[Vision2020] Pew survey: Atheists Doubt God Doesn't Exist

Donovan Arnold donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com
Thu Jun 14 10:16:08 PDT 2012


How very clever to expand the number of atheists by simply using a different definition of atheist. Like the Federal Government reducing poverty and unemployment by changing the definition of poverty and unemployed. 
 
The definition of atheist has changed from believing there is no God, to doubting that there is a God or your religion is correct. Since just about everyone on the planet including the Pope and 12 disciples doubts or has doubted God's existence and all disagree with some aspect of their religion, we are all atheists, it is just a matter of degree. If you believe in the Bible, you are an atheist by this definition. For it says in the Bible that if someone had as much faith as to fill a mustard seed, they could move a mountain. 
 
"Matt.17:20 - And Jesus said unto them, (his disciples,) Because of your unbelief: for verily I (Jesus) say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
 
Guess we are all atheists if atheist is a simple lacking of faith, as not even filling a mustard seed is pretty lacking by any reasonable definition of the interpretation of the word lacking. Likewise, we must also change the definition of theists,  to be when someone is lacking in their belief there isn't a divine being. 
 
Donovan J. Arnold
Theist, Atheist, depending on your definition of the two. 

From: Art Deco <art.deco.studios at gmail.com>
To: vision2020 at moscow.com 
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 5:29 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] Pew survey: Doubt of God growing quickly among millennials

Pew survey: Doubt of God growing quickly among millennials
By Dan Merica, CNN
Washington (CNN) – The percentage of Americans 30 and younger who harbor some doubts about God’s existence appears to be growing quickly, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. While most young Americans, 68%, told Pew they never doubt God’s existence, that’s a 15-point drop in just five years.
In 2007, 83% of American millennials said they never doubted God’s existence.
More young people are expressing doubts about God now than at any time since Pew started asking the question a decade ago. Thirty-one percent disagreed with the statement “I never doubt the existence of God,” double the number who disagreed with it in 2007.
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When asked about doubts of God, no other generation showed a change of more than 2% in the past five years.
The survey found that the percentage of millennials who identify with a religion is remaining constant, while most other generations have seen religious identification increase in the past 10 years.
The findings about millennials and religion were part of a 168-page report that Pew released June 4 but were largely overlooked.
“Notably, people younger than 30 are substantially less likely than older people to say prayer is an important part of their lives,” the report said.
“Research on generational patterns shows that this is not merely a lifecycle effect,” it continued. “The Millennial generation is far less religious than were other preceding generations when they were the same age years ago.”
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The findings are part of Pew’s 2012 American Values Survey, which touches on issues including political partisanship, gay marriage and abortion.
Despite the findings on millennials, the survey shows that the United States continues to be a highly religious nation, with most Americans identifying with a particular faith.
Seventy-six percent of all respondents said prayer is an important part of their lives and agreed that “we all will be called before god at the Judgment Day to answer for our sins.” About 80% said they have never doubted the existence of God.
The report points to a growing divide between the youngest and oldest Americans on belief, religion and social issues.
According to Jesse Galef, communications director for the Secular Student Alliance, the growth in “doubting” youths has led to a surge in secular student groups.
“For a lot of millennial atheists, they are expecting to find a group, they are coming to campus, and if they don’t find one, they are starting one,” Galef said. “This is completely different than what other generations grew up with.”
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The Secular Student Alliance has affiliates on 357 American campuses, Galef said, up from 81 such affiliates in 2007.
Galef says the Internet has created a place for young people to discuss religious doubts.
“It enables anybody to have open discussions without fearing if their parents would find out or what their communities would say,” he said. "The more safe places we create for young people to discuss their doubts, the more they can inspire questions in others."

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