Report: Even Atheists, Agnostics, Nonreligious Americans See Evidence for Creator

[Angel4Truth]

Report: Even Atheists, Agnostics, Nonreligious Americans See Evidence for Creator

NASHVILLE – Nearly half of atheists, agnostics, and those with no religious preference in the U.S. see evidence in the universe for a creator, according to just-released polling data from a major research organization.

LifeWay Research is a Nashville-based polling group that frequently surveys Americans on matters of faith and culture. The group’s latest report, “American Views on Reasons to Believe in a Creator,” shows surprising insights on the number of people who believe in a creator.

According to the study, 72% of all Americans think that because the universe has organization, there is a creator who designed it. Over half of participants—52%—strongly agreed with that statement, while only 11% strongly disagreed.

Surprisingly, even nonreligious Americans admit that the evidence for a creator is undeniable. 46% of atheists, agnostics, and those without religious preferences also think that the universe’s organization bears witness to a creator.

Romans 1:20 says the invisible things of God “are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.”

LifeWay Research collected their data through a phone survey of 1,000 individuals. The sample provides 95% confidence that the sampling error does not exceed 3.5%, according to the polling group.

The organization of the universe is not the only evidence that points to a creator, many respondents said. Overall, two-thirds of Americans agree with the statement, “Since people have morality, I think there is a creator who defines morality.”

Furthermore, 79% of those surveyed said the very fact that humans exist means someone created us. A relatively small minority, 16%, disagreed with that conclusion.

The fact that so many Americans, including nonreligious people, see evidence for a creator is remarkable, said Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research.

“People who seek to set out reasons to believe, often called apologetics, have historically framed their argument in similar ways,” Stetzer said in a statement last week. “The large number of nonreligious people agreeing with some of these arguments points us to a surprising openness to classic apologetic arguments. Or, put another way, even nonreligious people are open to the idea there is a creator.”

LifeWay Research further broke down their findings based on survey participants’ region, age, gender, education level, and ethnicity, finding that older Americans are more likely to see evidence of a creator than younger Americans. Likewise, women are more likely than men to believe that the existence of human life points to a creator.

In the eyes of many Americans, both science and morality attest to the existence of a creator. Mary Jo Sharp, a professor at Houston Baptist University, said the atheistic worldview struggles to provide cogent explanations for the universe around us.

“The infinitesimal odds that life arose by blind chance is a formidable argument,” Sharp said in the statement from LifeWay Research.

“The existence of good and evil is difficult to explain from an atheistic worldview, because in that view, there is no stable external grounding outside of humans for a standard of goodness,” she added.

These survey findings are helpful, Stetzer said, because they show that an unexpectedly large number of Americans recognize that the creation was likely created.

“In an increasingly secular age, where the Christian faith has perhaps lost its home-field advantage, Christians will need to make their case for the creator and ultimately for the gospel,” he stated. “It appears people—even nonreligious people—are indeed open to apologetics arguments, if Christians will actually make them.”

 

[journey]

Psalms 19:1-6 KJV The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

 

[glorydaz]

Yep. I'm surprised so many admit it. They'll deny it with the next breath, though. :chuckle:

 

[6days]

Yep. I'm surprised so many admit it. They'll deny it with the next breath, though. :chuckle:

And.... here in TOL, it seems many that deny Him, are angry at Him. Hmmmmmmm. How can anyone be angry at something that doesn't exist?

 

[George Affleck]

Yep. I'm surprised so many admit it. They'll deny it with the next breath, though. :chuckle:

Its hard not to admit it.

Things don't make themselves.

 

[patrick jane]

I can say I have met practically no atheists in my life.

 

[glorydaz]

"

"

And.... here in TOL, it seems many that deny Him, are angry at Him. Hmmmmmmm. How can anyone be angry at something that doesn't exist?

Yeah, and when something horrible happens, they fall to their knees and beg Him to help them. "There are no atheists in foxholes" is so true, but they don't like to admit that either. :idunno:

 

[Quincy]

The word creator is a vague term which can mean many things, from a deity to a natural process. It doesn't have to mean God. God is a term specific to Jewish and Christian tradition which involve beliefs in many miracles and an incarnation, among other things.

Just because it's logical to deduce that the universe has a creator, doesn't make for an easy bridge to accept the supernatural ideas presented by religion.

 

[Quincy]

Yeah, and when something horrible happens, they fall to their knees and beg Him to help them.

Not true for all, though maybe for some people it is. I've never and will never do anything like that.

 

[glorydaz]

Not true for all, though maybe for some people it is. I've never and will never do anything like that.

Never say never.....

 

[glorydaz]

Its hard not to admit it.

Things don't make themselves.

The word creator is a vague term which can mean many things, from a deity to a natural process. It doesn't have to mean God. God is a term specific to Jewish and Christian tradition which involve beliefs in many miracles and an incarnation, among other things.

Just because it's logical to deduce that the universe has a creator, doesn't make for an easy bridge to accept the supernatural ideas presented by religion.

opcorn:

 

[Quincy]

Never say never.....

Which you just said yourself, so perhaps you should never think "never" is impossible.

opcorn:

As I said, it's logical to know the universe has a creator but believing that means any particular religion is true is a different story.

 

[glorydaz]

Which you just said yourself, so perhaps you should never think "never" is impossible.

Nice try. What I said is "never say never". I said nothing about something being impossible.

As I said, it's logical to know the universe has a creator but believing that means any particular religion is true is a different story.

Since you admit that much, then you'd best be seeking Him out.

 

[Quincy]

Nice try. What I said is "never say never". I said nothing about something being impossible.

Yea, you said to never say never because no one knows the future but I know myself and you don't. That's more important, I'd think.

Since you admit that much, then you'd best be seeking Him out.

I'd love to meet Jesus. I really wish he would come back and settle the dispute one way or the other for good. That is the only proof I'd accept for the creator actually being as depicted in the bible.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Report: Even Atheists, Agnostics, Nonreligious Americans See Evidence for Creator

The report points to the plain fact that the non-believer is without excuse. If only Christians would cease from taking the bait from the one who actually hates God, given their professed indifference or ignorance in claiming, "I do not know God exists" or "I need real proof God exists."

Christians regularly take the bait when they accept neutral ground exists between the non-believer and the believer. No such neutral ground exists. The plain facts as taught from Holy Writ is that all know God exists, but reject that knowledge and their duty to it, rationalizing a lie in favor of the truth. If anyone of our faith that denies this, then they must explain why anyone would be in Hell. Those in Hell gnash their teeth at God. The expression is not one of suffering, rather the expression is not far from what we know the equivalent of raising a defiant fist, or for the US folks, middle finger, Godward. Beloved, these persons hate God, for nothing they did in life, walking the old lady across the road, giving to charity, feeding the hungry, etc., was motivated by obedience to God (e.g., John 14:15;23). Not a single person in Hell sincerely repents of their predicament. For if their repentance was genuine, the person would readily accept that he or she is exactly where they should be. Who, among the faithful, would argue that we deserve nothing but the righteous judgement of God for our sins? Indeed, the gates of Hell are locked from the inside.

There is not a single non-believer that existed, exists, or will exist that does not borrow from the believer's intellectual capital on a daily basis. Granting them neutral ground is to give away that which the believer knows, assents and trusts (i.e., faith), bought with a terrible price.

AMR

 

[ok doser]

Its hard not to admit it.

Things don't make themselves.

i'm working towards this with Gred Jennings, but he's stubborn

 

[George Affleck]

The word creator is a vague term which can mean many things, from a deity to a natural process. It doesn't have to mean God. God is a term specific to Jewish and Christian tradition which involve beliefs in many miracles and an incarnation, among other things.

Just because it's logical to deduce that the universe has a creator, doesn't make for an easy bridge to accept the supernatural ideas presented by religion.

Please don't let there be a creator called God who has written the Bible! I would hate that. Please let it be vague and undetermined. Just let me hang on to my unbelief one more day!

I don't want to yield to Him!!

 

[MrDeets]

I'd love to meet Jesus. I really wish he would come back and settle the dispute one way or the other for good. That is the only proof I'd accept for the creator actually being as depicted in the bible.

This problem was beautifully explained on youtube by darkmatter2525. If Jesus came back most people wouldn't recognize him, and most dang sure wouldn't like his message. :chuckle:

 

[Jose Fly]

Looking at their data, it looks like their results basically reflect the religious beliefs of the country as a whole.

According to the study, 72% of all Americans think that because the universe has organization, there is a creator who designed it. Over half of participants—52%—strongly agreed with that statement, while only 11% strongly disagreed.

The 11% is higher than I would expect, given that atheists and agnostics only make up about 7% of the population. That means about 4% of theists strongly disagree with "because the universe has organization, there is a creator who designed it".

Surprisingly, even nonreligious Americans admit that the evidence for a creator is undeniable. 46% of atheists, agnostics, and those without religious preferences also think that the universe’s organization bears witness to a creator.

I think there's a bit of slight of hand going on here. Notice how "atheists, agnostics, and those without religious preferences" are lumped into a single category? But as the Pew data shows "those without religious preferences" are not atheists or agnostics.

So how many actual atheists and agnostics agree with that statement? We can't say, as when you click the "download the research" button at LifeWay's website, all it takes you to is a powerpoint summary. Lame. :down:

 

[PureX]

Yep. I'm surprised so many admit it. They'll deny it with the next breath, though. :chuckle:

No, they deny the various religious versions of a Creator that they're encountering. There's a difference. Dogma is often religion's own worst enemy.