Is it true that the largest demographic of atheists in the USA are young adults under 27 years of age?

Question

I just heard this, but I'm not so sure about the source. Can anyone confirm or dispel this question? Thanks.

Answer 1

I wouldn't trust the source if it was claimed as being accurate. Researching atheists in the USA is very difficult. In the US atheists are a minority who are discriminated against (anybody disagreeing with that should look up the term 'George Bush, quote, atheist' on google for an idea of how atheists are seen). This makes it difficult for researchers to accurately just their numbers - hence the statisticians view that 8-16% of Americans are atheists. This is a very vague number, due to people hiding their (non) religious views. There is also the issue of defining atheism - some research will be based on people saying they are atheists. Others on people saying they don't believe in god.

For these and other reasons it's hard to estimate the numbers of atheists. So, to break this group into demographic groups is impossible to do with any degree of certainty.

Answer 2

i might think of that on condition that Christianity is interior the final public right here, and the main vocal Christian communities would be predisposed to assert that technology is incorrect approximately issues that are oftentimes generally taking place by making use of scientists as basic awareness (the age of the planet, evolutionary concept, etc.), properly-knowledgeable adolescents sense as though they're justified in writing the entire element off as hogwash. certainly--as quickly as a toddler-kisser says something so incorrect that's laughable, do you ever take her or him heavily back? faith might desire to stick to an identical standards of credibility, and for many folk (curiously) they're purely no longer measuring up. (notice: disliking prepared faith has no longer something to do with why i'm an atheist, yet I think of that that's the reason of the final public of adolescents who replied the way they did during this ballot.)

Answer 3

I haven't heard that. And while I wouldn't be too suprised if it were true, as an atheist under 27 myself (although just barely), most of the atheists I know are 50 or older.

Answer 4

I would like to see some surveys - it certainly sounds reasonable. A lot would be in or not too far out of college with a lot of science studies. I was Atheist at that age but then went towards Wicca\Paginism. I know older Atheists as well but most would be around that age.

Answer 5

I'm an atheist under 27

Answer 6

Good question. The US Census data is online, but there's no cross-table of age by religion, as far as I can tell.

This atheist is over 27.

Answer 7

Well it seems that way to me. I am older than that, but when you get around a group of atheists it seems that the vast majority is under 30.

This makes sense. They grew up with more of a scientific understanding.

Answer 8

It's probably wishful thinking. One would hope the younger people would be more attuned to critical thinking, but there's some anecdotal evidence to the contrary.

Yahoo and their orange fruit colored tag under my avatar have contributed to that body of evidence. One can understand fruit without being labeled as such.

Answer 9

Probably not. I don't think Dawkins fits into that demographic, nor do many scientists who are atheists.

Atheists and like theists. There is no really set demographic. They are all ages, all races, all colors, all langauges, all education levels.

Answer 10

That's probably true. That's about the age of the kids that were in elementary school when they removed religion from the schools.