71% of the U.S. population said they’d die for their God, or their beliefs. Scary statistic or comforting?

Question

Does your answer change when told that Lebanon had the same percentage as the US?

Think Beirut, civil strife, ethnic cleansing, Lebanese Civil War. Did I mention that Lebanon has the largest proportion of Christians of any Arab country? Not to imply causation mind you. Christianity isn't the problem so much as religion.

Religion has caused so much tension and fighting that they haven’t done an official census since 1932 for fear of triggering more violence. This is because the three largest sects: Sunnis, Shi’as & Maronites all have inflated their numbers so they now total 150% of the population, w/out even including all the other sects.

“Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do.”
— Bertrand Russell

Source: 2004 survey: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/wtwtgod/3518375.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Lebanon#Religious_groups_of_Lebanon

Answer 1

Scary & Sad! If they would die for...then I would suspect that they would KILL for!

Answer 2

Luckily, most Christians no longer adhere to the dominant theories that we did during the Crusades, and you're merely misinterpreting what Christians are trying to say. I would gladly lay my life down for my Lord, because I already have done so spiritually. I've given my life - and soul - to Him, and have done so gladly. This doesn't mean I would gladly strap dynamite to my chest and walk into a crowded cafe with the intentions of becoming a Christian "martyr"...unlike some religions I'll decline to name.

Take this scenario, for instance: If I were being detained by religious fundamentalists (fanatics) in the Middle East, and were told that I would either have to deny my Lord and be held captive, or risk having my head chopped off by a rusty blade...then I'd have to settle for a slow and agonizing death, right there on the spot, rather than deny Him. Sadly, this is becoming more and more commonplace in many dark regions of the world. Gives you some insight into which religion is truly "evil", and which simply has viewpoints that others happen to disagree with.

Answer 3

People that never served in the Military and people who never saw combat.............will answer these stupid questions all the time with bravado and bluster.

Most people that wave the flag are very brave when far from the front lines......its actually funny to see......how the flags suddenly dissappear and the brave talk stops the closer they get to the front line.



forget the survey, Americans by far will roll over and convince themselves they are doing the right thing.

The few of us that see the real danger, try to wake up those who are worth saving.

We need to forget about color and religion. Our country is in trouble. Americans come in all shapes colors and sizes, but.......we are Americans. This is what should bond us together against the world. Do you really think any other country gives a damn what happens to America? Heck, they are praying for our death. Lets focus on Americans, of all colors.



Listen........this is America and our country should put Americans first in everything. Immigrants should not have any rights here at all, lets take care of our fellow Americans first. America is NOT the lifeboat for the rest of the world. We dont owe anyone a damn thing except to our veterans.

Other countries dont even allow immigration........there is no real reason we need immigrants anymore. Let the people from other countries build up their own country, dont run away and try to hide in America. America was built at a price of blood.......most immigrants today are cowards in their own country, thats why they try to hide here. Americans are willing to die for our country, but the immigrants obviously would rather let someone else do their fighting and sacrifice for them.

There are PLENTY of Americans ready to work for a decent wage. We dont need immigrants. The H1B visa program is a scam by big business, dont believe for a second they cant find any qualified Americans to take a job.

Its time we took back our country and maybe even changed the form of government we have. We are no longer represented fairly, the representation is for the wealthy and special interests.

The Americans in our country come in all colors and religions. There is no race involved. What IS involved is simple......this is OUR country and we dont want anymore damn immigrants........got it?

People, we built this country and many of us shed blood for our country, we deserve to have a home, secure from foreign invaders. An illegal immigrant is a foreign invader.

America is in a death spiral. We cant carry the weight of every crybaby immigrant that wants into our great country.

We need to put a MORATORIUM on all immigration, until every single American is taken care of first.

AMERICANS FIRST........then..maybe...a few immigrants here and there.

We Americans May be closer than we think..........to that special time...........time to lock and load

Answer 4

Bertrand Russell is an intelligent person !

71% of the population are IDIOTS... to die for their false promises, lies and deceptions of unproven religious beliefs !

That's why I'm moving from the USA !

religion is Spiritual fraud;

Here's the Solution for religion:

Create a Private, Personal, Direct, Divine Relationship with Our Creator and save Your Soul from religion's and atheist's beliefs and start Your journey back home, to Heaven.

<<<<<<< UnConditional Love is the only answer >>>>>>>

Love and Believe in Our Creator;
Love and Believe in Yourself.

Only with Our Creator's Love and Peace will we be Truly Free!

Answer 5

I doubt the validity of this survey because there were a lot of things missing from it. It measured frequency of response which doesn't say much about the survey. The level of measurement appears to be nominal at max. I looked at the data set and there wasn't any indication of statistical significance. It wasn't peer reviewed which indicates some problems with the information. Entertaining yes, valid probably not.

Answer 6

Saying and doing are two different things.

I think if push came to shove, that number would be in the teens.

It's easy to say you would die for Jesus, when most Christians have a hard time following his word, let alone laying down their lives for him.

If Christians took his message of love and peace and helping the poor as real, there would be allot less poor people around, and allot less judgment taking place.

If 71% of the US would die for God, why aren't they helping the poor? Seems like listening to God would be a hell of allot easier than dieing for him?

Answer 7

Would you offer your life to save an innocent? How about firefighters? Police officers?

Dying on behalf of a perceived or objective good is not the issue-- killing on behalf of such things is the real issue-- and one does not need to cite the violence of religion to demonstrate the folly of such an action, there are plenty of examples of such behaviors motivated entirely by secular ideology.

Suggested reading: Jon Glover "Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century."

The appeal to the violence of religion as the primary cause of human misery is empty and audacious after the terrors of the tyrranical, secular ideologies of modernity.

Answer 8

I have a feeling that's the same 71% that another survey found would run like hell at the first sign of trouble. And what they usually mean is they're 100% in favor of other people's kids dying for them.

Answer 9

When you realize that people are not dying for gods or any religion and that they are dying for metaphors it really can become a sad proposition. Dying for metaphors that is what people are doing all over the place. And when you realize you don't have to die for anything and you just sit still and listen for the radiance of AUM then you become one with transcendent energy of the universe and no one has to die.

Answer 10

Of course religion has caused a lot of tension and fighting, but if it wasn't religion it would be something else. Millions were killed by Stalin and Mao who were atheists bent on (amongst other things) eradicating religion from their respective countries. The problem lies in human nature, not in religion.

Answer 11

150% of the population? Maybe my math is off here, but if 100% of the population means all the people, what are the other 50%?