly 14 questions right. In particular, atheists were twice as likely as Americans overall to know that the U.S. Constitution says no religious test is necessary to hold public office. Most Americans don’t think believing in God is necessary to be a good person, according to the summer 2023 survey. When we asked people which statement came closer to their views, 73% selected “it is possible to be moral and have good values without believing in God,” while 25% picked “it is necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values.” Adults in some other wealthy countries tend to agree with this sentiment, based on responses to a similar question we asked in 2019 and 2022. For example, nine-in-ten Swedish adults say belief in God is not necessary to be moral and have good values, while 85% in Australia, 80% in the Czech Republic and 77% in France say this. About three-quarters of U.S. atheists (77%) do not believe in God or a higher power or in a spiritual force of any kind, according to our summer 2023 survey. At the same time, 23% say they do believe in a higher power of some kind, though fewer than 1% of U.S. atheists say they believe in “God as described in the Bible.” This shows that not all self-described atheists fit the literal definition of “atheist,” which is “a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods,” according to Merriam-Webster. (the 2019 religion survey Pew research conducted is here: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/07/23/what-americans-know-about-religion/, but the research must be outdated or something. I can’t access it, maybe it’s my browser or something idk.) |
Anonymous
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found the religious knowledge quiz Pew gave to determine a person’s religious knowledge:
https://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/u-s-religious-knowledge-quiz/?utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=19-07-23%20Religious%20Knowledge&org=982&lvl=100&ite=4386&lea=1011042&ctr=0&par=1&trk= Take our short, 15-question quiz, and see how you do in comparison with 10,971 randomly sampled adults who were asked these and other questions designed to measure the public’s knowledge about a wide range of religious subjects. This study was conducted mostly among members of Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel, supplemented by interviews with members of the Ipsos KnowledgePanel. |
Anonymous
| If you believe in a higher power, you are not an atheist. |
Anonymous
“About three-quarters of U.S. atheists (77%) do not believe in God or a higher power or in a spiritual force of any kind, according to our summer 2023 survey. At the same time, 23% say they do believe in a higher power of some kind, though fewer than 1% of U.S. atheists say they believe in “God as described in the Bible.” This shows that not all self-described atheists fit the literal definition of “atheist,” which is “a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods,” according to Merriam-Webster.” Note: Pew uses the Merriam-Webster dictionary to define the terms they use while conducting surveys. |
Anonymous
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Why is OP obsessing over atheism?
Are you questioning your faith? Or do you just enjoy antagonizing others? |
Anonymous
How is posting a Pew Research link that merely shows Pew Research results and research about atheists antagonizing others? |
Anonymous
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14 of 15 questions right
Atheist since 2000 |
Anonymous
“On average, they answered about 18 out of 32 fact-based questions correctly, while U.S. adults overall got roughly 14 questions right.” The link posted is for a different survey than the one referenced in Pew’s report on atheism. The linked religious test only has 15 questions, and the test referenced in the op has 32 questions. I took the linked 15 question test. It asked a few extremely easy and basic questions about the major world religions. I don’t know if knowing a few facts about each religion makes one knowledgeable. I got a perfect score and I am not knowledgeable about any religion. I just know a few things about the world’s major religions. |
Anonymous
Not OP, but if atheists start threads bashing religion all the time, why can’t op offer up a few actual facts? |
Anonymous
Is that what we’re doing now? Escalating? Sure you want to poke the bear? |
Anonymous
I think the weird thing about the test is that apparently people who are religious don't know as much about religion as people who aren't. |
Anonymous
You feel a Pew research article is poking the bear? What is being escalated? |
Anonymous
Dont give a hoot about any dictionary. If you believe in a higher power then you are not an atheist. End period. |
Anonymous
Don’t play coy. Intentionally posting antagonizing posts is escalating. Is that what you want, OP? |
Anonymous
| Where in the article do you find the test? I'd like to take it. I think it's interesting the atheists do better on Bible knowledge than the professed believers. I've noticed that in real life too. |