Europe- The Atheist continent!?

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by MrWhereItsAt
TBH I'm surprised it's this high. Or maybe NZ is just one of those countries where the church-going community is small or quiet or both. Saw an article on CNN a while ago about discrimination against atheists in the US being more prevalent than against any other minority and it still knocks my socks off.

You'd be surprised what kinds of weird and wonderful religions are tucked away in NZ!

IIRC for example there's loads of those exclusive brethren people all over the country, came face to face with a bunch of those near Motueka - very strange!

I guess the reason is that NZ is sparsely populated, so these groups can get on relatively unmolested.

[Jon Miller]

I don't really know anyone who discriminates about atheists.. I mean, many people feel free to talk about religion and stuff anywhere. But if someone is silent about things, no one really discriminates against them.

There was the thing where more people wouldn't vote for an atheist than a muslim or black... how did gay fit in?

Jon Miller

[Mercator]

Originally posted by Colonâ„¢
Netherlands less religious than Belgium?

I don't think that sounds so strange. After all, the poll indicates how many people believe in a God, not how fanatically they hold to those beliefs.

Belgium is traditionally Catholic. Most are probably not quite so devout anymore, yet still religious, while the Netherlands has a smaller, but more fanatic, Protestant minority.

Edit: And it seems the Dutch are more "spiritual" than the Belgians so it balances out...

According to the report:

	Belgium	The Netherlands
I believe there is a God	43%	34%
I believe there is some sort of spirit or life force	29%	37%
I don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force	27%	27%

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by MikeH
Yeah, the idea that athiests might be a minority is totally bizarre.

I'm sure they are. Believing in god or being religious is often wrongly conflated with being some sort of fanatic. For example, my parents consider themselves Christian and believe in god, but you'd never know it - they never go to church (though they used to, never regulary though, years ago) or outwardly display any signs of being religious. I'd be surprised if this didn't accurately describe a large portion if not the majority of self-described Christians in Europe and North America. People like that just don't make the news.

[Elok]

Originally posted by MikeH
1700s is very recent.

On the scale of human history, yes. But if we've been around since ~1780, and have had problems with people mixing religion and politics for only the past fifty years (and not too successfully either), it's fair to say that said problem is a relatively recent phenomenon. No?

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Mercator


I don't think that sounds so strange. After all, the poll indicates how many people believe in a God, not how fanatically they hold to those beliefs.

Belgium is traditionally Catholic. Most are probably not quite so devout anymore, yet still religious, while the Netherlands has a smaller, but more fanatic, Protestant minority.

Edit: And it seems the Dutch are more "spiritual" than the Belgians so it balances out...

According to the report:

	Belgium	The Netherlands
I believe there is a God	43%	34%
I believe there is some sort of spirit or life force	29%	37%
I don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force	27%	27%

This is the first time, ever, that I see someone do a HTML table on this forum. Respect.

[VetLegion]

Scientifically proven, we have one too!

[Barnabas]

Bible and turkey dont get along

Isnt bavaria quite christian?

[MOBIUS]

Is that a bit like fish and red wine?

[Combat Ingrid]

"European bible belt"?
I think a proper Europe map should show the vodka, beer and wine belts instead

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Spiffor

And Poles. Don't forget the Poles

[Colonâ„¢]

Improved bible belt:

[joncha]

Originally posted by Spiffor
WTF Romania

If I lived in Romania, I'd pray for salvation too.

[MRT144]

more like a bible lasso

[RGBVideo]

France, Belgium and the Netherlands will have muslim majorities within 30 years, Sweden within 50. The era of freedom of and from religion is rapidly coming to an end in these countries.