Why are Athiests a minority (about 10%) and live mostly in the UK and Korea?

Question

A survey ("What the world thinks of God") showed that the majority of people (about 90%) believe in God, even in communist countries. The UK appears to be the most secular with only about 2/3 believing in God.

Did God put this knowledge of his existence in the hearts of all humans?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/wtwtgod/3518375.stm

Yes, I was lazy and did not type Atheists correctly but don't take offense at this.

Interestingly, most people in the sciences (like Physics) believe in God and the secularists are concentred in the pseudo-sciences such as sociology...

For those who are afraid to click on the link, 10,000 people were surveyed by the poll company ICM - similar to polls in elections I suppose.

To those who think only less developed nations have a higher belief in God, the figure for the US was 91%

Answer 1

God did indeed create us to commune with him. He made us to have dominion over the animals and have relationships on our level (people).

I didn't click the link either.

Answer 2

I followed the link at the end of your question. While I think that the survey is interesting, it only included ten countries in the world. It also did not include the margin of error to tell us the statistical relevance of the study. Hence, it is impossible to determine its validity. I also noticed the survey did not include scientists. I have searched for some time now to find a survey which is a compilation of the belief of major scientists. There is none to be found. You might want to look at some other more complete surveys on the religious beliefs of the world that contain solid statistical evidence. Those surveys most certainly indicate that "God" did not put knowledge of his existence into the hearts of all humans. There are many millions of people who have no belief in the western concept of "God". In fact there are indeed many westerners who do not embrace "God".

Answer 3

Not sure about Korea, but the UK had a gut full of religious bigotry when Henry VIII wanted to remarry and was told he could not. Good old Henry did what lots of religious people have done since, he amended his religion to suit the occasion. We had numerous wars over it with Catholic France/Spain etc.Having undergone this reform and established a democracy where people were encouraged free speech and the power of the church was cut back, British people have had time to reflect on religion. The majority have tended to drop it.
This quaint custom never really got to the USA as most of those who went to America were Catholics (Poles and Irish) or Protestant religious fanatics who were being persecuted by Catholics and so the US has a top heavy grounding of religious people. Atheist did exist, Franklin and even Washington were not very Christian, but their times dictated they be careful, so it was not really public knowledge, but rather 'discrete'!
Communist countries attempted to stamp out religion which is not the best way to do anything. Britain let people discuss and debate whereas the subject was taboo in Russia and China - so human nature being what it is, as soon as people can do something again, they go and do it and in large numbers. Still, this resurgence is not massive, and many do not bother.

Answer 4

In the UK, the idea of god is in the culture. The head of state is a holy appointment and the National Anthem calls for divine intervention. Several times a year, children have the ideas rammed down their throats along with chocolate eggs and selection boxes. All of this is based on the texts of a book which, despite being obvious nonsense, is always endorsed by the establishment and authority. The lesson this teaches is that lying about religion and God is readily acceptable in society and positively desirable in authority. Mostly people say they believe in god because they think they're supposed to say that. Not because they actually do. The statistics lie about religion because the people lie about religion and the people lie about religion because religion has encouraged and inspired them to so, all their lives long.

These statistics tell me that honesty is starting to make inroads in society. Painting it as atheism is a politic. Nowhere was Atheism mentioned in those surveys. Why have you added it?

Answer 5

In answer to your question, people need something to believe in to stop the miserable bits of their lives overwhelming them. It's easier to believe that there is a divine plan that means your parents died young, or you're always in debt, than it is to accept that life can be rubbish and there's no reason for it. That's why faith of some kind is so appealing: it takes the randomness out of life.

It's also good for explaining the unexplainable, and that is why it's declining in places like Britain, because we have science to replace the "God did it" explanation. I don't think the behaviour of some of the religions of the world have helped encourage people who are wavering that they should believe in something, either.

However, the thing I think we should be looking at here is the statistics used. 10,000 people were asked, and the results were used to generate figures for the world. That's 0.0001% of the population that was asked - hardly representative! If there are 193 countries in the world, then that's 51.8 people asked in every country - so I wouldn't take these numbers to heart.

Answer 6

This "survey" isn't very accurate in that its asked 10,000 people about their belief in god and states what the world thinks. This isn't at all proprtionate of the worlds population. I'm sure that if they took the results of all censuses from all countries the results would be a hell of a lot different. The atheists would definitely not be in the minority and then the smiles would be wiped off your smirk faces.

Answer 7

I'm incredibly disappointed as many as two thirds of British believe in God. If we had a better education system it should be more like 10% believe in him.

What to make of this though? "But across the entire sample, almost 30% of all atheists surveyed said they sometimes prayed."

How the hell are they defining atheist!?

As for the latter part of this question - God didnt put knowledge anywhere because A) he doesnt exist and B) ignorance is where 'God' hides.

Don't the UK and Korea have fairly good education systems? I bet countries with the best educations are on average more likely to be atheist or at least secular.

Answer 8

Belief is not the same thing as proof. I believe that the Jolly Green Giant rules the universe - is that proof? I think you might want to look at the statistics from China again - the communist government has raised billions to be atheists.

Answer 9

I'm not clicking the link cause I don't believe the statistics you've quoted... even if they are official BBC.

God didn't put it in to the hearts of humans.

Its called the "bimerical brain". Its a forerunner in man's evolution before full consiousness. People heard voices (rudimentary thoughts)... and in the grey put things together believing in a higher power. Later people believed that if someone walked past your field, and your cow died next day... that the walker must have put a curse on your cow.

Many people still have a "bimerical brain".... or aspects of it, and can be influenced and controlled by clever people who have full consiousness.

I think most athiests have "full consiousness".

Answer 10

Cool Britannia

Answer 11

The idea of GOD just makes it easier for people..just another crutch that helps people cope.

I love all the people that claim God saved them in a disaster yet..forget to mention why he failed to save all the babies all the other people.

I have a relative like that..she claims GOD saved her during Katrina. No...she evacuated and that FORD that carried her fat butt outta town saved her. She makes a box of rocks look smart...you guessed it she is a Catholic..LOL

God is pretty smart....everybody is kissin his butt and he has never shown up anywhere since time began. LOL

OKAY..if god is so smart...why did he put humans on earth..what he hates the earth..they are the ones destroying it