What About Atheist Diversity?
As I'm writing my book on the Outsider Test for Faith let me put a question to my readers. It concerns the geographical distribution of atheism around the world.
Non-believers represent the fact of religious diversity as well as any grouping and they seem to be geographical located in various regions around the globe. Phil Zuckerman has researched into where these non-believers are located and here are the top 30 countries where they reside:
<>Make into a Chart<>
Agnostic/Nonbeliever in God
(factoring in the maximum percentage to rank these nations).
1. Sweden 46-85%
2. Vietnam 81%
3. Denmark 43-80%
4. Norway 31-72%
5. Japan 64-65%
6. Czech Rep. 54-61%
7. Finland 28-60%
8. France 43-54%
9. South Korea 30%-52%
10. Estonia 49%
11. Germany 41-49%
12. Russia 24-48%
13. Hungary 32-46%
14. Netherlands 39-44%
15. Britain 31-44%
16. Belgium 42-43%
17. Bulgaria 34-40
18. Slovenia 35-38%
19. Israel 15-37%
20. Canada 19-30%
21. Latvia 20-29%
22. Slovakia 10-28%
23. Switzerland 17-27%
24. Austria 18-26%
25. Australia 24-25%
26. Taiwan 24%
27. Spain 15-24%
28. Iceland 16-23%
29. New Zealand 20-22%
30. Ukraine 20%
[Source: Phil Zuckerman, “Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns,” in Cambridge Companion to Atheism, ed. Michael Martin, (Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press, 2007), pp. 56-57 ].
Why are the number of atheists higher in some countries than in others? In some counties it could be because of the ravages of war in the past century, most notably World War II. Zuckerman however advances the idea that it’s because of societal health and security. “High levels of organic atheism are strongly correlated with high levels of societal health.”47 Atheist countries have a higher life expectancy, lower infant mortality, less crime, fewer suicides, fewer homicides, higher literacy, less poverty, greater gender equality, better healthcare, and so forth. “Most nations characterized by high degrees of individual and societal security have the highest rates of organic atheism, and, conversely, nations characterized by low degrees of individual and societal security have the lowest rates of organic atheism.” p. 61
So do the geographical demographics of atheism lead us to think atheism is dependent on the accidents of birth, that is, where and when we are born, just like religions are? While I'm working on my answers what do you think?
Non-believers represent the fact of religious diversity as well as any grouping and they seem to be geographical located in various regions around the globe. Phil Zuckerman has researched into where these non-believers are located and here are the top 30 countries where they reside:
<>Make into a Chart<>
Agnostic/Nonbeliever in God
(factoring in the maximum percentage to rank these nations).
1. Sweden 46-85%
2. Vietnam 81%
3. Denmark 43-80%
4. Norway 31-72%
5. Japan 64-65%
6. Czech Rep. 54-61%
7. Finland 28-60%
8. France 43-54%
9. South Korea 30%-52%
10. Estonia 49%
11. Germany 41-49%
12. Russia 24-48%
13. Hungary 32-46%
14. Netherlands 39-44%
15. Britain 31-44%
16. Belgium 42-43%
17. Bulgaria 34-40
18. Slovenia 35-38%
19. Israel 15-37%
20. Canada 19-30%
21. Latvia 20-29%
22. Slovakia 10-28%
23. Switzerland 17-27%
24. Austria 18-26%
25. Australia 24-25%
26. Taiwan 24%
27. Spain 15-24%
28. Iceland 16-23%
29. New Zealand 20-22%
30. Ukraine 20%
[Source: Phil Zuckerman, “Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns,” in Cambridge Companion to Atheism, ed. Michael Martin, (Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press, 2007), pp. 56-57 ].
Why are the number of atheists higher in some countries than in others? In some counties it could be because of the ravages of war in the past century, most notably World War II. Zuckerman however advances the idea that it’s because of societal health and security. “High levels of organic atheism are strongly correlated with high levels of societal health.”47 Atheist countries have a higher life expectancy, lower infant mortality, less crime, fewer suicides, fewer homicides, higher literacy, less poverty, greater gender equality, better healthcare, and so forth. “Most nations characterized by high degrees of individual and societal security have the highest rates of organic atheism, and, conversely, nations characterized by low degrees of individual and societal security have the lowest rates of organic atheism.” p. 61
So do the geographical demographics of atheism lead us to think atheism is dependent on the accidents of birth, that is, where and when we are born, just like religions are? While I'm working on my answers what do you think?
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