VonNoble Posted March 30, 2018 Report Share Posted March 30, 2018 I just read that Pew research indicates agnostics/atheists tend to be more often male (64%)..... And I am wondering why that would be so? Additionally the majority are white? i have no idea what to conclude about that-perhaps nothing at all. The majority of the population the last time I looked was female.... additionally there are much higher numbed if women entering colleges now....especially areas of science..... I just found that a quirky statistic...... i wonder why that that is the statistic? von Quote Link to comment
Jonathan H. B. Lobl Posted March 30, 2018 Report Share Posted March 30, 2018 2 hours ago, VonNoble said: I just read that Pew research indicates agnostics/atheists tend to be more often male (64%)..... And I am wondering why that would be so? Additionally the majority are white? i have no idea what to conclude about that-perhaps nothing at all. The majority of the population the last time I looked was female.... additionally there are much higher numbed if women entering colleges now....especially areas of science..... I just found that a quirky statistic...... i wonder why that that is the statistic? von I don't trust it. Quote Link to comment
Songster Posted March 31, 2018 Report Share Posted March 31, 2018 5 hours ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said: I don't trust it. I've known a couple people that were atheists... I've known more than a couple that said they were agnostic... The vast majority of those folks were white males.... The Pew Center has a good reputation. Their analysis is consistently correct, and I have no doubt in the validity of their findings here. Quote Link to comment
cuchulain Posted March 31, 2018 Report Share Posted March 31, 2018 i dont know. Quote Link to comment
Jonathan H. B. Lobl Posted March 31, 2018 Report Share Posted March 31, 2018 10 hours ago, Songster said: I've known a couple people that were atheists... I've known more than a couple that said they were agnostic... The vast majority of those folks were white males.... The Pew Center has a good reputation. Their analysis is consistently correct, and I have no doubt in the validity of their findings here. Their analysis in this case might be correct. I don't trust it. Over the years, I have also met Atheists. Some of them were white males. I have also met Atheists who were not male. Or not white. Or not white and not male. There are many factors that can throw a survey off. I am not in a position to say that these findings are false. I don't trust it. Quote Link to comment
Key Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 It has been said, and proven sometimes, that a survey can have virtually any meaning any particular group can spin on it. It often depends on what questions are asked and how they are stated. Then the next part of the equation is on how the answers are phrased. So, as reliable as the surveyor may be, doesn't mean the statistics can't be skewed to one view. Quote Link to comment
Jonathan H. B. Lobl Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 4 hours ago, Key said: It has been said, and proven sometimes, that a survey can have virtually any meaning any particular group can spin on it. It often depends on what questions are asked and how they are stated. Then the next part of the equation is on how the answers are phrased. So, as reliable as the surveyor may be, doesn't mean the statistics can't be skewed to one view. Even when there are verifiable facts, like the outcome of an election -- the surveys often get it wrong. When the survey is based on a subjective label -- with ambiguity and bias -- the results lack meaning. Even worse when the goal is click bait. Or partisan. Or fund raising. Quote Link to comment
cuchulain Posted April 1, 2018 Report Share Posted April 1, 2018 Surveys have many areas, a large one is demographics. See...they could have surveyed my home town when I was a kid and asked how many black people were Atheists, and gotten an absolute 0% response that was accurate. That's because in my home town when I was a kid, we didn't have a single black person living there. I wonder where the pew report got its information from? Did they do broad research, was it a specific city, town or region? If they asked around here, they would find not very many atheists at all. Then there is the way the question is phrased. Usually pew does a fair job of trying to keep things on an even keel, so to speak. But even the best worded questions can be misinterpreted by someone, as exemplified numerous times on this forum. And some people deliberately jack with the results of things like this. I have personally known people who enjoy doing that sort of thing. And there are those who are simply biased against the subject matter and will attempt to sabotage it. There are numerous ways a study can fail. Quote Link to comment
Moderator Rev. Calli Posted April 5, 2018 Moderator Report Share Posted April 5, 2018 Greetings to you all my brothers and sisters, I hesitate to answer, since perhaps it will come across as sexist, but since we are a open group: I suspect the Pew Research report reflects one of the things that I believe is a difference in the way males and females think. Men have a tendency to think, I believe, in very concrete terms. They are more likely to make decisions based on objective facts. Since matters of faith are not easily provable in the same way the scientific knowledge is provable, men tend to be less open to religion. That doesn't mean men don't come to faith or belief, but it's typically not as important a part of a man's life as it is a women's. If you go to pretty much any church, it is the women who are usually the most active and do most of the work that keeps the church actually functioning. While women also rely primarily on facts, they also tend to place more of an emphasis on relationships then men do. In Christianity, relationship with God is a major emphasis. So it's natural I feel that women would be more attracted to the Christian faith. Living in relationship with God and each other is a very appealing to someone who finds the concept of being in relationship attractive. In solidarity, Rev. Calli Quote Link to comment
Jonathan H. B. Lobl Posted April 5, 2018 Report Share Posted April 5, 2018 4 hours ago, Rev. Calli said: Greetings to you all my brothers and sisters, I hesitate to answer, since perhaps it will come across as sexist, but since we are a open group: I suspect the Pew Research report reflects one of the things that I believe is a difference in the way males and females think. Men have a tendency to think, I believe, in very concrete terms. They are more likely to make decisions based on objective facts. Since matters of faith are not easily provable in the same way the scientific knowledge is provable, men tend to be less open to religion. That doesn't mean men don't come to faith or belief, but it's typically not as important a part of a man's life as it is a women's. If you go to pretty much any church, it is the women who are usually the most active and do most of the work that keeps the church actually functioning. While women also rely primarily on facts, they also tend to place more of an emphasis on relationships then men do. In Christianity, relationship with God is a major emphasis. So it's natural I feel that women would be more attracted to the Christian faith. Living in relationship with God and each other is a very appealing to someone who finds the concept of being in relationship attractive. In solidarity, Rev. Calli I've met women who are hard line, hard core anti-theists. We are all individuals. Even now, with all the changes that have come to society; women still do the bulk of domestic chores and child rearing. If women do the bulk of church work -- it's not because they're more spiritual. It's because they're more responsible. Somebody has to step up or it doesn't get done. Quote Link to comment
Moderator Rev. Calli Posted April 6, 2018 Moderator Report Share Posted April 6, 2018 20 hours ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said: I've met women who are hard line, hard core anti-theists. We are all individuals. Even now, with all the changes that have come to society; women still do the bulk of domestic chores and child rearing. If women do the bulk of church work -- it's not because they're more spiritual. It's because they're more responsible. Somebody has to step up or it doesn't get done. Greetings to you my brother, Without question. There is no hard and fast rule. And your point is well taken regarding the women being more responsible. But in my experience, I do feel that women do crave relationship more then men do, and so that is why women typically find Christianity especially appealing because of the emphasis on relationship. In solidarity, Rev. Calli Quote Link to comment
Jonathan H. B. Lobl Posted April 6, 2018 Report Share Posted April 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Rev. Calli said: Greetings to you my brother, Without question. There is no hard and fast rule. And your point is well taken regarding the women being more responsible. But in my experience, I do feel that women do crave relationship more then men do, and so that is why women typically find Christianity especially appealing because of the emphasis on relationship. In solidarity, Rev. Calli Then why are most church leadership positions filled by men? Even in churches that allow women into all positions -- most church leaders are men. What ever the answer is, it's more complicated than spiritual passion. Or "relationship". Quote Link to comment
Moderator Rev. Calli Posted April 6, 2018 Moderator Report Share Posted April 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said: Then why are most church leadership positions filled by men? Even in churches that allow women into all positions -- most church leaders are men. What ever the answer is, it's more complicated than spiritual passion. Or "relationship". Greetings to you my brother, Actually, in my denomination, the leadership is pretty much 50/50. However, I think historically it was because even though women tended to be more religious than men, men as in most of society in general held the leadership posts in everything, not just in the churches. Sad, but it's a historical fact. It's really only been in our lifetimes that women in America at least have been able to insist on their God given rights to be equal in all things, including leadership positions in the church. In Solidarity, Rev. Calli Quote Link to comment
Jonathan H. B. Lobl Posted April 6, 2018 Report Share Posted April 6, 2018 40 minutes ago, Rev. Calli said: Greetings to you my brother, Actually, in my denomination, the leadership is pretty much 50/50. However, I think historically it was because even though women tended to be more religious than men, men as in most of society in general held the leadership posts in everything, not just in the churches. Sad, but it's a historical fact. It's really only been in our lifetimes that women in America at least have been able to insist on their God given rights to be equal in all things, including leadership positions in the church. In Solidarity, Rev. Calli Point taken. American women got the vote in 1920. Not exactly ancient history. Quote Link to comment
mererdog Posted April 6, 2018 Report Share Posted April 6, 2018 (edited) 9 hours ago, Rev. Calli said: But in my experience, I do feel that women do crave relationship more then men do, and so that is why women typically find Christianity especially appealing because of the emphasis on relationship. If you swap out "relationship" for "community," it goes a long way towards explaining why it might be easier for white guys to label themselves atheists than for members of historically oppressed minority groups to do so. Edited April 6, 2018 by mererdog Quote Link to comment
mererdog Posted April 6, 2018 Report Share Posted April 6, 2018 6 hours ago, Rev. Calli said: However, I think historically it was because even though women tended to be more religious than men, men as in most of society in general held the leadership posts in everything, not just in the churches. Sad, but it's a historical fact. It's really only been in our lifetimes that women in America at least have been able to insist on their God given rights to be equal in all things, including leadership positions in the church Birth control and baby formula have been the most powerful gender-equalizing forces the world has ever known... Quote Link to comment
Moderator Rev. Calli Posted April 6, 2018 Moderator Report Share Posted April 6, 2018 12 hours ago, mererdog said: If you swap out "relationship" for "community," it goes a long way towards explaining why it might be easier for white guys to label themselves atheists than for members of historically oppressed minority groups to do so. Greetings to you my brother, A very good point. In solidarity, Rev. Calli Quote Link to comment
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