Today, we review the results of written surveys gathered over the past century or so dealing with the demographics of believers and nonbelievers (primarily in America) in a monotheistic God or Higher Power. Such data has been gathered from random sampling of the general population of the United States, from random sampling of members of the scientific community, and from rather complete samples of persons who consider themselves to be skeptics–that is, persons who are not persuaded in the existence of paranormal phenomena, Spiritualism, near death experiences, reincarnation, immortality, or Satan.

We begin with some random samples of the American population (Shermer M, How We Believe, 2nd Ed., Henry Holt and Co., NY 2003).

The general question asked was, “Do you believe there is a God (a purposeful higher intelligence that created the universe?).”

Personally, I opine that the wording of the question is overly restrictive as the authors confined the possible answers to the question solely to that ascribed to by adherents to standard Judeo-Christian-Islamic orthodoxy. I think such limitation may inappropriate skew the data gathered from the better educated skeptics towards agnosticism and atheism. Although, this question provides useful information as to beliefs held in America; the researchers should have added the less confining question, “Do you believe in God.”

In the general population sampled, 24.9% of the persons surveyed stated that they it was highly unlikely that a Creator-God exists, 63.6% stated that it is very likely that a Creator-God exists, and 11.5% were unsure one way or the other. On review of this sample, it turned out that the population was more educated than is generally true for America. A more typical survey shows that 10% are atheists or agnostic and 90% are believers.

Of those stating a belief in a Creator-God, the percentage increased with a history of religious upbringing, women were more likely to believe in God than men, decreased with post secondary education, decreased with age.

For samples from the general scientific community, 45% did not believe in the existence of a Christian God, 39% believed in the existence of a Christian God,, 15% were unsure. Similar results were found in a survey conducted by Nature Magazine in 1916.

In the survey gathered from the Skeptics Society, 69.8% stated they did not believe in a Creator-God, 18.2% stated they believed in Creator-God, and 14.1% were unsure. This was a highly educated group exposed to scientific methodology. Unfortunately, by the researchers not including the more general question, “Do you believe in God?,” they have inadvertently minimized the percentage of skeptics who would be comfortable acknowledging an “aphysical, pantheistic, impersonal presence (rather than an objective being) in the material universe?

A number of other questions were asked so to determine “Why do you believe in God,” and “Why do you think other persons believe in God?”

In the general population survey, respondents gave the following reasons to believe in God:

A. Cognitive answers:
[1] Intelligent design, complexity, natural beauty: 28.6%
[2] The Bible says so: 9.8
[3] Raised to believe in God: 7.2
[4] God answers prayers: 6.4
[5] To account for good and evil, morality: 5.0
[6] God has a plan for the world: 3.8
Total: 60.8

B. Emotive answers:
[1] Experience of God in everyday life: 20.6
[2] Consoling, comforting, gives meaning: 10.3
[3] Need to believe in God: 8.2
Total: 39.1

In the skeptics population survey, respondent gave the following reasons to believe in God;

A. Cognitive answers:
[1] Intelligent design, complexity, natural beauty: 29.2%
[2] The Bible says so: 5.5
[3] Raised to believe in God: 3.0
[4] The universe is god: 4.0
[5] To account for good and evil, morality: 7.4
[6] God has a plan for the world: 3.0
Total: 52.1

B. Emotive answers:
[1] Consoling, comforting, gives meaning: 21.3
[2] Experience of God in everyday life: 14.4
[3] Need to believe in God: 11.4
Total: 47.1

Comparing the above, we find that between 52 to 61% of persons feel that their personal belief in God is cognitive or rational, and 47 to 39% feel that their personal belief in God is emotive. For our purposes, we find it interesting that little explanatory differences are involved in personal belief in God. Half believe their beliefs arise from intellect and the other half from feelings.

The skeptic population was asked to determine “Why do you not believe in God,” and “Why do you think other persons do not believe in God?”

In the skeptic population survey, respondents gave the following reasons why they do not believe in God (none of the answers are easily classified as definitely emotive):

A. Cognitive answers:
[1] No objective proof of existence: 37.9%
[2] There is not need to believe: 13.2
[3] It is absurd to believe in God: 12.1
[4] God is unknowable: 8.3
[5] Science provides all the answers: 8.3
[7] To existence of evil: 7.0
[8] God is a cultural artifact/political: 11.6
Total: 99.4

I would surmise that skeptics and scientists, in general, have been conditioned to look for intellectual explanations at the expense of feelings, particularly in an intellectual environment. Psychologically, I think they are biased against admitting to the ‘aphysical.’

I am going to stop here for the day. Tomorrow, we will look at the statistics of why people believe that other people believe in God (folk psychology) and have a general discussion of the significance to these two surveys.