18 June 2007

God in Statistics

Growing up, and well into my teenage years, I always assumed atheists were the majority in America. My schools always seemed, to me, to have more atheists than anything. Most of the adults I met seemed indifferent, probably agnostic by definition. Most seemed to scoff or shrug at religion. Yet whenever the students were polled, Christianity and Catholicism came out on top. I wondered if I just wasn't seeing them, or if atheists were lying when polled.

When I questioned people, it seemed to be a matter of pressure. When confronted with religious subject matter, people would endure it with visible displeasure or disinterest. Yet when it came down to reading 'Do you believe in God?' dramatically before them in black and white, they marked affirmatively, 'just to be on the safe side'.

My mother was always one of these people. In conversation with a familiar person, she would say that she did not believe in her Protestant upbringing; yet in facing an unfamiliar person or a known Christian, it was always 'Of course I believe in God!' in fear of being seen as a 'bad person'.

Lovely.

I have found this to be true of many people up to now, and today, on the Internet, it holds true. Does it not seem to you that most of the people you encounter online are agnostic/atheistic, whether they describe themselves as such or not? Either disbelieving, doubtful, or indifferent. One seems to have to search specifically for religious websites and forums to find a place where they are the majority.

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