67 replies to this topic

[GostHacked]

This is an interesting bit. And yes we can say 'surveys mean nothing'.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/09/28/survey-americans-know-little-religion/

A new survey of Americans' knowledge of religion found that atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperformed Protestants and Roman Catholics in answering questions about major religions, while many respondents could not correctly give the most basic tenets of their own faiths.

Forty-five percent of Roman Catholics who participated in the study didn't know that, according to church teaching, the bread and wine used in Holy Communion is not just a symbol, but becomes the body and blood of Christ.

I think you are going to find this in many countries where we have such a large mixed bag of people from all over the world.

Atheists and agnostics scored highest, with an average of 21 correct answers, while Jews and Mormons followed with about 20 accurate responses. Protestants overall averaged 16 correct answers, while Catholics followed with a score of about 15.

I guess the notion of a Christian nation may not really apply anymore. I really find it ironic in a way that the agnostics/atheists seem to know more about religions than Christians or Catholics in the US.

The study also found that many Americans don't understand constitutional restrictions on religion in public schools. While a majority know that public school teachers cannot lead classes in prayer, less than a quarter know that the U.S. Supreme Court has clearly stated that teachers can read from the Bible as an example of literature.

Some possible questions here:
Do Americans know more about Islam than they do about Christianity?
Can they really call themselves a Christian (or whatever) if they can't tell you what the religion is about and what it's basic tenets are?

If you know more about another religion than your own, can you really say that there is a problem with another religion? There is some irony in all this as well. But I am having a hard time trying to exactly convey the message.

[Shwa]

This is an interesting bit. And yes we can say 'surveys mean nothing'.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/09/28/survey-americans-know-little-religion/

I think you are going to find this in many countries where we have such a large mixed bag of people from all over the world.

I guess the notion of a Christian nation may not really apply anymore. I really find it ironic in a way that the agnostics/atheists seem to know more about religions than Christians or Catholics in the US.

Some possible questions here:

Do Americans know more about Islam than they do about Christianity?
Can they really call themselves a Christian (or whatever) if they can't tell you what the religion is about and what it's basic tenets are?

If you know more about another religion than your own, can you really say that there is a problem with another religion? There is some irony in all this as well. But I am having a hard time trying to exactly convey the message.

Then the answer is clear isn't it? Back to bible school for the majority of the adherents. And not just any old bible school, but the new! and improved! bible school that reflects modern, martial sensibilities about other religions and their inferiority. I can imagine the ad campaigns crusades now, likely on Fox.

Onward Christian Soldier...

[eyeball]

Then the answer is clear isn't it? Back to bible school for the majority of the adherents. And not just any old bible school, but the new! and improved! bible school that reflects modern, martial sensibilities about other religions and their inferiority. I can imagine the ad campaigns crusades now, likely on Fox.

Onward Christian Soldier...

No kidding. This makes the times seem even more dangerous. We're probably never more than a galvanizing act and a wingnut away from apocalypse.

[Bitsy]

Upon first read, the agnostics and atheist knowledge does not surprise me, most have formed these belief after being raised in a religious home/environment. I would like to read the study, it sounds very interesting

[MightyAC]

“I have heard many times that atheists know more about religion than religious people,” Mr. Silverman said. “Atheism is an effect of that knowledge, not a lack of knowledge. I gave a Bible to my daughter. That’s how you make atheists.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/us/28religion.html?_r=2&src=ISMR_HP_LO_MST_FB

I agree with Mr. S, IMO knowledge of religion and religious history leads to non-belief.

[ToadBrother]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/us/28religion.html?_r=2&src=ISMR_HP_LO_MST_FB

I agree with Mr. S, IMO knowledge of religion and religious history leads to non-belief.

One of the brightest guys I ever met was the Catholic priest at my wife's church. Intelligent, articulate, well-informed on sciences and politics. I find the above statement more than a little prejudiced. To be sure there are plenty of ignorant religious people, but some of the whacked-out statements I've seen on Christianity by many of my fellow atheists leads me to believe that ignorance isn't exactly hard to find no matter where you look.

[MightyAC]

Would you expect the president of American Atheists to be non-biased on this topic?

The statement does not imply that all faithful are ignorant. It simply states that increased religious knowledge tends to lead to non-belief.

Edited by MightyAC, 28 September 2010 - 08:58 AM.

[Michael Hardner]

One of the brightest guys I ever met was the Catholic priest at my wife's church. Intelligent, articulate, well-informed on sciences and politics. I find the above statement more than a little prejudiced. To be sure there are plenty of ignorant religious people, but some of the whacked-out statements I've seen on Christianity by many of my fellow atheists leads me to believe that ignorance isn't exactly hard to find no matter where you look.

Agreed, but I think the point is that atheists tend to come from a background of belief, rather than indifference.

[bush_cheney2004]

I think the question and any conclusions drawn are flawed. It's like asking CEOs to explain the rudiments of finance and accounting. Christianity in its many forms is a specialized field of study for scholarly understanding. Churches have purposely de-emphasized the classic lexicon and practices used to reinforce such understanding (e.g. Vatican II).

Ask this question of Native Americans and their "religion" if you dare.

Edited by bush_cheney2004, 28 September 2010 - 10:20 AM.

[wyly]

The statement does not imply that all faithful are ignorant. It simply states that increased religious knowledge tends to lead to non-belief.

which is what I've always believed...ignorance is the basis of religion...education is the end of religion...

[M.Dancer]

I think the question and any conclusions drawn are flawed. It's like asking CEOs to explain the rudiments of finance and accounting. Christianity in its many forms is a specialized field of study for scholarly understanding. Churches have purposely de-emphasized the classic lexicon and practices used to reinforce such understanding (e.g. Vatican II).

Ask this question of Native Americans and their "religion" if you dare.

WHile I didn't see the questionaire, the article did say the "basic tenets" of their faith...

I can easily come up with my own questionaire that most, without the aid of google would score very low...because the "basic tenets" are filled with nuance.

...and I imagine that most CEOs given the range of discussion in the boardroom have a good grasp on the rudiments of accounting and finance.

[wyly]

Agreed, but I think the point is that atheists tend to come from a background of belief, rather than indifference.

atheists tend to ask questions and not accept everything they're told as absolute truth without investigation...

Edited by wyly, 28 September 2010 - 10:50 AM.

[bloodyminded]

Atheists are no smarter, but they have no horse in the race; or if they do, it's the horse of disbelief. This doesn't prove them right, obviously, but it does mean they aren't bound by the calcifying effects of having personal identity tied up with received, mystical doctrine.

This isn't to say atheists aren't bound by idiotic beliefs and idiosyncrasies, like everyone else; it means that their beliefs are not of a type that are designed to be cherished and holy, designed to be sacred--and ultimately of the utmost importance.

So when an atheist realizes, for one example of many, that the Greek gods were said to impregnate women, who then gave birth to half-men, half-gods...it is easy to understand that this is precisely the genesis of the Christ-birth story.

This doesn't prove--not in some objective, scientific way--that the Christ-birth story isn't true; but it raises some red flags, and helps provide insight into the use of myths.

[bush_cheney2004]

WHile I didn't see the questionaire, the article did say the "basic tenets" of their faith...

Yet such basic "tenets" are argued even within each faith. For instance, web based definitions of "Eucharist" gives a varied opinion.

I can easily come up with my own questionaire that most, without the aid of google would score very low...because the "basic tenets" are filled with nuance.

Agreed

...and I imagine that most CEOs given the range of discussion in the boardroom have a good grasp on the rudiments of accounting and finance.

Some do....and some don't. Doesn't mean that CEO's "know little" about finance and accounting.

[MightyAC]

I think the question and any conclusions drawn are flawed. It's like asking CEOs to explain the rudiments of finance and accounting. Christianity in its many forms is a specialized field of study for scholarly understanding. Churches have purposely de-emphasized the classic lexicon and practices used to reinforce such understanding (e.g. Vatican II).

Ask this question of Native Americans and their "religion" if you dare.

The same 32 questions were given to all participants, Christians were not at a disadvantage. This link discusses the survey in more depth.

Previous surveys have shown that America is among the most religious of the world’s developed nations but also the least knowledgeable.

I also find it interesting that Atheists and Jews also score the highest on (non-religious) general knowledge questions. I'm not surprised that Atheist tend to score well as many studies have shown that the educated are less likely to be religious. However, I didn't expect Jews to outperform the general population. I will have to explore the demographics of Jewish Americans vs the population as a whole.