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Yeah since atheism is definitionally not believing in god, then there are only three possibilities:
1) Bad survey design or interpretation
2) Giving lip service to theism to get along, as you suggest, or some other form of fence-sitting, such as "I really don't believe but want to hold onto my beliefs in some form at the same time"
3) 19% of people willing to call themselves atheists don't know what the word even means
I suspect it's a combination of all three. Atheists ARE people, and people are nothing if not illogical and inconsistent and constantly hedging / trying to have their cake and eat it to. And especially here in the US even many atheists haven't completely thought through the implications of their unbelief.
I suspect that while irreligion and 'agnosticism' has been increasing, people are still reluctant to use the term 'atheist'. But I'm eager for another survey result to come out and see how things are going.
My needle is starting to move off straight materialism. Reincarnation is at a 2% chance now. I suspect it has something to do with dimensions we didn't evolve to adapt to. The only reason I'm not at 90% reincarnation is because I am aware I primed my brain.
Your 4% is of those surveyed who admitted they were atheists, so that would not include any atheists who did not admit this. So your 4% must be a minimum number, not the actual number.
And your second link says this. It defines atheism as 'The literal definition of “atheist” is “a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods,” according to Merriam-Webster.' and then says '(Overall, 10% of American adults share this view.)'.
So from your own link the number of atheists must be at 10%, not 4%.
You need to understand what the numbers are saying, not just cherry pick what you want to hear.
We have had social justice for as long as we have had written history. The only time I know of people complaining about social justice is when others extend it to things like women's rights, black rights, and gay rights.
We have had social justice for as long as we have had written history. The only time I know of people complaining about social justice is when others extend it to things like women's rights, black rights, and gay rights.
It's another trigger phrase. Dude probably doesn't even know what it means.
Not the percentages of people who claim to be religionists.
I would compare the daily religious behavior of people who claim to be religionists.
I will go back again to my home town.
Methodist church: Literally closed and out of business.
Catholic church: In my time in the town = 16 masses per week, with another roughly 16 masses per week in the village up the road. Now in my home town 2 masses per week, with another 4 masses in the village up the road. Combined that's 32 masses down to 6.
For the masses (no pun intended), daily religious life is not what it was in the past.
Even the Catholic press is admitting it: "In 1970, Catholics who attended Mass weekly or more often were 54.9%, but by 2022 the figure was 17.3%. Monthly or more frequent Mass attendance—including the weekly or more frequent attenders—was 71.3% in 1970 and 36.6% in 2022." -- https://www.catholicworldreport.com/...ss-attendance/
That's my impression as well.
Out of my immediate family, everyone claims to be religious, but only one grandmother is a regular churchgoer. My dad used to go to a fairly vanilla nondenominational evangelical church nearby. He hasn't been in years. My mother and aunt haven't been regularly in at least a decade.
My dad's side of the family are all very preachy. Far as I know, none of them regularly darken the doors. I have an uncle who has never been religious that suddenly found it when he traded in his long-term wife for a hot Italian woman.
Which just shows the problem with the argument from numbers. They mean nothing other than there are more religious people than atheists.
Most people see water in a mirage, that does not make the water real.
Even the increase in muslims, if it turns out correct, ignores that there are many doubting Muslims, and Islam back into 2000's was alarmed at the increase in secularization, but it didn't show up in the surveys as what people say and what people really think are not the same thing.
I mentioned Neil DeGrasse Tyson, who is a splendid fellow and science presenter but while atheist is clearly what he is, he will not come out and say so.
I am pretty sure that the number of atheists is a sight higher than 2- 4 % but rather than use the terrible term Atheist, they will use the evasive 'agnostic'.
At one time China was touted as the Christian success story. I bet it isn't now. I don't want to get into accepting or rejecting figures to fit what I'd prefer to hear. I just recall that when Pew came out and after all the debates, the theists had two main points left - the irreligious don't call themselves 'atheist', but non -religious or agnostic, and theism will outstrip secularism globally, and never mind that Christianity will be a also ran behind secularism and islam. Just so something can be used to bash atheism over the head.
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