LINK Understanding Unbelief – Understanding Unbelief is a major new research programme aiming to advance the scientific understanding of atheism and other forms of so-called ‘unbelief’ around the world.
Terribly important study for this community.
Key findings from the research include:
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Unbelievers exhibit significant diversity both within, and between, different countries
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In all six countries, majorities of unbelievers identify as having 'no religion'
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Relatively few select 'atheist' or 'agnostic' as their preferred (non)religious or secular identity
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Popular assumptions about 'convinced, dogmatic atheists' do not stand up to scrutiny
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Unbelief in God doesn't necessarily entail unbelief in other supernatural phenomena and the majority of unbelievers in all countries surveyed expressed belief in one or more supernatural phenomena
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A common supposition - that of the purposeless unbeliever, lacking anything to ascribe ultimate meaning to the universe - does not bear scrutiny
7)Most unbelievers endorse objective moral values, human dignity and attendant rights, and the 'deep value' of nature, at similar rates to the general populations in their countries
8 ) Unbelievers and general populations show high agreement concerning the values most important for 'finding meaning in the world and your own life'. 'Family' and 'freedom' ranked highly for all.
Link to the study: [research.kent.ac.uk]
Key point summary from an article detailing how these findings are presented, of all places, the vatican!
[eurekalert.org]
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7 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Not clear here. I’m probably missing something but what is the difference in this context between unbelief and non-belief. I am guessing it is the suggestion that cultures which had a dominant belief system are showing less identity with it, but I may be wrong
Geoffrey51
Level 8
July 12, 2019
0
@TheMiddleWay my understanding, and I may be wrong here, that the prefix un-referred to things that were no longer in the same form as the stem, which would mean there was belief at some point which had been transformed, eradicated etc.
The prefix non- that it didn’t connect with the stem therefore no belief in the first place.
Un- no longer, non- no connection in the first instance
@TheMiddleWay I agree totally. I admire anyone who has to use it as a second language and can make sense of all the different vernaculars as well as international variables.
@TheMiddleWay in the same vein I once had a Polish girlfriend who learned international English so that everyone from different countries could understand each other. She was a European rep visiting Spain, Germany, Norway and Italy. The irony was that she could understand her colleagues in these countries speaking English better than me. I quite understand why!
@K9Kohle789 They also recognise nine genders I think it is. This is from a BBC documentary from 90s called ‘More Sexes Please’
Definitions do not bother me much. I'm not into arguing about morality or if I "have meaning" in my life. Getting rid of the Big Bang and evolution does not prove any gods. How we came to be here is not an "either/or" situation. If you are a believer and think everyone has the "one true god" and by chance it is also your god going under different names I feel sorry for you. It must be your way or the highway. BTW, if you do not believe in a god, look at the trees. 
DenoPenno
Level 9
July 12, 2019
0
Studies....
1 is expected.
2 doesn't require a study.
3 is expected.
4 do tell. Amazing that.
5 another painfully obvious thing requiring little more than a minor amount of observation. I am one who does not hold any supernatural beliefs.
6 oh well. There is no more 'meaning' to the universe than there is to finding one sock in the drawer.
7 and some of us considerably more.
8 also obvious. On the other hand, I hold that whatever 'meaning' one finds in life is either self induced or placed there by external influences.
evidentialist
Level 8
July 11, 2019
0
This is extremely interesting. Item 3 makes sense in the US because Christians in the US are strongly biased against those describe themselves as atheist. Item 5 is intriguing, I will have to check out the study to see what these "other supernatural phenomena" are.
TBWNJ01
Level 4
July 11, 2019
0
I was surprised to learn that atheists/agnostics still tend to believe in such things as astrology, supernatural, etc. It seems counterintuitive...
Glad to see that the concepts of morality and "good/bad" were on par with the general population...we all want the same basic things but get to them through different paths...
thinktwice
Level 8
July 11, 2019
0
Not all atheists come to atheism via skepticism. And even some who do can still not apply that skepticism to other things. If you really want to believe something, you will rationalize why it is a reasonable thing to believe. I went so far down the rabbit hole of "alien abduction" mythology and conspiracy theories in the '90s that I came back to reality on the other side, mostly due to boredom of finding nothing new. I had hit rock bottom on the issue and found nothing there, which forced me to reevaluate the whole thing.
@greyeyed123 true...and many just recognize that it is part of pop culture and is just something fun to join in without any belief at all...I read my horoscope for fun...I like magical shows and fairies...etc. It is not as if we are one-dimensional just because we do not believe in a divine being or any religious doctrine...
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