>>>>>>>>>I had not heard the 11-18% statistic. I have read that the U.S. is about 75% Christian. To listen to some you would think it's 99.9%.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Of course you hadn't. The extent of non-believing in the US is one of the best kept public secrets.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I read somewhere that it is estimated that 10% of the population is atheist. Now if 75% are Christian as Mike B reports, and 10% are atheist (or agnostic even), that only leaves 15% for everything else.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I honestly think that many who profess to belong to a religion are truly agnostic (cannot claim to know (have knowledge) of the existence of God) rather than atheist (lacking a belief in God). I know a few atheists who are agnostic - they simply don't know if God exists or not so they don't believe in God - not necessarily believing that God does not exist or one way or the other.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Not sure if I am following you there. Atheists actively believe there is no God. Agnostics don't know.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I know which I am -- agnostic. I don't know. People way smarter than me are believers and I don't have any proof to show they are wrong. Maybe they're right. In the long run it would be better if they are.
>>>>>
>>>>>Not true,unless there are different definitions out there. I have always understood (from atheists no less) that they lack a belief in God not necessarily definitely believe there is NOT a God...
>>>>
>>>>That is simply not the definition. Athiests believe there is not a God. The people you have known must not understand the correct definition of their own beliefs.
>>>>
>>>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism
>>>
>>>^ Rowe, William L. (1998). "Atheism". in Edward Craig. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780415073103. http://books.google.ca/books?id=lnuwFH_M5o0C&pg=PA530&lpg=PA530&dq=atheism+routledge&source=bl&ots=D7oHkocuKE&sig=IOLNADKE-9gpnREO-S8QJfJft3g&hl=en&ei=3kpQS8_sBYyQtgOKltGKCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CB8Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=atheism%20routledge&f=false. Retrieved 2010-02-01. "As commonly understood, atheism is the position that affirms the nonexistence of God. So an atheist is someone who disbelieves in God, whereas a theist is someone who believes in God. Another meaning of "atheism" is simply nonbelief in the existence of God, rather than positive belief in the nonexistence of God. …an atheist, in the broader sense of the term, is someone who disbelieves in every form of deity, not just the God of traditional Western theology.".
>>
>>That is word play, spinning atheism as agnosticism. We really don't need to continue this discussion. You are never going to concede a point so it's, well, pointless.
>
>
>Well, isn't that just the pot calling the ...... enough already. It is impossible to carry on a discussion with you these days. I have shown you evidence (from your link no less) and you dismiss it as "wordplay." :o)

It's OK, Tracy. The anger is all gone from me after an unexpected phone call. Maybe coherence will replace anger ;-) Not actually joking -- I know I need to be serious.