What Australians believe

Discussion in 'Religion Archives' started by James R, Dec 20, 2009.

  1. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

    Messages:
    39,397
    A new wide-ranging Neilson poll on the Religious beliefs of Australians has just been published.

    More info here:

    http://www.smh.com.au/national/our-faith-today-20091218-l5w6.html

    Here are some highlights and comparisons:

    Code:
    PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE
    
    Belief                                   Australia   USA
    ========================================================
    God exists                               68          92
    God does not exist                       30           8
    
    Life after death                         53          80
    Heaven                                   56          86
    Hell                                     38          74
    The Devil                                37          59
    Angels                                   51          68
    Miracles                                 63          79
    
    Witches                                  22
    UFOs                                     34          36
    Astrology                                41          25
    ESP                                      49
    
    Holy Book is word of God                 34          80
    Holy Book is literal truth               27
    One correct interpretation of scripture  21
    
    Genesis Creationism                      23          
    Evolution guided by God                  32         
    Evolution by natural selection           42          14   
    
     
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  3. Doreen Valued Senior Member

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    4,101
    So they are more skeptical about Abrahamic conceptions but are more open to astrology. Probably all those southern constellations.
     
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  5. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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    23,049
    i thought the same thing actually, less god and more UFO's

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    James i wonder when this was actually carried out, specifically the section on Miracles may well have been infuenced by timing. Specifically the calls for sainthood for Mary McCalup. It seems that with a second miracle just having been atributed to her (rather than the more rational explination that the persons immune system finally started attacking the cancer) this may have come more out of the woodwork as a form of patitism almost
     
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  7. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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    oh BTW i wonder why there is no numbers listed for creationisum for the US, its nice to know how many athiests there are (14% aparently and 42% in Australia) but the second option sort of blurs the whole issue. If your rational and you belive in god then option 2 is the one your going to chose if you dont belive in god its option 3 but if your a compleate loon you chose option 1 so we oviously have 23% loons here. How many in the US?
     
  8. Bells Staff Member

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    24,270
  9. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

    Messages:
    39,397
    From the same poll, here's what Australian Christians believe:

    Code:
    Belief                                   Christian   General population
    ========================================================================
    God exists                               100          68 
    God does not exist                         0          30
    
    God is a personal god                     50           
    Christ was a historical figure            94
    Christ was the son of God                 91           
    Virgin birth                              72           
    Christ rose from the dead                 85           
    
    Witches                                   35          22
    UFOs                                      32          34
    Astrology                                 44          41
    ESP                                       52          49
    
    Holy Book is word of God                  58          34
    Holy Book is literal truth                25          27 (Atheists 34!)
    One correct interpretation of scripture   23          21
    
    Genesis Creationism                       38          23
    Evolution guided by God                   47          32
    Evolution by natural selection            12          42 (Atheists 89)
    
     
  10. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

    Messages:
    39,397
    Men vs. women:

    Code:
    Belief                                   Men     Women
    ========================================================================
    Angels                                   37      63
    Miracles                                 52      74
    Heaven                                   45      67
    ESP                                      39      59
    Life after death                         44      62
    
    Holy Book is word of God                 28      40 
    Holy Book is literal truth               30      25 
    One correct interpretation of scripture   
    
    Genesis Creationism                      18      27
    
     
  11. CheskiChips Banned Banned

    Messages:
    3,538
    What the hell? 22% of people in Australia believe in witches? I'm not sure I understand what that even is.
     
  12. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

    Messages:
    39,397
    As for non-believers in God:

    Code:
    There is no God:                  30%
       Not sure if God exists or not   6%
       Sure that God doesn't exist    24%
    
    Proportion of men who are atheist outnumber women 2 to 1.
    
    Proportion of Australians under age 25 who are non-believers: 42%
                              over age  55                        25%
                              
    Australians who do not believe but still consider themselves "cultural Christians":    11%
                                                                     other religion:        1%
                                                                     
    Non-believers who believe in
       heaven, hell, angels, witches, the devil: about 10%
       miracles                                        25%
       astrology, UFOs                                 27%
       ESP                                             34%
     
  13. Hapsburg Hellenistic polytheist Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,224
    Where do you get that from? The poll clearly shows 30% in Australia, 8% in the US.

    Agreed. How did the poll define "witches"? What did it mean by "Belief in witches".
    Since witches exist, as a fact, the question makes little sense.
     
  14. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,049
  15. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,049
    interesting, wonder why the disconect between the evolution figures and the god ones. After all if you belive in "god" and that god is responcable for everything then its inconsistant to say "Evolution by natural selection". If god controls everything then how can he NOT control evolution?
     
  16. Hapsburg Hellenistic polytheist Valued Senior Member

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    5,224
    Who said god controls everything? That's an assumption independent of the question of the existence of god(s).
     
  17. Spud Emperor solanaceous common tater Registered Senior Member

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    3,899
    And now, a poignant word from Baron Max....
     
  18. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    23,053
    Any and all polls can be manipulated in numerous ways to give the desired results. Back in the ol' days, the early days of polling, there was some degree of truth and accuracy in published polls. But now? No!

    Polls are just thingies to "prove" whatever you want to prove to whoever is stupid enough to believe polls!

    Baron Max
     
  19. codanblad a love of bridges Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,397
    how am i the first person to have an issue with this?

    Given i'd define witch as a person with actual powers, i'd say they don't exist, as a super fact (which are even more factual)

    i agree, but i'd try and look at the poll questions, check out whoever this nielson character is etc. before i declare it rigged.
     
  20. Dywyddyr Penguinaciously duckalicious. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    19,252
    I did, then I checked the definition -
    http://www.thefreedictionary.com/witch

    Given that definition then they certainly do exist.
     
  21. superstring01 Moderator

    Messages:
    12,110
    I'm moving to Oz!

    [plus, I kinda have a fascination with the Platypus]

    ~String
     
  22. (Q) Encephaloid Martini Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    20,855
    Funny, the stats show that 80% of Americans believe the bible to be the word of god. That's bs considering I've argued that point here and have been opposed in this view by almost all Christians here, other than members such as Adstar.
     
  23. lightgigantic Banned Banned

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    16,330
    http://www.miltonblack.com.au/ast/dreamtime/june.htm
     

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