How Many People Are Athiests (Percent)

[roadrunner]

I know the topic is vague but we always see "this is a christian nation" and 95% or people believe in god. Maybe its the leftover christian remnants in me being arrogant and thinking there are more like me somewhere. But I would like to see these numbers now. If you count closet atheist and people who are scared to admit because they think jesus might be watching their vote or hearing their thoughts so they perpetuate the lie to themselves out of fear.

Am I the only one who thinks that there are more that 10% of people out there that have lost faith.

[Mike D]

I've read varying stats, but I think generally about 10% of the population is considered atheist or agnostic, and the remaining 90% has belief in a deity or "higher intelligence" (whatever that means) of some sort.

 

I think it's interesting that only 10% of the population has in IQ =>119. I previously thought an IQ of 125 wasn't anything all that remarkable, but when you consider that's only 5% of the entire population, it puts it into perspective.

 

I guess what I am saying is that being in the minority ain't necessarily a bad thing

[Vigile]

I grew up in conservative ID in a mid sized town with an xian university and a church on every corner and yet the vast majority of people I know from that town are for all intents and purposes secular. If you polled them on their beliefs, most would claim xianity, but what does that mean if they aren't in church each week being indoctrinated.

 

I then moved across the country to DC where virtually no churches exist outside a few old Episcopal churches attended by old school WASPS and baptist churches in the black neighborhoods.

 

Xians in the US are just a vocal minority that unfortunately don't get drowned out by the religiously ambivalent majority.

[midniterider]

I've read varying stats, but I think generally about 10% of the population is considered atheist or agnostic, and the remaining 90% has belief in a deity or "higher intelligence" (whatever that means) of some sort.

 

I think it's interesting that only 10% of the population has in IQ =>119. I previously thought an IQ of 125 wasn't anything all that remarkable, but when you consider that's only 5% of the entire population, it puts it into perspective.

 

I guess what I am saying is that being in the minority ain't necessarily a bad thing

I've read varying stats, but I think generally about 10% of the population is considered atheist or agnostic, and the remaining 90% has belief in a deity or "higher intelligence" (whatever that means) of some sort.

 

I think it's interesting that only 10% of the population has in IQ =>119. I previously thought an IQ of 125 wasn't anything all that remarkable, but when you consider that's only 5% of the entire population, it puts it into perspective.

 

I guess what I am saying is that being in the minority ain't necessarily a bad thing

 

So I wonder what are the religious beliefs of the high IQ people? Here's a stat, but sorta old: http://mypage.direct.ca/w/writer/mensagod.html

[Thurisaz]

For us over here I saw a statistic some years ago that claimed Germany's quite evenly divided - about a third each of catholics, protestants and others™. I seem to recall that the vast majority of that last third is atheist... and as in the German mainstream churches most people are christians in name only, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that at least 50 % of our population are "functional" atheists.

 

As for IQ, good question ain't it? I guess we all have wondered already what correlation there might be between IQ and morontheism - it's sure damn easy to assume that the dumber one is, the more morontheist she is.

 

Two semi-official IQ tests I took years ago labeled me around 135 to 140... whether that's true, I won't try to judge. You decide