Thom Hartmann is talking about 'Free Thought Radio'

[rusty quoin]

It will be on Air America Saturdays 1-2 pm. They said only 14% are aethist or agnostic. I find it hard to believe. I belong to that 14%.

[Eric J in MN]

1. You can listen to an MP3

...of Saturday's show:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/ffrf/FTradio_77_101307.mp3

(37 minutes)

The best part is in the middle when audio of Bill Maher is played.

The show in general isn't non-stop excitement.

[tularetom]

2. I suspect a lot of people are hedging their bets

they may question in their minds the existence of a deity but they don't want to come right out and say so on the chance that they might be wrong. Which is stupid. If there is a god and he ain't smart enough to know what you're thinking he really isn't much of a god is he?

[varkam]

15. Plus, that's just disgustingly cynical.

You're essentially talking about Pascal's Wager, which holds that it is better to believe and be wrong, then to not believe and be right. But if your only reasons for belief or disbelief are involving reward/punishment in the afterlife, then doesn't that seem pretty cheap? And also, you're right: if you just say that you believe, I'd like to think that if there is a god he/she/it would be able to see right through the spin.

[immoderate]

3. Me too. That number is quite common, but...

It's usually those who will admit to no religion. It's a hard statistic to nail down. For instance, it ignores those for whom "god" is some sort of imaginary friend who goes along with whatever they're thinking at the moment. That's most of them.

--IMM

[rusty quoin]

4. I think a better indicator is whether or not you go to church.

But then you get the church goers who go and do behave horrendously to others.

[Az]

7. Research shows Church attendence dropping steadily

From Barna research. Average number of people attending a church.

Year Church attendance
1992 102
1997 100
1998 95
1999 90
2000 90
2003 89

Further research by Barna provides these numbers

* 47% of American adults attend church in a typical weekend, not including a special event such as a wedding or a funeral. (2005)
Percentage of adults nationwide who have attended a church service in the past seven days not including a special event such as a wedding or a funeral. 2004-43% 2002-43% 2001-42% 2000-40% 1997-43% 1996-37% 1992-47% 1991-49%
* 62% of Republicans attended church in a typical weekend compared to 47% of Democrats. (2006)
* 44% of men nationwide compared with 50% of women have attended a church service, not including a special event such as a wedding or a funeral, in the past seven days. (2006)
* Married people are more likely than singles to attend church in a typical weekend: 52% versus 38% respectively. (2006)
* Blacks (52%) are the ethnic group most likely to have attended a religious service in the past week, followed by whites (49%), Hispanics (41%), and Asians (29%). (2006)
*Catholics and Protestants had virtually the same likelihood of attending church in 2006. Catholics: 2006 55% 2004 51% 2002 46% 2000 49% Protestants: 2006 58% 2004 52% 2002 53% 2000 47%
* Mosaics are least likely to attend church in a typical weekend (33%) versus Baby Busters (43%), Baby Boomers (49%), and Elders (54%). (2006)
* Attendance levels are still higher in the “Bible belt” areas – the South and Midwest – than in the Northeast and West. 54% of those in the Midwest and 51% of those in the South and attend church in a typical week, compared to 41% of those in the Northeast and 39% of those in the West. (2006)

[rusty quoin]

9. So around 50% attend regularly.

That is significant. So, if asked "Are you religious" people who answers yes, but don't practise, make for misleading poll results. The implication is all these people are religious, while it's not actually true.

[DKRC]

10. Clarify this for me please

"* Mosaics are least likely to attend church in a typical weekend (33%) versus Baby Busters (43%), Baby Boomers (49%), and Elders (54%). (2006)"

Mosaics?
Baby Busters?

Baby Boomers and Elders I got, but the other 2 lost me.

Thanks.

[Az]

11. Generation terms

Baby Boomers are people born between 1946 and 1964.

Baby Busters were born between 1965 and 1980.

[DKRC]

12. Thanks for the help. And are Mosaics c. 1980 - 1995? -nt-

[Az]

6. Recent poll by the Pew Research group put people 30 and under at about 20% nontheist/nonbeliever

And studies being done by Christian fronts are sending out worrisome messages that the strident tone of the fundamentalists is driving young people away from the church. Maybe this is where they are going.

[Az]

5. What the heck do they mean by only?!?

African Americans represent 12.3% of the population.

Asian Americans represent 3% of the population.

And Hispanic Americans at the largest racial minority represent 12.5% of the population.

So what do they mean by only? We are quite a large number of citizens. We represent 7 entire states. 7 of the stars on the flag are represented by atheists. That sounds like a significant block of voters to me.

[rusty quoin]

8. That's a good point. Didn't think of that.

[pstokely]

13. It'll probably be pre-empted by College football on XM

[leftofthedial]

14. frankly, I'm surprised it's 14%

almost everyone I talk to about "theological" matters believes in a higher power

[varkam]

16. Well, a lot of atheists...

tend not to wear it on their sleeves for fear of retaliation. Even one atheist I once knew still told people that he was a believer, simply because he did not want to lose his friends or the love of his family.

[leftofthedial]

18. I'm way "out" as an atheist

pretty much everyone who knows me knows I'm an atheist


I've paid a steep, steep price for it, but I'm honest first

[Az]

17. Was at a meeting with a group of atheists last night

and a lot have paid a price socially for outing themselves. Many have paid a price even amongst family members no longer acknowledging them as well. There is a lot of incentive to remain hidden. Which is in part why those that do pop out tend to be a bit annoyed.

[leftofthedial]

19. I'm so up front about my own atheism

that I don't imagine most of my acquaintances are shy about 'fessing up, at least to me.

I really think something in the primate brain makes us want to believe in imaginary daddies.