Atheists on the rise in America

[alekth]

pizzahut451 said:

sapphi_snake said:

pizzahut451 said:

Meh, atheists still are (and always will be) a very small minority in the world. Theres always gonna be a lot more relgious people than atheist people, and that puts smile on my face :)

You are aware that there are countries in Europe, where atheist are actually the majority right?

not a single one, except Estonia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eurobarometer_poll.png

For scientific purposes belief in some spiritual force might, in some people, come close to a belief similar to one of the religious ones.

However, from an organized religion standpoint, those people don't believe in one of the religions' gods, or at least not in a way that the respective church requires. Basically, from a church point of view, they are heretics or pagans.

In a social or personal aspect their values do not necessarily overlap with those of a certain religion and they might not accept to share a point of view taught by that church. Which btw can be the case for many who do condier themselves believers and belonging to a church, know a few basic things, go light a candle sometime, get married in a church etc but don't otherwise have any interest in the actual teachings of that church.