# Atheists be damned - US is a nation of believers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 10, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319 "2003-03-10T15:41:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/1 "2003-03-10T15:41:28Z")
[http://channels.netscape.com/ns/atplay/package.jsp?name=atplay/pm/believeindevil/believeindevil](http://channels.netscape.com/ns/atplay/package.jsp?name=atplay/pm/believeindevil/believeindevil) According to a Harris Poll, this is what your friends, neighbors, and cow-orkers believe in: - God: 90 percent - Miracles: 89 percent - Survival of the soul after death: 84 percent - Resurrection of Christ: 80 percent - Virgin birth: 77 percent - Devil: 68 percent - Hell: 69 percent - Ghosts: 51 percent - Astrology: 31 percent - Reincarnation: 27 percent Wonder what the percentages are for other countries around the world? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/2 "2003-03-10T15:44:53Z")
They seem to have left Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and Tastes Great/Less Filling off of that survey. ---
**Author:** ![Rug\_Burn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@Rug\_Burn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rug_Burn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/3 "2003-03-10T15:51:09Z")
“The level of religious belief is generally highest among people without a college education and lowest among those with postgraduate degrees.” Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/4 "2003-03-10T15:53:29Z")
So at least 11 percent of Americans believe in the resurrection of Christ **and** astrology? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/5 "2003-03-10T15:53:44Z")
I try not to read those polls, they scare the bejebus out of me . . . ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/6 "2003-03-10T15:58:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Raygun99 \* > \*\*So at least 11 percent of Americans believe in the resurrection of Christ **and** astrology? \*\* Hey, at least 7% believe in the resurrection of Christ _and_ themselves. Which is actually kind of consistent, from one angle. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/7 "2003-03-10T16:05:02Z")
Our population will believe for the sake of believing. Believe me. And the syncretism of believing in the resurrection of Christ AND Astrology AND reincarnation? Heck, we do it just to aggravate Jack Chick, really. ---
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/8 "2003-03-10T16:05:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rug Burn \* > \*\*“The level of religious belief is generally highest among people without a college education and lowest among those with postgraduate degrees.” > Interesting. \*\* I find that rather pompous… and interesting too, I’ll give you that. Çyrin ---
**Author:** ![UnwrittenNocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6de8d8/32.png) [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/9 "2003-03-10T16:13:12Z")
Wow! Truly is a religious nation, if the stats can be believed. Over here, well…most people know what a church looks like - they would be the pretty neo-gothic buildings. I am not sure I know anyone personally who would identify with being Christian, or much of anything else for that matter. And it is interesting that the level of belief drops with education levels. How marked is that drop, anyone know? And **ShibbOleth** , I have better evidence for Santa than any god/s or bunnies…I saw him at the amll last year yknow. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/10 "2003-03-10T16:22:43Z")
I always hear the Netherlands is the most secular country in the world. How one should measure this is up for debate, as is evidenced by a mere [Google search](http://www.google.nl/search?hl=nl&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22most+secular+country+in+the+world%22&lr=), but the [CIA World Fact Book](http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/nl.html#People) estimates that around 40% of the population is “unaffiliated”. Of course, that doesn’t mean all those people are atheists (I’m unaffiliated, and an agnostic at best), but still. I was unable to find a poll like the one in the OP, so this’ll have to do. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/11 "2003-03-10T16:23:03Z")
More seriously, I’ve always seen it quoted that the USA is the most “believer” nation in the developed industrial West a.k.a. “First World” (Europe, US-Canada, Japan, Australia-NZ). If I get the quote I’ll bring it back here. Really, I mean, the USA is the cradle and center of “Creation Science” and 'Intelligent Design" at a time when even the \*&^%$ _POPE_ has come down for Evolution. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/12 "2003-03-10T16:26:11Z")
Well, the Pope is one of those heathen Europeans, you know. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/13 "2003-03-10T16:30:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Çyrin \* > **I find that rather pompous… and interesting too, I’ll give you that.** Pompous how? I think it’s quite logical: the higher the education, the more scientific knowledge a person will have - or at least exposure to said knowledge. Let’s face it: science and religion are contradictory in many ways. This does not imply that Christians are dumb: it DOES imply, however, that those who pursue a scientific education are more likely to favour the argumentations behind concepts like evolution over the corresponding explanations in the Bible, to use an example. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/14 "2003-03-10T16:32:09Z")
Or he’s the Antichrist, according to Jack Chick. (Or something like that… Jack isn’t always too coherent.) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/15 "2003-03-10T16:40:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Already in Use \* > \*\*Or he’s the Antichrist, according to Jack Chick. (Or something like that… Jack isn’t always too coherent.) \*\* “isn’t always too coherent”—\ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kn\_ckers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/96bed5/32.png) [@Kn\_ckers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kn_ckers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/16 "2003-03-10T16:55:12Z")
Crikey! 80% of Americans are Christian (or, at least believe in Christ’s resurrection; not sure if that’s necessarily the same)? That’s way more than I’d have expected. Here’s me outnumbered _again_. ---
**Author:** ![old-curmudgeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4da419/32.png) [@old-curmudgeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/old-curmudgeon)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/17 "2003-03-10T17:26:46Z")
“this is what your friends, neighbors, and cow-orkers believe in” - Neighbors, probably (I live in redneck hell), but they also believe WWF is real wrestling too. - Cow-orkers? (I like where you put the hyphen, by the way) perhaps, but they also believe that if they invest all their money in the company stock it will be good for them in the long run - Friends? Most of my friends are athiests or agnostic, though a few say they “believe” in a god of some sort. None of them go to church though, or put much faith in the teachings of any particular religion (i.e. anti-choice, creationism, etc). Most people I know tend to keep their invisible friends to themself. ---
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/18 "2003-03-10T17:27:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*Pompous how? I think it’s quite logical: the higher the education, the more scientific knowledge a person will have - or at least exposure to said knowledge. Let’s face it: science and religion are contradictory in many ways. This does not imply that Christians are dumb: it DOES imply, however, that those who pursue a scientific education are more likely to favour the argumentations behind concepts like evolution over the corresponding explanations in the Bible, to use an example. \*\* Well **Coldie** , I know you would never imply that Christians are dumb, however I am not sure what Rug Burn was implying, however it did seem to me that it might very well have been a pompous implication. Furthermore, as I have yet to see a cite for that “fact” (I’m not saying there isn’t a cite, I just haven’t seen it) I think I am justified in that assumption. [soap box]Now, here is a thought. (A thought, based on some observations of mine, not a fact) The more we study and learn from our own understanding (own, as in one human to another), the more we disregard anything we can’t learn in the same manner. I know plenty of people who believe in Christ, who also happen to be very learned people. I know that very few of them came to believe after they received their education. I think there is a level of pompousness among human beings as we learn; we begin to think we know it all, or at least enough to dismiss that which we cannot see… I think this is a foolish attitude and choose not to adhere. But, to each his own…[/soap box] Cheers! Çyrin ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/19 "2003-03-10T17:34:05Z")
Facts cannot be pompous. Either higher educated people are more likely to identify themselves as non-religious, or they are not. This is cold data from a study, not opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319/20 "2003-03-10T17:37:59Z")
Here are more stats. [http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris\_poll/index.asp?PID=112](http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=112) I wonder what the non-Christians who believe in the virgin birth and resurrection consider themselves? From a discussion of this poll, I found: **women are more likely than men to hold both Christian and non-Christian beliefs. African-Americans are more likely than whites and Hispanics to hold Christian beliefs, as are Republicans. The level of belief is generally highest among people without a college education and lowest among those with postgraduate degrees.** [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-be-damned-us-is-a-nation-of-believers/160319.md?page=2)