Hmm... The death of Communism in the Soviet Union lowered those numbers. China will likely fall apart in the next 100 years, which will probably also lower those numbers. Europe and the U.S. are slowly become more Atheist, which will raise those numbers. I couldn't take as guess as to percentages. Heck, I'm not even sure if it will go up or down. Atheists are not great proselytizers. Plus, we have a crappy sales pitch. "Join us and we won't give you eternal life." Hmm... need to work on that one.
No need to proselytize. American public schools will do your job for you =). In all seriousness, whether a school is run by a leftist or not, real education is the best recruiting tool for agnostics and atheists. It doesn't require college or graduate school, and it doesn't require the school to push an "atheist agenda" either(usually via History class). A primary/secondary eduction with quality math, biology, and physics classes will do the trick for most kids smart enough to understand what is being taught. The logical conclusion that religion, the god story, the creation story, and all the rest are not based on facts will usually just dawn on you, especially if you come from a religious family.
It is foolish for atheist to insist anything, including deity not existing but simply to continue on their path in reaching the final destination that exists for all studies including their own reason for existence and the persuasion that allows for its continuance. Continuance for man can only be found in the Garden. .
I think the garden refers to the hydroponic garden where he grows his cloned white widow seeds, freshly shipped in from Amsterdamn.
I think Will must have converted by now. If my video of the camel and the scorpion didn't do it, this one will. [video=youtube;kbiR6jLCC7E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbiR6jLCC7E[/video] Sorta puts him into a good light doesn't it? [video=youtube;M114bK4qaiM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M114bK4qaiM&NR=1[/video]
Pat Condell is the kind of cranky old man I want to be when I get old. Err... older.... err... I think I'm there now except I'm not as humorous as Pat.
The Garden does exist and is the sole source for all knowledge / life and is a deity having persuasion Atheisms shamably denies but not the one they are after as indeed its life may be taken. Not so its origin though and believing oneself capable in making the call on it is pure egotism. Just that Atheism in using organized religions concept of deity as their target is really not much different than the religions they are disproving that do have the concept wrong in the first place. Exactly what is Athieism definition for deity as previously asked? Not much argument against text based Gods.
I speak 4 languages, BW, so try me. What's your first language? I've read your post 5 times and cannot make out what you're trying to say. Added: 6 times is a charm. I think I've understood you now. For some reason that scares the shit out of me.
Atheist Pantheons Every Atheist maintains, conscious or unconsciously, his or her own pantheon. These aren't gods, these are men and women whose intellectual and moral stature has earned them a level of respect from the individual Atheist. This is very different from the pantheons of organized religion, where the beings to be respected are defined for the entire group. As Atheists, we make our own decisions. My pantheon was recently listed as: Mark Twain P.J. O’Rourke Thomas Paine George Washington Winston Churchill Albert Einstein Patrick Henry Ronald Reagan John Stuart Mill Will Rogers Ludwig von Mises George Mason John Adams Thomas Sowell James Madison Barry Goldwater Walter Williams Milton Friedman Frederic Bastiat Gandhi Thomas Jefferson Alexander Hamilton Friedrich Hayek Edmund Burke H.L. Mencken Ben Franklin I obviously missed many great humans, such as Ayn Rand and Karl Popper! It should be noted that there are non-Atheists on this list -- and on the lists of most Atheists. No one is perfect. Burke was still a genius, even if he was a Christian. On the other hand, Thomas Paine was in many ways a complete loon, but he was a great loon. I have always felt that Gandi was an arguable choice, but recent research has convinced me that his placement on the list is deserved. Perfection is not a requirement. Heck, there is a Democrat on the list. If you are an Atheist, who is in your pantheon?
The above attempts to define the natural world in relation to humankind rather than the natural world being the sole source of existence for all creatures. The natural worlds existence is determined and evolves through a persuasion that is itself the rules of the universe in accordance to the guidance / persuasion of its present Creator.....because the struggle between good and evil does exist in mankind and not within the Garden proper is enough evidence a pure persuasion in either is possible and necessary to achieve, for remittance but in the end only one is allowed to exist beyond the physical presence first initiated of free choice in choosing the correct path for everlasting challenges. In short, Atheist as anything else have a choice in their persuasion whatever they believe and it is not the belief but the persuasion that is important. .
My question ... Seeings how evolution has not been proven scientifically 100% how do explain an atheist's belief in evolution? Take the "missing link" for example that has never linked apes to humans. (If your rebuttal is evoltuion has been proven beyond a belief then please give 10 credible sources related to the missing link) Second question... Do you beleive scientific beliefs should be taught in the science classroom?
Forget the "beliefs" as you call them. So long as they teach the Scientific Method, the rest will handle itself.
Evolution is a fact. It is proven by 1000%. There are no missing links. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCayG4IIOEQ Enjoy. And signup to his youtube channel. From reading your post, it seems that there is a lot of learning ahead for you to reach the knowledge level of the...hmmm..1950's? 'Scientific beliefs' is an oximoron. Science is the knowledge of humanity, nothing more, nothing less. It is based on observation, not on belief.
Their is no absolute proof that man came from apes though. That can be seen by researching the missing link. As with anything in life a man can be born with 4 arms that does not necessarily mean he evolved from a centipede it just means their is chance that his genes are malformed . Nor does it mean when he produces offspring his children will certainly have those same malformations.