by bavman 38 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
The US was originally founded on separation of church and state, so religion flourished in the US
while Europe suffered under state approved churches. This fact makes me quite hopeful about the
(non) future of Islam in Iran. If you want anticlericism, put the clergy in charge and everyone will
eventually want to hang them.
metatron
My guesses:
1) Many people moved to the Americas to find religious freedom...might be less likely to drift.
2) Many unique and energetic religions formed in the US in the mid 1800's to the early 1920's which still contribute a special energy in the religious arena.
3) Laws requiring separation of church and state, allowing for "freedom" for unusual religions to flourish.
4) European cultures are also older and have weathered a different religious history for a longer time.
Nothing scientific.
Sad Emo,
I wouldn't have expected such a high figure for Britain either (I would have "guesstimated" the UK more like 1/3 way from continental Europe and 2/3 from America, just a bit farther West than geography would require, as ever ).
What strikes me (not only from those figures, but from my own European perception) is the relative cultural unity of Northern continental Europe in spite of huge historical differences: Scandinavian atheism is born on Lutheran ground, Dutch on Calvinism, French on Catholicism. The religion wars were strong in France but not everywhere else, and even here atheism developed much later. The relationship between Church and state is the opposite across the French-German border, yet the proportion is similar. The communistic experience in former Czechoslovakia and Western USSR doesn't seem to have made a big religious difference either (with the notable exception of Catholic Poland).
I wonder, btw, if the USA are not more religious (in the fundamentalistic way) now than 100 years ago, so maybe looking for causes in long-past history (or the lack thereof) isn't sufficient. -- Btw, I do not intend any USA-bashing here as done4good puts it: those are really interesting and complex questions.
I don't trust the stats in that chart, there is too wide of a range in it...some countries with 20 or more points difference between the first and second number quoted. And Israel near the top of the list? That seems a bit farfetched to me, although that could just be biased opinion on my part. Otherwise, rankings mostly made sense, I expected the US to be near the bottom, and I already knew from online friendships that the Scandinavian countries are at the top or close to it.
THEY ARE SMARTER THAN US!!! We should take a lesson from them.
Remember, 75% of ALL statistics are complete bull crap.
Lore
I don't know that I believe the stats I posted either. Why China has the stat it does is just one example. I posted the stats mainly as a way to get the discussion started. However, the perception I get from reading and watching (way to much on this subject for my own good probably) is that Europe has a lot less belief in God. My perception has been that Britain has a little more belief than the rest of Europe but not as much belief as the U.S. I have seen some stats here in the U.S. that would put belief in God at 80 % of the population. Now again, I am not sure that can be trusted. Seems way too high to me. Perhaps my question should have been: Is it true that Europeans are mostly atheists and most Americans are believers in God?
Then again, how would you define God? Some who say they believe in God actually don't believe in a personal God at all but instead a panentheistic God or something of the kind.
I like the ideas that everyone came up with though. Seems to be a complicated question. Leaves me with more questions than answers.
Is it true that Europeans are mostly atheists and most Americans are believers in God?
I think the proportion of atheists is really higher, but I guess the main difference in perception depends more on the expression of beliefs than the beliefs themselves. Here in France the public space is "religion-free," so to say. A politician, a state official, a public school teacher would never express (let alone advocate) his/her religious beliefs ex officio. Religion belongs in churches (and synagogues, and mosques) and is hardly ever discussed elsewhere. Creationist and anti-abortion lobbies are ultra-minoritary. As a result, atheists here are way less "aggressive," too.
I wonder why the 49% in Estonia who dont believe in God are different than the 11% who claim atheism? Is there a difference?
Btw, I do not intend any USA-bashing here as done4good puts it: those are really interesting and complex questions.
I did not mean to paint with too broad of a brush here, I just saw the thread may have been veering towards another "dumb American" thread again, and wanted to cut that off at the pass. I would agree that this is a very interesting topic, and I only intended to keep the content to the facts.
Jason
