A new Harris-Decima poll has found that 23% of Canadians do not believe in God. In the US most polls find that between 8-10% of Americans are atheists. The numbers are growing all over the West. But I'm proud of the Canadian numbers. It shows that we are an enlightened society. The poll inspired me to make a short video. Enjoy:
I think the internet has started a seeking the truth revolution. Facts can be found and lies can be refuted by simple Google searches. I've said it for a couple of years, the internet will be the death of the Young Earth Creationist movement. The abundance of evidence for an ancient earth and evolution has turned YECs into laughing stocks. The more they show up to try to poke holes in evolution and an ancient earth, the more internet links and proofs are thrown in their faces by obnoxious atheists (like me) or know-it-all theistic evolutionists. What happens? The lurkers see that YECs are pathetic.
Then the lurkers will start questioning the foundations of their beliefs. Many realize that there is no evidence for God's existence, and also realize that man has created over 3500 Gods since written history began.
As for Canada being more progressive than the USA, I'm wondering if multiculturalism has made Canadians question their faiths more and more. It makes sense that when you see a different type of church or mosque or synagogue on various streets within a close proximity that it is a natural response to start thinking that all these people have different beliefs. Obviously, all but one are wrong....scratch that, probably all of them are wrong.
H/T Atheist Revolution
Go Canada! Still, everywhere in the world, atheists have a long, uphill struggle ahead of them. But slowly, we're winning- not by violence, threats of damnation or censorship, but on the strength of our arguments and evidence!
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest reason Canada diverges from the US isn't because of multiculturalism itself- the US has no shortage of religious denominations even within the Christian church. Rather, our public education system seems to instill a greater appreciation for critical thinking than the American system does. We're also less exposed to the rampant, fiery propaganda you find in the states. Seeing Jesus shoved in my face at every turn in the southern US freaked me out, it's the same kind of behaviour that successfully recruits people into cults.
Cheers from a fellow bacon-eating atheist jew!
Hi Bork.
ReplyDeleteSecularism is winning in the West. The courts can't prove the bible or religious beliefs so usually the decisions that come down are totally in line with a Godless universe.
By multiculturalism I'm stating that there are more non Christian religions on display in Canada which gets away from the USA common denominator of Jesus. The US is also full of Young Earth Creationists (they make up 45% of their population), and they tend to be in very high volume in certain areas of the states (comparable to large Muslim pockets found in the middle east). People not exposed to other belief systems are probably least likely to question their own beliefs.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteNice post. But I need some time to understand :(
Thanks for sharing...
:-)
Psychic power
Atheists minus agnostics equals religious zealots. Think about it...
ReplyDelete...and also realize that man has created over 3500 Gods since written history began.
That is a very high number indeed. There must be something to it.
MK, the definition of atheist is simply someone who says no to the question "do you believe in God?"
ReplyDeleteAn agnostic is someone who doesn't know for sure if God exists or not. Technically everyone is an agnostic, though there are many people who will swear that God either exists or he doesn't, and claim they know for sure. But the reality from the atheist side is that one can never disprove God, just like one cannot disprove invisible Leprechauns living in the center of the sun.
Atheism is not a religion by any real definition.
As for 3500 Gods being created by man: Our ancestors couldn't explain lightning and were also self aware about mortality. To keep from going crazy and living to be old enough to procreate, embracing supernatural explanations to unanswerable questions was a preferred evolutionary trait. We still have that tendency today. It is in our genes.
classic video. horrific singing. particularly poignant view of the dog watching its cousins on the telly at the end, undaunted by the aforesaid horrific singing. my regards to aforesaid.
ReplyDeletean atheist is someone who has an open perspective and a believer is someone who has closed their perspective.
OK Jason, you didn't have to repeat the term "horrific singing." I got it the first time.
ReplyDelete