Posted on 12/04/2011 6:18:55 AM PST by SeekAndFind
They may not find much meaning in the birth of Jesus Christ, but many atheists embrace religious traditions such as churchgoing for the sake of the children, a new study finds.
The research, which focused on atheist scientists, found that 17 percent of atheists in the study attended a religious service more than once a year. The atheists embraced religious traditions for social and personal reasons, they told the study researchers.
"Our research shows just how tightly linked religion and family are in U.S. society — so much so that even some of society's least religious people find religion to be important in their private lives," Rice University sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund, the study's principal investigator, said in a statement. Ecklund and her colleagues reported their findings in the December issue of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.
Earlier research by Ecklund has revealed that the line between believing and not believing in God is not always bright. For example, in research released in June 2011 in the journal Sociology of Religion, Ecklund and her colleagues found that about 20 percent of atheist scientists are "spiritual," if not formally religious.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
There was a survey done a year or two ago that showed something like 25% of avowed athiests believe in God. Figure that one out!
Wow! Who'd a thunk it.
The media loves to run stories that denigrate real religious faith and the role it plays in society.
We're all hypocrites and are in need of daily conversion.
Many atheists have a vendetta against Christians. Maybe something happened in their past.
Example: an ex-wife is raising his children as Christians. The anger and emotion is not with Christians but with the ex-wife.
The atheist who feels it his duty to rage against religious faith and religious institutions. This is the Richard Dawkins, Madalyn O'Hair, ACLU variety and although I suspect they are the smallest in number, they are the noisy minority that give the rest of us a bad name.
The atheist who openly admits his atheism, is willing to defend it in public, yet who respects other's faith and acknowledges a role for faith in public life. This is where I am and it's where I've been for the last half a century.
The atheist who feels it necessary to conceal his unbelief for family, social, or professional reasons. The woman to whom I've been happily married for the last thirty years is one of these....she sat in church for two decades and mouthed the phrases which she did not believe. I suspect that many like her are to be found in every church, synagogue, and maybe even a mosque or two. They are in my opinion the largest group of atheists by far.
I understand that, but how can someone logically claim to be an atheist and yet believe in God?
Many atheists have more morals than some professed Christians. They believe in the 10 Commandments, but don't believe they are inspired by God. The few atheists I know are grateful for Christianity because of the living guidance and practise. As bad as America is becoming, imagine the U.S. without followers of God? The activist atheists are the ones to fear, because they have other than good intentions for us.
A fair question. I am an atheist because I can no more envision a universe where supernatural beings exist than I can envision a universe where addition is not commutative.
I've met a number of people who call themselves atheists, but when you get down to it, what they really don't believe in is the God of the Old and New Testaments.
Many of these folks are actually deists or pantheists, but from a Christian point of view they're going to burn with me in eternal hellfire anyway, so it's easy to see why labels get misapplied.
Because they are irrational and probably have some kind of vendetta. Its not about the faith but getting even.
Atheism is a religion and it requires a “leap of faith” just like any other religion.
A true atheist is probably an agnostic — can’t prove or disprove the existence of a Deity.
Christmas in Japan, esp. Tokyo is absolutely crazy. The Japanese love Christmas.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvwGMIlZR6U
Even atheists like receiving presents.
I used to know a woman whose husband was a Rabbi AND an Atheist.
Figure that one out!
I used to know a woman whose husband was a Rabbi AND an Atheist.
Figure that one out!
Reminds me of a story said to be a favorite of Leo Szilard ( I read this in his biography, DARK GENIUS ) :
A Rabbi had the habit of always agreeing with everyone, much to the annoyance of his wife. When entertaining guests one evening, his wife noticed that he was agreeing in turn with two men who were arguing with one another. She couldn't contain herself, "How can you agree with two people who are saying the opposite thing! It's ridiculous!" The Rabbi thought a moment, "You know," he said, "you're right!"
Why?
Maybe it is to see the rise/birth of the Sun three days after it dies on the solstice!
I can resonably utilize your explanation and say that I am a Christian because I can envision a universe where supernatural beings exist because addition is commutative.
I must say that if you are right and I am wrong then I will have lost nothing and will know nothing beyound death. However, if I am right and you are wrong, you will have lost everything and you will know it forever.
I would encourage you not to stake your eternal possibilities on the contents of some math book, but get the book of God's word on your own and challenge God to prove Himself. You like another avowed atheist, C.S. Lewis, may find yourself also "surprised by joy".
They could come in 100 flavors, but they all have in common the fact that they insist on thinking and living on the primitive, horizonal plane.
My guess is that the vendetta they have against Christians has much to with behavior that they persist in doing. This behavior, Christianity tells them, is totally contrary to Christian beliefs. Fornication, adultery, drugs, over-drinking, divorcing-remarrying (Catholic), pornography and such. People don't like that, especially if they have excuses for their un-Christian behavior. People buy into their own excuses so much that Christian absolutes are just TOO MUCH for them and thus begins the vendetta.
I'll show you, God, I won't believe in You anymore. That'll show You!
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