tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538255877506581515.post492189294045628663..comments2023-11-22T09:00:59.909-08:00Comments on Atheistwatch: Answering Accusations That I Misread Stats on UnbelieversJoseph Hinman (Metacrock)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06957529748541493998noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538255877506581515.post-57925977736658270802009-03-13T09:31:00.000-07:002009-03-13T09:31:00.000-07:00I quoted from the article you linked to. That does...I quoted from the article you linked to. That doesn't show the question or how they asked it, but it does say directly that only 1.6% call themselves atheists, and the other they are inferring. <BR/><BR/>I don't necessarily trust their inference becasue they don't always make valid assumptions about what constitutes belief in God.Joseph Hinman (Metacrock)https://www.blogger.com/profile/06957529748541493998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538255877506581515.post-56276081694065003642009-03-13T08:27:00.000-07:002009-03-13T08:27:00.000-07:00First of all they aren't saying 12% are atheists (...First of all they aren't saying 12% are atheists (that's your misreading; they say 12% are atheist <I>or agnostic</I> based on the definition of an atheist as someone who doesn't believe in God and an agnostic as someone who doubts the existence of God. <BR/><BR/>They also identify another 12% as "deists"; that would be the folks who reject the "big man in the sky" model but still believe in a "higher power.<BR/><BR/>So, contrary to your misreading of this study, they are NOT lumping all of those people in as "atheists"; they actually identify 24% of the population who are either atheist, agnostic or deist, with about half of those falling into the first two categories.<BR/><BR/>I think if you look closely at other studies you'll find similar data; Pew, for example, finds 4% who are "uncertain" if God exists, 5% who do not believe in God and another 3% who "don't know or refuse to answer."<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons#" REL="nofollow">pewforum.org/comparisons</A><BR/><BR/>Now I agree with you that we can't argue from this that 12% of the population are atheists, but honestly I don't see anyone seriously arguing that point as rigidly as you seem to think they are. But it is pretty clear that the number of people who either don't believe in God, have doubts about the existence of God or are simply indifferent to the question (and they may be smarter than all of us...;-)...) is higher than the mere 1.6% who have the courage (and it takes courage in American society) to openly identify themselves as atheists.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538255877506581515.post-35124458921364037842009-03-12T14:34:00.000-07:002009-03-12T14:34:00.000-07:00Not nearly the same as misreading a table of stati...Not nearly the same as misreading a table of statistics. It's a disagreement between studies at best. <BR/><BR/>I think the Pew study and adherent and Gallap are all more authoritative.Joseph Hinman (Metacrock)https://www.blogger.com/profile/06957529748541493998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538255877506581515.post-40062362780758007202009-03-12T14:33:00.000-07:002009-03-12T14:33:00.000-07:00"Only1.6 percent of Americans call themselves athe..."<B>Only1.6 percent of Americans call themselves atheist or agnostic.</B> But based on stated beliefs, 12 percent are atheist (no God) or agnostic (unsure), while 12 percent more are deistic (believe in a higher power but not a personal God). The number of outright atheists has nearly doubled since 2001, from 900 thousand to 1.6 million. Twenty-seven percent of Americans do not expect a religious funeral at their death."<BR/><BR/><BR/>they are concluding they are atheist its' not that they call themselves that. They do not. So they are making an assertion. But that's not fari because those people would not say that.<BR/><BR/>now are these guys making that assumption because they only count a big man in the sky as God and if people say "I think there might be something but I don't know what" they count it as "atheist."<BR/><BR/>that is clearly not valid in terms counting the atheist population. ITs' also one study compared to about four others.Joseph Hinman (Metacrock)https://www.blogger.com/profile/06957529748541493998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538255877506581515.post-22438684975398065052009-03-12T13:00:00.000-07:002009-03-12T13:00:00.000-07:00Joe, I was directly quoting the most recent Americ...Joe, I was directly quoting the most recent <A HREF="http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/" REL="nofollow">American Religious Identification Survey</A> which says:<BR/><BR/><I>Only1.6 percent of Americans call themselves atheist or agnostic. <B>But based on stated beliefs, 12 percent are atheist (no God) or agnostic (unsure)</B></I><BR/><BR/>So take it up with them if you have a problem with their statistics...;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com