Mr. Johnson

Why is it that 80% of America "claims" to be Christian but only 26% attend church regularly. Is this because many people were raised to believe in the Christian doctrines so they believe this is the right thing to do so they can go to "heaven"? I honestly believe that if more people were not so ignorant as to refuse to even take a look at the Atheist/Agnostic point of view, that they would start to question their beliefs. Is religion just a bad habit?

phlebas

I've wondered about this too. I think a large part is because of a stigma attached to atheism.

When some poll-taker calls or knocks and asks about your religion, many people feel ashamed to admit to anything other than Christianity, even if they ignore the issue altogether when it's not Christmas or Easter.

So, perhaps a large block of that 80% are Christians by default. From my own experience, most people don't think about it hard enough to really form solid opinions one way or another. (People on this board excepted, of course )

Draygomb

If all christians acted in the prescribed christian manner then there wouldn't be an even greater percentage of christians in jail than in the population in general.

Atheists and Women are the only 2 segments of the population that have a lower percentage of their people in the prison system. Which when you think about it gives the atheists the moral high ground.

Anunnaki

This appears to be the case with my family. Aunts,uncles and cousins included.
They are all Catholic,but never attend church or even know anything at all about their religion except for the few bits and pieces they remember from their CCD class as kids and general crap on TV specials about Moses and Jesus.
None of them pray or even know any prayers and no one ever talks about God unless I provoke them.
The onlt thing they all know is that they`re going to heaven and grandma`s gonna be there to meet them.

Lets take a look at my aunt to show how oblivious these people are about their religion........
Her and my uncle have a "kids" room upstairs for when their grandchildren visit (they have 8 of them). My aunt has decorated the room with a variety of Noahs ark stuff and one of the things is a wooden ark hanging on the wall. It`s got some animal heads hanging out the windows and a few up on the top deck. Whats ALSO on the top deck is a picture of her GAY daughter with her "friend".

We were there this year for Christmas and I quietly pointed out to my brother (also a heathen) how it`s a little known fact that among all the animal pairs Noah also brought along a pair of lesbians.
<img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" />

Edited to add.....
They also had dragged out the nativity scene for under the tree this year,but none of them know anything about it. When I saw it I said under my breath "Ah,the baby Dionysus" and my cousin said "Huh?"

[ February 13, 2002: Message edited by: Anunnaki ]</p>

DarkBronzePlant

I think Mr. Johnson is more or less correct. If most "average God-fearing Americans" were pressed to debate, or to rationalize their beliefs, I'm betting they would be unable to. Instead, most people just profess belief because it sounds good, because it is easier, and because it's what everyone else does.

Which is why I feel almost a sense of obligation to get such people to think about it, to try to articulate to themselves what their beliefs really are. Not to pressure them into "converting" to atheism, mind you, or anything like that. Just get them to think. And then, most days, I take a good look around me and realize what a fruitless effort that would be.

sandlewood

I believe it's a combination of reasons. I agree that people probably don't think about religion much at all, and so they call themselves Christians because it's easier and there are fewer stigmas involved. Another reason is Pascal's Wager.

But why don't people go to church then? Perhaps because people tend to define Christianity to be whatever they want. They've decided for themselves that the only thing you need to do to get into heaven is to say to yourself that you believe in God. Then that annoying bit about going to church on Sunday is unnecessary. So it's much easier. I think there are people to whom religion is a hobby, and so they get more wrapped up in it. I have to wonder how many people go to church that really don't want to go.