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Athiests/Agnostics score highest in religious literacy test.
person
Don't believe everything you thinkThe liminal space Veteran
This is a couple years old now but Pew did a survey testing American's religious knowledge, you can also take a small sample test of the questions.
Researchers from the independent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life phoned more than 3,400 Americans and asked them 32 questions about the Bible, Christianity and other world religions, famous religious figures and the constitutional principles governing religion in public life.
On average, people who took the survey answered half the questions incorrectly, and many flubbed even questions about their own faith.
Those who scored the highest were atheists and agnostics, as well as two religious minorities: Jews and Mormons. The results were the same even after the researchers controlled for factors like age and racial differences...
...That finding might surprise some, but not Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists, an advocacy group for nonbelievers that was founded by Madalyn Murray O’Hair.
“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=3&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1285670836-6/4mJtEgADjP5sQsbgk1SA&
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The new Maitreya, due in a few hundred years, is gonna have to come up with some more plausible teaching . . .
And they are similarly scornful about Buddhism too.
Lets not kid ourselves that adopting a secularist/rationalist philosophy turns people to Buddhism.
The evidence is that when it happens on a widespread scale, it doesn't.
As you rightfully point out, older atheists had to pro-actively choose to go against the flow (in most cases), whereas the next generation on from the mostly agnostic population of today will just drift into atheism without thought or reason.
Given the lack of knowledge and insight into religion, Buddhism is bound to be thrown in with everything else in the "weird spiritual stuff for old folks and creepy types".
To combat this, I think we need better RE in schools. From my observations, my son's school (not even officially CofE) see RE as a means to brainwash the kids into the Church of England and a belief in God, with some token gestures towards mentioning one or two other religions. Other religions are always studied as if they are simple folk superstitions of a barbarian minority, never to be taken too seriously or given the prominence and authenticity of Christianity - which tends to seep into other areas of school life for no good reason.
The move towards faith schools in the UK is a serious step-backwards in this regard, IMHO. And yes, I would be against a Buddhist faith school just as much as a CofE, Catholic or Muslim faith school. Young people deserve the right to choose their own path and should be shown that they have a personal responsibility to actively choose, even if that means choosing nothing at all.
In many parts of the US I would guess being an atheist or agnostic is to' go against the flow' even now. Whereas as anyone who knows the northern European scene can testify if you are under the age of 40 and NOT an atheist you will stick out like a sore thumb.
The under 40's have swallowed Dawkins lock stock and barrel. They are fed a constant drip drip of rationalist scepticism from every younger TV celeb, every stand-up comedian , and every writer.
A friend of mine remarked recently that if you are a 30 year old Brit the only shocking and radical action left open to you would be to go to Mass.
I take your point about allowing young people to make their own choices @ThethinGentlement, but militant secularism is just as much a deterrent to that as any religious brainwashing.
I suspect it would be a very brave 16 year old Brit who would stand up in a school debating session and admit to being a Christian OR Buddhist..in fact anything but Muslim...Islam is simply off the agenda when it comes to debate .
And correct me if I'm wrong, but don't Mormon missionaries study other languages/religions quite closely in order to convert people? Perhaps that could be a reason why they scored higher?
I believe it is because we are encouraged to question, debate and pull apart everything in order to understand and/or form an opinion on it. Judaism is not a spoon fed religion. As well as the Torah, you have the Talmud, the Gemarah and oral traditions. Plus our most reknowned and respected scholars have at times been divided on issues pertaining to Halachah (Jewish Law). Judaism is more like "the religion with homework" Ask two Jews an opinion on something and you will get three answer
In metta,
Raven
And I have to agree with @thingentlemen about brainwashing in schools, mu parents aren't religious but up until the age I could think for myself I believed in God becuase in UK Primary schools (4-11) they brainwash you even in state schools they even made us say grace before eating.
I applaud that. Though my parents are religious they raised me the same way and I am raising my daughter that way too
In metta,
Raven
Hopefully though it will stop soon considering how fast atheism is growing in the UK and those dreadful half Theocratic conservatives that are in the education system such as Michael Gove can't change that.
So it's anecodotal, and based on personal experience.
The exceptions being those , who to quote Chesterton, having relinquished a belief in God now believe anything.
As a last resort, I'm perfectly within my rights to say I want to withdraw him from RE and any religious stuff during school hours. However, I prefer not to do this, as A) some RE is a good thing (shame they spoil it by using it as a platform to sell Christianity) and
Like I say, nobody forces this stuff on the kids directly, but who wants their kid to be the odd one out? I had a childhood friend who was a Jehovah's Witness, her parents withdrew her from all assemblies and RE because of this. This definitely made her something of an outcast. Rock and a hard place.
Exactly. We experienced this in the school where I was principal occasionally, although it was about sex-ed...even though it was an opt-in program.
@person is........it's been a couple of weeks since we've seen him.....
Hey Mr. person...u doing ok?
Maybe it is just that religious people are less intelligent than atheists?
Yes I am being provocative but I did not write the article nor have anything to do with the 53 seperate studies saying so...
Cheers.
/Victor
PS.
Poll:
Is this the ultimate proof that
a. All Scientists are biased atheists
b. All Scientists are Loons
c. The definition of intelligiance is flawed
d. Intelligence has nothing to do with happiness
DS. :ninja:
You know I just throw sh*t up in the air and if people stand around to get hit when it falls down...
Leaving chips on shoulders.
@dhammachick In my defence I must say I normally get picked into those storms. Not that I mind though.
/Victor
With metta and karuna.
/Victor
Where does the inferiority complex stem from ? Have you experienced a lot of discrimination ?
And passive/aggressive lol smileys do not fool anyone either.
No need to answer. Just be true and you will learn something I promise.
The lol was real. And my metta too. I do not lie nor deceive.
Peace
/Victor
So I am unclear which bit of ' not engaging with you ' is unclear to you.
Toodle-pip old bean. Have a good life.
I want you to know that nomatter what You decide is best for you in this situation I have absolute, 100% no respect whatsoever for your decision.
Live long and prosper my old chum in a bun. (Is that an idiom? It should be.)
/Victorious