no because we do live in the country where very few people agree with Bush. does that make them retards?
2007-06-13 06:16:40
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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The figure that you have given is quite certainly too low. The definition of an atheist is a person who does not believe in any god or deity. According to the definition, at least 10% of the world's population are atheist (This figure does not include religious people such as Buddhist). The percentage that you obtained is probably of those people who answers yes to the question: Are you an atheist? The difference in numbers is due to many people being unwilling to admit that they are atheists, sometimes in fear of discrimination.
The article on Demographics of atheism on Wikipedia provides a more accurate percentage of population.
To your question if atheism is a mental issue, the answer would depend on what you define mental issue as. If you are referring to being mentally unsound, then the answer is no, an atheist is as sane as any normal person, perhaps even more so because atheists generally tend to rely on reason rather than faith. In fact, many prominent scientists are atheist.
If by mental issue, you mean that it is caused by the way we think, then the answer is yes. The rise of modern atheism is generally attributed to the Enlightenment movement in Europe sometime after the Renaissance. This is in part due to the growing advancements in Science and an increasing support for secularisation, the separation between Church and State. As Science advanced, many people realised that they can resort to naturalist (scientific) views to explain phenomenons that occur, from things such as earthquakes to the origin of life. Some of these people found they no longer had a need to use the supernatural as a form of explanation, and so dropped their religious believes. Of course, as anyone one would expect, secularisation would only increase such a way of thinking, as religion no longer became mandatory in education, politics, and other aspects of life. (Previously such people could have been called heretics and punished by a terrible death, a pretty good explanation why many people would not admit to being atheists before the 1700s)
2007-06-13 07:39:26
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answer #2
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answered by Jan C 2
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No. The opposite. When we're born, we don't believe in ANYTHING! Religion has to be taught to us. Some of us are left to explore our spirituality on our own and as a result, some of us become agnostics,
some atheists,
some believe in some form of higher consciousness
and some are still searching.
I'd say at least a third of the world's population is made up of these groups.
2007-06-13 06:24:09
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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Surprisingly only a small percent of the earth's population (Christians) truly believe in the living God. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. This means most people STILL don't believe in God. As far as not knowing that we are not alone, atheist are few. But by not truly knowing God, there are many "atheists".
Pray for 'em
2007-06-13 06:36:00
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answer #4
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answered by F'sho 4
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When pressed, people claim to believe in God because they are repressed that way. To declare you are a free thinker is a scary thing. Not so long ago Christians burned and slaughtered unbelievers...
I would assert that perhaps seventy percent of the world accepts some form of religion, but does so not out of any belief, but rather out of custom and to not be ostracized.
Fear of censure will make people say anything.
Now here is the states, you are not even allowed to run for Chief Executive unless you make claim to be a regular Church goer.
George Bush's own minister doubts Bush's sincerity in Christian belief and has publicly censured the president for unChristian behaviour...
Richard Nixon was a Quaker, and was excommunicated from his Church because of his bellicosity and obvious dishonesty.
Ronald Reagan's closest advisor was his wife who got her inspiration from the Horoscope (pretty damn Pagan there)...
Religion is a bogus matter. Most people who claim it are just outright lying and trying to fit in to a perceived norm.
The real faithful must be rather pissed at all the pretense, and though I am not one of them, I sympathize with the position they are put in by all those that believe more in money and sucess than Christ.
2007-06-13 06:27:42
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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Wo, Wo, Wo, thats a sweeping generalization. In the UK 9% go to COE and maybe 25% are believers. That doent account for Islam and Budda and all the rest. Aetheism does not account for agnostics. Atheism is a non commital religion that people cling to as a brand label. They have little voice.
2007-06-13 06:23:21
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answer #6
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answered by Barbarian 5
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Actually, when you capitalize "G" in god, you are calling the Biblical god by name. Maybe 1/3 of the world believes in that one. I think your ignorant egocentrism is a mental issue.
2007-06-13 06:23:24
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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What a misleading question, and on purpose I'm sure
Which god are you talking about.
Do you consider a Christian and some tribe from Africa who worships their volcano god the same thing?
How about a Jew and and Buddhist, who believes in millions of gods, do you consider them the same thing?
How about a Muslim and someone who still worships the Incan gods?
are you all in the same boat, do you consider their beliefs vaild or just using them to prove a pointless point?
2007-06-13 06:22:03
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answer #8
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answered by Anonymous
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It is hard to get good numbers because it depends on how you ask the question but it is higher than that.
And it is 93% of the National Academy of Science. Want to take out all the top western scientists? They are the ones keeping the Muslims from killing all you guys.
2007-06-13 06:19:58
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answer #9
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answered by Anonymous
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only around 1% of people thought that the world where flat and where considered barmey for thinking otherwise yet the 1% was right.
how can atheism be a mental condition you plank
2007-06-13 06:17:38
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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* This figure is way too low.
* This is the logical fallacy known as "argument from popularity". At some point, only about 2.4% realized the world was not flat. Why do you have to resort to logical fallacies? Are you really that afraid of atheism?
Description of Appeal to Popularity
The Appeal to Popularity has the following form:
1. Most people approve of X (have favorable emotions towards X).
2. Therefore X is true.
The basic idea is that a claim is accepted as being true simply because most people are favorably inclined towards the claim. More formally, the fact that most people have favorable emotions associated with the claim is substituted in place of actual evidence for the claim. A person falls prey to this fallacy if he accepts a claim as being true simply because most other people approve of the claim.
It is clearly fallacious to accept the approval of the majority as evidence for a claim. For example, suppose that a skilled speaker managed to get most people to absolutely love the claim that 1+1=3. It would still not be rational to accept this claim simply because most people approved of it. After all, mere approval is no substitute for a mathematical proof. At one time people approved of claims such as "the world is flat", "humans cannot survive at speeds greater than 25 miles per hour", "the sun revolves around the earth" but all these claims turned out to be false.
This sort of "reasoning" is quite common and can be quite an effective persusasive device. Since most humans tend to conform with the views of the majority, convincing a person that the majority approves of a claim is often an effective way to get him to accept it. Advertisers often use this tactic when they attempt to sell products by claiming that everyone uses and loves their products. In such cases they hope that people will accept the (purported) approval of others as a good reason to buy the product.
This fallacy is vaguely similar to such fallacies as Appeal to Belief and Appeal to Common Practice. However, in the case of an Ad Populum the appeal is to the fact that most people approve of a claim. In the case of an Appeal to Belief, the appeal is to the fact that most people believe a claim. In the case of an Appeal to Common Practice, the appeal is to the fact that many people take the action in question.
This fallacy is closely related to the Appeal to Emotion fallacy, as discussed in the entry for that fallacy.
Examples of Appeal to Popularity
1. "My fellow Americans...there has been some talk that the government is overstepping its bounds by allowing police to enter peoples' homes without the warrants traditionally required by the Constitution. However, these are dangerous times and dangerous times require appropriate actions. I have in my office thousands of letters from people who let me know, in no uncertain terms, that they heartily endorse the war against crime in these United States. Because of this overwhelming approval, it is evident that the police are doing the right thing."
2. "I read the other day that most people really like the new gun control laws. I was sort of suspicious of them, but I guess if most people like them, then they must be okay."
3. Jill and Jane have some concerns that the rules their sorority has set are racist in character. Since Jill is a decent person, she brings her concerns up in the next meeting. The president of the sorority assures her that there is nothing wrong with the rules, since the majority of the sisters like them. Jane accepts this ruling but Jill decides to leave the sorority.
2007-06-13 06:19:46
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answer #11
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answered by eldad9 6
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