O.K. Since 10% or less of our country is Atheist or Agnostic?

Question

And Christians comprise 80+%, Why do the nonbelievers on Y/A sit here day after day writing Christians off as uneducated, backwards thinking idiots. Should we be a third world country if almost everyone here is so incredibley stupid?

Hey giantsfreak, I did research it and 10% is a very liberal number.

Answer 1

good point - to Atheists the majority rules except when it comes to something they don't believe - how convenient eh?

Answer 2

mm...perhaps... but lets look more at the actual statistics

Although only 10% are professing atheists on census data, there are actually a lot more out there. For example, I was raised in a Catholic family, so the last time they took a census (many years ago), I was, and probably am, labeled as a Catholic -- even though I'm very much an atheist.
Further, a lot of people will put down the religion of their family whether they believe it or not. I think the largest religion, aside from Christianity, is probably Apathy.

As for the second half, when atheists say Christians are stupid, there is usually a qualifier they are leaving out. I can't speak for everyone, but in general I think they are referring to the universe-in-6-days, earth-in-6000-years, evolution-hating, scientifically-illiterate fundamentalist Christians. I'm sure every atheist out here will tell you of a non-fundie Christian friend they know that is positively brilliant.

Third, even though atheism is a minority in the general population, it is an overwhelming majority amongst scientists. I've heard figures of 97% and higher. It only takes a few scientists to keep a country technologically viable. (i.e. any idiot can make a car run once internal combustion was invented).

Fourth and finally, the stupidity they are being charged with may only extend to their religious beliefs. A lot of very smart people will be fine when it comes to their jobs, life, house, family, etc... but then throw all logic and sense out the window when it comes to their religious beliefs. These people are not stupid in the general sense, but they are stupid within a particular subject (religion). [Just like I'm stupid within a particular subject -- history.]

So, to summarize:
-- There's more atheists/agnostics than you think
-- They are not talking about the majority of Christians, just the fundies
-- Almost all scientists are atheists.
-- You can be smart and stupid at the same time because of different subjects.

Answer 3

How do tyrants maintain their power? Do people want to live in a totalitarian state? How does a dictator keep his troops loyal when they see their countrymen suffer under cruel, autocratic policies?

It's easy. Make the alternatives unimaginable. Inculcate an attitude of fear by predicting disaster if things are changed. Generate propaganda and repeat it as often as possible. The more outrageous and unbelievable your claims, the more they will be accepted, because "you couldn't seriously make this stuff up." Ridicule and libel your critics, limit their opportunities to speak, do whatever it takes to silence or discredit them. Then people will believe and do whatever you want. They'll do your work for you because they can't imagine defying your benevolent protection.

That's why the minority speaks up, just in case the majority has been brainwashed.

Answer 4

Your numbers are really skewed, by placing all other religions into the final 10% of that category, but okay we'll go with your numbers.
People can be deluded and still do great things. I can't imagine anyone thinking that great civilizations such as egypt, greece and rome were uneducated and backward thinking in their time, and none of them worshipped your particular god (until after 325 AD when Rome married gnostic judaism with paganism to create your religion for political purposes).
They weren't third world countries in their day.. they were forward thinkers.
Thankfully, the U.S. is a SECULAR society, otherwise, we'd be heading toward third world status with the kinds of legislation some of you want to push through our government.
But, I digress. The bottom line is that your argument isn't valid against history. Pagan societies advanced the human race for thousands of years prior to christianity.

Answer 5

First of all, studies have been done that prove a correlation between the importance of religion to IQ. The higher one is, the lower the other.

That said, its foolish to write off christians/people of faith as uneducated (and yes, there is a difference between IQ and levels of education). It takes some degree of intelligence (and in certain cases a lack thereof) to rationalize the facts of the world, to the fictions they hold to be true.

Answer 6

Another example of arrogance... Assuming that third world countries are comprised of people YOU label as "stupid" because they don't have the same ______ (you fill in the blank) as you do. Very cute. Let me clue you in... just because someone doesn't live like you do, or necessarily doesn't believe as you do doesn't make them "stupid"... and as a matter of fact, I think that a LOT of them are a LOT smarter than US.

Cultivate knowledge, wisdom and altruism I always say... and it falls on deaf ears.

_()_

Answer 7

Hey I'm from a third-world country and take offense to that, and I agree that is a contradiction since countries such as Poland whose population is mostly catholic have very challenging education systems.

Answer 8

If it were up to that 80% of the country, we WOULD be. Can the average American build you a nuclear power plant? How about a computer? A cell phone? A pen? Hell, can they even explain how they work, in principle? Nope.

Answer 9

The world needs ditch diggers too.

I'm pretty sure it is more than 10% now. We will see in 2011. I can wait. Do you know how many people actually go to church once a week?

Answer 10

The christians are hypocritical. They will teach Darwinism in a High School classroom to make a buck so they can put part of it in an offering plate on Sunday.

Wasn't god smart to get rid of the brunt goat offerings, and switch to currency?

Answer 11

i'm specific it relies upon on which u . s . as some are greater open and tolerant than others. For the main area, however, i might think of that they had have it tremendously tough in the event that they tried to be open with their atheism. u . s . of america extremely is a large society in spite of if it somewhat is not Christianity it somewhat is right now in charge for our tolerance. it somewhat is our bill of Rights and love of freedom.