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Possibly alarming statistic about agnostic.com membership

I did a quick count of our our members: out of 200 male members, I counted about 12 as non-white or about 6%. Out of 200 female members, I counted about 4 as non-white or about 2%. Finally, there were less than 40 trans-men and less than 40 trans-women listed on this site...of the less than 80 trans population with photos, only one trans-woman was non-white

This was a purely visual count so that prompted this poll and what I think is an alarming statistic about this site and atheists and agnostics in general. 😮

POLL FOR MEN (46 current responses)
MEN ONLY: What is your race/ethnic origin?

POLL FOR WOMEN (54 current responses)
WOMEN ONLY: What is your race/ethnic origin?

I will keep an update on the number of responses for each and would ask that we use this thread as a discussion forum for both while using each individual thread for either.

TheMiddleWay 8 June 1
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14 comments

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0

I can't remember ever meeting a black atheist or agnostic. Maybe it's just that many black people see no point in expressing an opinion about something as abstract and removed from their lives as the existence of a deity when expressing no opinion begs no trouble, while if they did express an opinion maybe some white folks would call the police on them for being both agnostic and black on a sunny day.

1

I thought a little more about this survey. There's bound to be a bias in this website. There's a bias in history.
Caucasian missionaries and conquerors were responsible for the spread of the two largest religions, Christianity and Islam. For that matter many of the others too!
Don't really know what that means but the more I think about it the more I am curious to understand the meaning.

@TheMiddleWay I would like to admit some initial negative reaction to the survey. But after that I realized that if it was effective it might provide genuine insight. A questioning and curious mind is how I got to being agnostic and eventually atheist to begin with. It seemed like a reasonable question.

I don't think that you are going to get accurate results though. People are clearly offended, though I understand and disagree. That is going to skew your data and it will be difficult to tell how much even if you generally know what direction it is skewed.

0

I'm wondering why this question touched a nerve. Does it expose a truth? It doesn't single anyone out. It is anonymous. I think that says something in itself.

I'm also wondering about educational levels. I wonder if the lack of diversity could be driven by education inequalities. I think that this survey is a worthy query based on the backlash alone.

3

Why so pre-concerned about race and or diversity? The only commonality here is agnostic tendencies, why would you expect some equal dispersion amongst all groups to emerge with only that as a requisite factor and a host of other unknown factors influencing that total, like did they ever hear of it or are they even interested, or do they think it is strictly for dating, or, or, or . . .

@TheMiddleWay I am interested in having anyone interested in discourse, discourse.
However in such a scenario your talking about the "how, where and why" of people being attracted to this particular site.
A site for a minority of the human population (Atheists and Agnostics)
AND, seeking within said minority population the demographics of a further minority population, those that joined this site
AND, then seeking within that subset to see if it is diverse
By definition it is not likley to be, because of all that narrowing.

Even so, if you want to try and gauge if this population matches some other population so that equal representation is had, what population are you using to compare to?
Atheists, Agnostics, the USA, China?

I am all for diverse voices, I am not even sure how you get good data to determine where we are or where you might want to go in the goal you seem to be seeking.

Are you coming away with an unwelcome feeling?
I assume the world is White Dominant unless I am travelling outside the White Man's world.

@TheMiddleWay not against it, not even sure how you would get it or that it would be the least bit valid as some kind of representation of Agnostics.
All it could possible represent is Agnostics who actually found a particular website, and the sheer number of things figurng into that equation seems very high.

When is there not an anecdotal trend for things in America to be White or more White if your not inside another microculture?

@TheMiddleWay " what are the targeting demographics of the algorithms that FB uses to promote the site there for example" beyond money?
and similar things joined or liked?
They would consider that proprietary and that is part of why I am not on FB anymore.

"What alarmed me was that upon my gross visual survey, it seemed that over 94% of people on this site where white. That's more than just a trend."
Sadly I have found this to be similar all over the net as well. Just think abpout the promnent voices, how many ethinic faces came instantly to mind vs old white guys?
There are some (and have always been some), but in my experience unless white folks actually take the time and effort to see and hear ethinic cultural voices, they won't often, because the media chases dollars and people follow trends. so they feed them what sells quick.

For instance, outside the hood and/or ethnic culture, I cannot think of any white folks I know who know who Hopsin is
The reality that he made a rather groundshaking Athiest rap a few years back got no tred in any media I saw, outside of black, urban, hip hop culture, where it caused those folks who embrace the AMC type of mindset to face those who do not.

While only 10 members might be alarming, it might also be that some folks see this as a place where they shed religious ideas, and feel free to discuss or vent or what have you on that front. Then do not want that in the race issue (even though they are entwinned in my veiw), simply because they see one as active or political and the other in a different light.

For anyone who did not hear this

0

Less labels, please, can we just treat each other as PEOPLE? Find counting "colors" rather odd.....

@TheMiddleWay Do you think or expect that any site expresses every viewpoint?

@TheMiddleWay More is better

1

Yes. I feel... this in my bones...

Sadoi Level 7 June 2, 2018
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Wow, I did not realize how much backlash was born of this post until I read through this thread. I haven't had much time to get to a.com as of the last few days.

I find it odd, just from my own observation, that it does seem minorities seemed more apt and comfortable with sharing Our ethnicities.

I didn't even think Twice about responding and even commenting on the thread about my literal lineage, thus taking myself Off the anonymous list.

I am more concerned about that than I am how many white there are verses non-whites. I guess I didn't see it as a big deal, personally speaking. I am Proud of my ethnic background so I enjoy sharing that information when asked, which is often since I am one of those "What the Hell Is She" looking creatures. hahaha

Sadoi Level 7 June 2, 2018
1

Okay, I can see where you are going and it is interesting.

I also have some interesting experiences with my life having grown up in both California and Hawai'i.

Many of my hispanic friends believe in God. Even the ones that are criminal and ruthless. The one and Only thing they fear is the judgment of God. It is the same with a number of my African American friends. They are often the same in their beliefs as my hispanic friends. Then you have the anomaly of the Filipino/Filipina, Asians that are also devoutly Catholic or Christian... and many Polynesians I know are also religious. Same with many Native American friends I have.

I think perhaps it isn't Just advertisements. I believe it is also based on the fact that many people of a non-white background have a strong Religious/God based background.

I am one of the only agnostics in my Asian family. Most are Buddhist or Christian. And my French family is Atheist. Surprise! Surprise! haha

Sadoi Level 7 June 2, 2018
3

Everyone is welcome. The rest is up to everyone else.

Maybe I'm confused (totally possible) but I wasn't invited. I found the site and thought it would be interesting to meet like minded people.

@kc_anthony Same here. I just happened to stumble upon this place while searching 'agnostic'.

@TheMiddleWay

If you want to be disturbed with inequality on the site, I suggest you start with the toxic masculinity and misogyny.

I have never seen one instance of any ethnic or religious disrespect on here. Everyone is equally invited via the ads. There are fewer black and Latino nonbelievers, but I believe that may be largely attributed to culture, not discrimination.

@TheMiddleWay

I understand the colors and cultures are not proportionate, but unless you're writing a thesis I believe you're making a mountain out of a molehill. As a white woman I know I can publicly be a nonbeliever and the heathens here have my back.

In Latino and black families, there is more baggage psychologically if you differ from the religious norm. It's similar to the resistance of black churches against LGBT persons, and pressure in Latino faimilies to have a priest in the family. Those expectations do not figure into acceptance by white families quite as much. Religion is something which has kept minority communities together like glue. There is more to lose if you are black or Latino and come out agnostic or atheist as religion represents a social bond which can be a large part of your life. You can't exactly easily run out to get validation of your worth as a nonbeliever in black or Latino communities, because there are fewer nonbelievers in those communities. There are enough white nonbelievers that we don't have as much trouble finding each other and the fear of losing our family and friends is not as heightened.

@TheMiddleWay

Your method of researching a.com's lack of diversity is ADMITTEDLY not scientific, so don't expect the rest of us to run around citing sources for you.

We don't know. We are giving our opinions and reasoning. We all got here somehow and most of us are accepting of whoever wants to us or NOT us.

You expecting the rest of us to believe there is a problem is tantamount to baiting. ASK the if you need to know there aren't a perfect percentage of blacks and Latinos on here.

Yeah, it's pushback. No LOL. Your assertions are annoying AF. Go the rest of the name list through 35K and MAYBE you might have a case. An n# of 400 is not worth all this.

2

I need a special classification, I don't identify as white or non white.

4

Then go advertise the site.

3

What exactly is the nature of your alarm?

@TheMiddleWay I don't know of any way this site is filtering members. One possible way is where they advertise, and another is when they remove someone for being offensive. I don't know if they are abused, and I have no evidence of it. I expect the site to be fair, but should be reported to the Admin if not.

Have you tried Google for % agnostic by parents religion. Probably get nothing, but it's worth a shot. It is an AI.

@TheMiddleWay That's good. It seems data will be difficult to collect.

@TheMiddleWay

This is not gathering data. This posting a general question to a site which by your own assertion is 94% white and questioning you got the results you did.

Can you really not see that could be taken as offensive? Especially after so many have put forth theories that you immediately shut down? Go do your own homework.

2

WHat is the point you are trying to make ?

@TheMiddleWay from what I have read over the years minorities are under represented in atheism as a whole . It's been suggested that as there are still problems with racism adding another problem as being shunned from your family for being an athiest is to much of a step for some . Not only that in other countries where whites are e minoroties being an athiest can cost you your life. The other thing you have missed out is that a lot of attests reside in the UK yet on this site we are a minority so it may have something to do with advertising.

4

It's simple. Get the word of agnostic.com out to more, as you call us, "non whites"

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