Atheism percentage levels and life quality

Grace2022 · Oct 7, 2021

Thinking about levels of atheism in populations of countries in our world, is there a corresponding indication of quality of government and life?
I mean can the level of belief and faith in at least a higher power, be a clear indication of the happiness of people or not?
I think China is the most atheist country and I can say for certain I would not like to live there.
I would always fear those the most the man who believes in nothing.

pescador · Oct 7, 2021

Lilly54 said:
Thinking about levels of atheism in populations of countries in our world, is there a corresponding indication of quality of government and life?
I mean can the level of belief and faith in at least a higher power, be a clear indication of the happiness of people or not?
I think China is the most atheist country and I can say for certain I would not like to live there.
I would always fear those the most the man who believes in nothing.

You're wrong. Although China is officially atheist there are many religious people in that country. Since you would always fear the most the man who believes in nothing, you have little to be afraid of regarding China.

BTW, you do realize that the First Amendment of the US Constitution reads in part "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..."

RDKirk · Oct 7, 2021

If most Americans were believers 200 years ago, life still sucked hard for black people.

Jesus is my Superhero · Oct 7, 2021

Christians were called Atheists by many Romans due to their unbelief in all the gods.

A religion whose belief does not curb the carnal passions is just as dangerous as a humanist view. Strong delusions can produce happiness too. Many observe that ignorance is bliss.

RDKirk · Oct 7, 2021

Jesus is my Superhero said:
Christians were called Atheists by many Romans due to their unbelief in all the gods.

A religion whose belief does not curb the carnal passions is just as dangerous as a humanist view. Strong delusions can produce happiness too. Many observe that ignorance is bliss.

Yes. Ancient Romans and Greeks were very religious people (as Paul pointed out to the Athenians).

But an important point is that the gods of the Graeco-Roman pantheon did not guide morality. The Greeks and Romans believed that morality was a product of their own personal ethical decisions. Their gods were amoral figures. A man might covet another man's wife and pray to Aphrodite for luck in seducing her.

A God who directed morality was a new thing for Greeks and Romans converting to Christianity.

pescador · Oct 7, 2021

RDKirk said:
If most Americans were believers 200 years ago, life still sucked hard for black people.

True, but way off topic...

RDKirk · Oct 7, 2021

pescador said:
True, but way off topic...

No, it isn't. Level of Christianity in a country is not a reliable measure of life quality.

pescador · Oct 7, 2021

RDKirk said:
No, it isn't. Level of Christianity in a country is not a reliable measure of life quality.

While true, the lives of "black people" (your phrase) has nothing to do with "atheism percentage levels and life quality".

Bob Crowley · Oct 14, 2021

It appears that there may be a possibility that religious people live a few years longer than those who are irreligious (atheists, agnostics?). But that's in a society with all the benefits of a strong economic and medical model.

If we took the same survey in Medieval Europe at the height of the Bubonic plague, I don't think there'd be much difference.

https://www.aau.edu/research-schola...ople-religious-affiliations-live-longer-study

Many studies have shown that people who volunteer and participate in social groups tend to live longer than others. So the researchers combined data from both studies to see if the volunteer and social opportunities that religious groups offer might explain the longevity boost.

Results showed that this was only part of the reason why religious people lived longer.

“We found that volunteerism and involvement in social organizations only accounted for a little less than one year of the longevity boost that religious affiliation provided,” Wallace said. “There’s still a lot of the benefit of religious affiliation that this can’t explain.”

Bear in mind this study was done in the USA in which "religion" generally means "Christian". Whether the same result would hold in nations with different (sometimes strong) religious beliefs could only be determined if suitable research were carried out.

grasping the after wind · Oct 14, 2021

pescador said:
You're wrong. Although China is officially atheist there are many religious people in that country. Since you would always fear the most the man who believes in nothing, you have little to be afraid of regarding China.

BTW, you do realize that the First Amendment of the US Constitution reads in part "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..."

....or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

China is not simply officially atheist , the government is also hostile to any religion that does not consider the government to be its god. . Something that some atheists and some in the religious community in the US would like to see implemented here.

Bob Crowley · Oct 15, 2021

China might officially be "Atheist" and the USA might be officially "Christian" but there's not much difference in life expectancies. Chinese life expectancy has risen from about 45 in 1960 to 76.19 years in 2019, and the USA has gone from about 65 in 1960 to 78.91 years in 2019.

China has had a greater improvement, and that would be mostly due to better living conditions, improved health care and the things we take for granted in the West.

https://china.usc.edu/life-expectancy-us-and-china

The next life is eternal though, regardless of whether we're Chinese, American or colonial settlers on Mars. What will really be important is where we spend that eternity.

Aussie Pete · Oct 15, 2021

Lilly54 said:
Thinking about levels of atheism in populations of countries in our world, is there a corresponding indication of quality of government and life?
I mean can the level of belief and faith in at least a higher power, be a clear indication of the happiness of people or not?
I think China is the most atheist country and I can say for certain I would not like to live there.
I would always fear those the most the man who believes in nothing.

I don't think it works like that. I'd rather live in China than Saudi Arabia. North Korea is probably the worst place on earth for anyone to try and survive. North Korea is atheist, Saudi Arabia is not. I'd avoid both countries unless the Lord told me to go.

RDKirk · Oct 15, 2021

Aussie Pete said:
I don't think it works like that. I'd rather live in China than Saudi Arabia. North Korea is probably the worst place on earth for anyone to try and survive. North Korea is atheist, Saudi Arabia is not. I'd avoid both countries unless the Lord told me to go.

And even then, the Body of Christ is growing in North Korea, but not in Saudi Arabia.

So I agree...it doesn't work like that. I've been to Saudi Arabia, and I'd also rather live in China.

Aussie Pete · Oct 15, 2021

RDKirk said:
And even then, the Body of Christ is growing in North Korea, but not in Saudi Arabia.

So I agree...it doesn't work like that. I've been to Saudi Arabia, and I'd also rather live in China.

I find it interesting than non-Arab Muslim nations such as Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and even Afghanistan have at least some Christians. They are persecuted and oppressed but they are not crushed. I've heard that Iran is having something of a revival, much to the dismay of the Ayatollahs. The Taliban may be even harsher than the previous administration. I'd be interested in your perspective on this.

RDKirk · Oct 15, 2021

Aussie Pete said:
I find it interesting than non-Arab Muslim nations such as Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and even Afghanistan have at least some Christians. They are persecuted and oppressed but they are not crushed. I've heard that Iran is having something of a revival, much to the dismay of the Ayatollahs. The Taliban may be even harsher than the previous administration. I'd be interested in your perspective on this.

All the Sunni Muslim states are harsher on Christians than the non-Sunni states. Although Sufism is technically Sunni, however, they are laid back enough on the issue that the 90% Sufi nation of Senegal elected a Catholic as their first president and were pleased to keep him in office for 20 years.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have not been safe havens for Christians. They regularly permit ad hoc pogroms against Christians, pretty much the way the governments of the American South turned a blind eye to lynchings and the Ku Klux Klan.

Iraq under Sadam Hussein was content to allow Christians a reliable "safe space" in Iraqi society (one of Sadam's senior ministers was Christian). Iran allows Christians a "safe space" as well, but with more restrictions.

The real problem--for all human society--is the radical Sunni Wahhabism emanating from Saudi Arabia and supported financially by Saudi Arabia. Get into a conversation with a Sufi or Shiite, and he will tell you outright that Wahhabis are bat-guano crazy.

Aussie Pete · Oct 18, 2021

RDKirk said:
All the Sunni Muslim states are harsher on Christians than the non-Sunni states. Although Sufism is technically Sunni, however, they are laid back enough on the issue that the 90% Sufi nation of Senegal elected a Catholic as their first president and were pleased to keep him in office for 20 years.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have not been safe havens for Christians. They regularly permit ad hoc pogroms against Christians, pretty much the way the governments of the American South turned a blind eye to lynchings and the Ku Klux Klan.

Iraq under Sadam Hussein was content to allow Christians a reliable "safe space" in Iraqi society (one of Sadam's senior ministers was Christian). Iran allows Christians a "safe space" as well, but with more restrictions.

The real problem--for all human society--is the radical Sunni Wahhabism emanating from Saudi Arabia and supported financially by Saudi Arabia. Get into a conversation with a Sufi or Shiite, and he will tell you outright that Wahhabis are bat-guano crazy.

Yes, Saudi Arabia/Sunni is definitely the greater problem, even more so because they are protected from scrutiny by the UK, Europe and the US. The UK (where I was born) is literally indebted to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. I visited England in 2016. England's "dark satanic mills" have become minarets.
The UK will be majority Muslim eventually, simply because of immigration and the higher Muslim birthrate. There is a substantial number of well trained Muslim service personnel. Add nuclear weapons and stir well.......

LeGato · Nov 17, 2021

Lilly54 said:
Thinking about levels of atheism in populations of countries in our world, is there a corresponding indication of quality of government and life?
I mean can the level of belief and faith in at least a higher power, be a clear indication of the happiness of people or not?
I think China is the most atheist country and I can say for certain I would not like to live there.
I would always fear those the most the man who believes in nothing.

I have found that most atheists are not really atheists, they are rather worshippers of Science.

pescador · Nov 18, 2021

LeGato said:
I have found that most atheists are not really atheists, they are rather worshippers of Science.

I haven't found that to be the case. I don't know a single person who "worships" science. When I was an atheist years ago I didn't worship anyone or any thing, including science. "Atheist" means without God.

LeGato · Nov 18, 2021

pescador said:
I haven't found that to be the case. I don't know a single person who "worships" science. When I was an atheist years ago I didn't worship anyone or any thing, including science. "Atheist" means without God.

I don't think most realize it. Science though IS their fallback....especially when you try to explain God to them.

pescador · Nov 18, 2021

LeGato said:
I don't think most realize it. Science though IS their fallback....especially when you try to explain God to them.

It is an oversimplification to say that science is their fallback. Maybe you're explaining God to them incorrectly.

Atheism percentage levels and life quality

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