A rather pontifical commenter promoted me to do a little digging on the demographics of American atheists, as I was pretty sure that it would reinforce my point about the subjectivity of definitions. The product is a post at my other weblog, Large minority of atheists are religious:
...20% of atheists in the United States self-identify as a member of a religion. By atheist, I mean someone who states that they "Do not believe in God." 19% of Buddhists are atheists. 10% of Jews. 5% of Muslims and Hindus. 9% of "Other Faiths." And of course, 22% of the Unaffiliated (those without a religious identification). To get to my 20% number I just went to the Pew US Religious Landscape Survey, checked belief in God by religion and cross-referenced with the proportion within the sample of each religion. I think it's a rather peculiar situation that the same proportion of atheists are religious as non-religious are atheists! Chart and data below the fold....
Humanities & Social Science
Comments
I'm very surprised at the very low percentage of Jews who are atheists in these numbers. My personal experience would have suggested a much higher number.
Posted by: greg laden | August 24, 2008 2:55 AM
I'm very surprised at the very low percentage of Jews who are atheists in these numbers. My personal experience would have suggested a much higher number.
same. but, the aggregate for these 3 categories together for jews was 28%
Believe in God: not too certain/ not at all certain/ unsure how certain
Do not believe in God
Don't know/ refused/ other
so some probably wussed out and picked #1 or #3 here.
Posted by: razib | August 24, 2008 3:05 AM
re: jews,
"Do you agree or disagree that God exists?"
Disagree strongly & Disagree somewhat
jews by religion - 14%
jews (no religion) - 24%
jews (other religion) - 4%
all jews - 14%
to some extent this revolves around the question "who is a jew?"
source:
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:9dcYj6WRLcEJ:www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/ajisbook.pdf+american+jewish+identity+survey&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a
Posted by: razib | August 24, 2008 3:17 AM
It is a lot like the race issue. The categories are borked, the questions we ask of the data are often unrelated to the nature of the subject of study and thus ar artificial and arbitrary and therefore difficult to measure, and the results are ambiguous on a good day.
We may simplify. Apply Atheist Law to all those who do not clearly declare themselves Atheist.
Posted by: greg laden | August 24, 2008 8:56 AM
I have known quite a few Jews who were not in the least religious. But I have never met a religious Jew who is an atheist.
Which doesn't mean they don't exist. ;-)
Posted by: Russell | August 24, 2008 9:40 AM
Fox Oscar Alpha Delta is all I have to say about your snide post modernist tripe.
Posted by: Onkel Bob | August 24, 2008 12:38 PM
Fox Oscar Alpha Delta is all I have to say about your snide post modernist tripe.
FYI, a diff. opinion from yours is not post-modernism.
Posted by: razib | August 24, 2008 12:42 PM
"Post modern"??? I haven't heard that one in... since modern times.
Posted by: zy | August 24, 2008 9:39 PM
I think he means post modem - i.e. since the advent of broadband....
Posted by: Ian | August 25, 2008 8:41 AM