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NeoGreen

(4,030 posts)
Mon Jul 20, 2020, 12:13 PM Jul 2020

Survey: Most Americans Now Believe You Do Not Need God to be Good

https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2020/07/20/survey-most-americans-now-believe-you-do-not-need-god-to-be-good/




Survey: Most Americans Now Believe You Do Not Need God to be Good
By Hemant Mehta, July 20, 2020

Do you need to believe in God to be good?

Atheists would obviously say no. (If you need God to be good… that probably means you’re not good.) But what about the United States in general, where it seems like there are churches on every corner?

To my surprise, a new survey out today from the Pew Research Center finds that the majority of Americans — 54% — say you do not need God to be moral. Only 44% of people in the U.S. believe God is a prerequisite for morality, a sharp decline from when this question was last asked in 2002, when that same number was 58%.

All of this comes from a massive survey of nearly 40,000 people across 34 countries focusing on the role of God and prayer in public life.

In general, more prosperous nations were less likely to say you need God to be good. The U.S., as usual, is an anomaly in that regard. We’re the richest nation (by GDP per capita) but also one of the more religious ones.

While it won’t surprise you to find out people who earn less money are more likely to link God and morality, in the U.S., the different is starker than in any other nation. 56% of people below the median income say you need God to be good, compared to 32% of those earning above the median. By contrast, the different in (the far more secular) France is 19% and 10%, respectively.




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Survey: Most Americans Now Believe You Do Not Need God to be Good (Original Post) NeoGreen Jul 2020 OP
Kickin' Faux pas Jul 2020 #1
As noted many times before, you need religion to be truly evil Orrex Jul 2020 #2
Progress! Though I'm sure that those who ardently believe in Zeus stopbush Jul 2020 #3
Because we see those who profess to be Christians act in evil unchristian ways and support kimbutgar Jul 2020 #4
some change comes slowly RussBLib Jul 2020 #5

kimbutgar

(20,882 posts)
4. Because we see those who profess to be Christians act in evil unchristian ways and support
Mon Jul 20, 2020, 12:59 PM
Jul 2020

A man who is the personification of satan. I was raised Catholic but I am appalled at those who support MF45 and repukes. I am no longer practicing anything but a proponent of love thy neighbor as thyself philosophy. And I am my brothers keeper.

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