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The “other” among us

The “other” among us

by digby

Here’s some information about an exotic species that citizens of this country fear more than terrorists:

Here’s what we know about self-described atheists and their beliefs:

1 The number of people who identify themselves as atheists in the United States has been rising, modestly but steadily, in recent years. Our aggregated data from 2012 show that 2.4% of American adults say they are atheists when asked about their religious identity, up from 1.6% in 2007.

2 Atheists, in general, are more likely to be male and younger than the overall population; 67% are men, and 38% are ages 18-29 (compared with 22% of all U.S. adults). About four-in-ten atheists (43%) have a college degree, compared with 29% of the general public.

3 Although the literal definition of “atheist” is “a person who believes that God does not exist,” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, 14% of those who call themselves atheists also say they believe in God or a universal spirit. That includes 5% who say they are “absolutely certain” about the existence of God or a universal spirit. Alternatively, there are many people who fit the dictionary definition of “atheist” but do not call themselves atheists. More Americans say they do not believe in God or a universal spirit (7%) than say they are atheists (2.4%).

4 Not all atheists see a contradiction between atheism and spirituality. A quarter (26%) say they think of themselves as spiritual people, and 3% consider themselves religious people. Four-in-ten atheists (41%) say they often think about the meaning and purpose of life.

5 Among atheists, 82% say they either often (52%) or sometimes (30%) feel a deep connection with nature and the earth; among all American adults, 85% either often (58%) or sometimes (26%) feel such a connection.

That’s wild that these weirdo atheists often think about the meaning and purpose of life. I’m mean, why bother? If it isn’t to please God, what on earth could it possibly be.

And anyway, according to Oprah Winfrey, most atheists aren’t actually atheists even if they say they are. The cool ones at least:

*FYI, in case my sarcasm isn’t coming through and you’ve never read my blog before: I’m an atheist. And not a particularly spiritual one either (sorry Oprah.) On the other hand, my atheism makes me very tolerant of anyone who believes otherwise. Why should I care? Unless people are trying to make me behave in ways that comport with their religion (and don’t comport with my principles, morals and values) then I’m fine with whatever people believe.

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