Number of atheists around the world is rising

[cleanhippie]

According to the latest global poll released by RedC Opinion Poll, part of WIN-Gallup International, a world-wide network of leading opinion pollsters, the number of self-declared atheists in the world has risen by 9% since the measure was last taken in 2005.

The massive poll, conducted in 57 countries (not, apparently, including Britain) among 51,000 people asked a single question "Irrespective of whether you attend a place of worship or not, would you say you are a religious person, not a religious person or a convinced atheist?"

It shows that on average 59% of the world said that they think of themselves as religious, whereas 23% think of themselves as not religious and 13% think of themselves as convinced atheists. Naturally there are enormous variations from country to country.

The countries with most self-described atheists are China (47%); Japan (31%), Czech Republic (30%), France (29%), South Korea (15%), Germany (15%), Netherlands (14%), Austria (10%), Iceland (10%), Australia (10%) and Ireland (10%).

The most religious countries are: Ghana (where 96% of people define themselves as religious), Nigeria (93%), Armenia (92%), Fiji (92%), Macedonia (90%), Romania (89%), Iraq (88%), Kenya (88%), Peru (86%) and Brazil (85%).

One of the most dramatic reductions in the proportion of the population considering themselves religious occurred in Ireland: from 69% in 2005 to 47% in 2012, placing Ireland on the index of religious belief at position 43 out of 57 countries.

The poll also showed that the poorer people were, the more likely they were to be religious.

http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2012/08/number-of-atheists-around-the-world-is-rising#.UCJ0mQpH86M.facebook

[dimbear]

1. Just for fun, suppose you were in the market for a new car. Which list of countries

would you probably investigate to find a quality auto?

[Leontius]

7. Well certainly not France in the last eighty or so years.

[onager]

9. Why not? Or is this just Rovian France-bashing for the heck of it?

I logged thousands of miles in French cars in Egypt, over some of the worst roads/non-roads in the world. With very few problems.

Certainly less problems than a couple of other vehicles in the car pool, like a Ford Escape which constantly broke. And a Jeep Merdebox I was stuck with for a while.

And what's your expertise...or did you think you'd just Make A Funny by recycling Karl Rovian France-bashing circa 2003? I'm not sure why you'd want to do that on an allegedly progressive board, but whatever.

One of the most popular inter-city taxis in Egypt is the Peugeot 504 station wagon...which hasn't even been made since 1983, IIRC. I saw those things daily covering the Cairo-Alexandria route, crammed with adults in every seat, kids sitting in their laps, and a couple hundred pounds of luggage strapped to the roof rack.

There are junkyards in Egypt stacked high with recycled 504 bodies, already cut across the floor pan with the roof separated. Your 504 got hit in the back by a bus? No problem, just cut off the wreckage, weld on a new rear end, and off you go.

For nearly 2 years I rode every day in a Citroen C8 van. My daily commute was a little over 100 miles round-trip. That was in the Nile Delta, thru a string of little farm villages. The villagers often made their own speed bumps. Overnight. BIG speed bumps. Yesterday the road was smooth, this morning suddenly you're airborne then crashing down. And usually negotiating thru traffic jams including donkey carts, herds of sheep/goats, cows, and humongous water buffalo.

In bad moods I sometimes called it "L'Escargot" or "Shitroen," but that thing never broke down and always got me home.

Charles de Gaulle would probably agree, if he weren't dead and everything. In August 1962 a dozen French right-wingers with heavy weapons ambushed his Citroen DS19...while it was traveling 70 mph with Mr. and Mrs. De Gaulle inside. They fired 140 rounds, killed 2 bodyguards, shattered the Citroen's windows and shot out all 4 of its tires. The chauffeur hit the gas and got the DeGaulles away unharmed.

[Fumesucker]

10. "Jeep Merdebox"..

[2ndAmForComputers]

14. I came to a conclusion recently.

It's almost never just that one topic. Usually, there's consistency.

Exhibit A: The Gungeon.

[Leontius]

17. Well I guess that if dislike for dull unispired desgins and actually in many cases ugly automobiles

makes me rovian in your opinion I'll just have to live with the horrible shame of your Foxian smear.

[Starboard Tack]

12. Peugeot 504 diesel was the best car I ever owned

And I've owned everything from Beemers to Buicks, Jags to Toyotas, Jensen-Healeys to Lanchesters and the rest.
Problem with French cars is that nobody in the US knows how to fix them.

[humblebum]

2. Ah yes, the good old Argumentum ad Populum.

Stellar record you and your Chinese homies have there.

[Goblinmonger]

3. Stellar record you and Ghana have. n/t

[humblebum]

4. 'cept I didn't claim them like hippie did. And he's

impressed by the numbers, and his Chinese bro's sure have the advantage there.

[Goblinmonger]

5. cleanhippie didn't claim the Chinese, either.

It was a false equivalence on your part (in case you missed that major point of what I was trying to say).

The point is that more and more people are becoming atheist. Period.

[humblebum]

6. Yeh. Sure. nt

[Goblinmonger]

8. Stellar retort. Hard to argue with that. n/t

[cleanhippie]

11. "yeh. Sure"? THAT'S your answer to having a fact placed in front of you?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[humblebum]

19. Say Hi! to your homies for me. You definitely are referring to all atheists as

one coherent group.

[cleanhippie]

20. How would you know anything coherent?

Reading your posts, one easily concludes that anything coherent eludes you.

[humblebum]

21. Standard hippie answer. nt

[cleanhippie]

22. At least it's coherent.

[humblebum]

23. Coherent with all of your other non-answers, but incoherent with the topic at hand. nt

[cleanhippie]

27. Do you even read what your type and post?

[humblebum]

28. Reading your drivel is much more entertaining. nt

[cleanhippie]

29. So, no, you do not read what you type and post.

That certainly explains a lot.

[Goblinmonger]

24. YOU are the one who puts all atheists together

Including Dawkins with dictators from Soviet Russia.

[humblebum]

25. You are so hung up on comparing Dawkins to Soviet dictators especially Stalin

it's becoming comical. Yes they were all atheists and yes they do have some ideas in common. But I have never called Dawkins the equivalent of a Soviet dictator.

[Leontius]

26. Each and every atheist is completely different from any other atheist

only believers are all the same and so must be held responsible for all actions by any believer. I'm sure you should have been sent the memo.

[Starboard Tack]

13. Typical of extremes. The more extreme, the further the pendulum swings.

Ireland was the last. Italy went that way many years ago.

[2ndAmForComputers]

15. Rec for good news.

[truebrit71]

16. Thank God!!

In so many ways....

[onager]

18. Oh crap! We all know what THAT means!

Now with moar metal guitar. And moar Mao! Sing along, Comrades!