i wonder which religion produces the most atheists?

Question

I have a sneaking suspicion it's catholicism, but it could be judaism or islam. I really don't know. is it a question of more freedom to choose?

Answer 1

1) Statistically speaking, the religion that is likely to result in the most atheists is the one with the largest following --- i.e., Christianity.



2) A large portion of Jews tend to be unreligious (at least that has been my personal experience) but they remain culturally Jewish. However, given the fact that Judaism does not have a very large following, the numbers coming out of it tend to be small.



3) In Muslim majority countries, any person who publicly declares his apostacy (i.e., that he/she has left Islam for atheism or anything else) is either put to death or imprisoned. Islam says to put that person to death, but some Muslim countries imprison them instead. So you are not likely to get an accurate estimate of those leaving Islam.

Answer 2

As a street evangelist I have many conversations with people about religion. Here in the eastern USA at least, when a person says "I was raised Catholic," more often than not the next thing out of their mouth is "Now I am an atheist."



I do not know of many Muslims who have become atheist but I am not living in a predominantly Muslim area.



I have talk to quite a few atheists who have come from Judaism as well.



Down in West Virginia where I am currently going to school, many of the people that I talk to claim to be evangelical Christians, while they are atheistic in practice. These people hold on to a few of the customs of Christianity for social reasons, while actually holding atheistic beliefs.

Answer 3

How about a religion such as Jainism, which is already atheist? Do people leave it and start believing in God?



Also, do you mean proportionately or in terms of number? If you mean number, it seems very likely to be quite a boring answer like Christianity, simply because it's the biggest.

Answer 4

I'm a catholic and I question it constantly. I'm practically an atheist.



I say practically because I am not sure if I believe in gnosticism either.



I don't think it was religion that caused me to start asking questions, but it was learning how to critically think. Be it at school or with friends, as one who likes to debate and discuss matters fully, skepticism comes naturally to me.



Fortunately, we live in a time that encourages critical thinking. Still, I can't write these things without giving credit to my first earth science class that covered everything from rock formations to the sea, plate tectonics, evolution. Next I'd have to give some credit to my anthropology classes...

Answer 5

I would think it is probably christianity as it has lost a lot of power over the years and people in western societies can free themselves from the shackles of religion without major repercussions.

A muslim who decides that god doesn't exist still runs the risk of getting stoned to death (I assume this to be an effective deterrent). There wa a case of a guy in Afghanistan who had converted from Islam to Christianity and came close to being executed. I think after pressure from the west they declared him insane and on those grounds spared him the death penalty.

Answer 6

Christianity is Mithra wearing a new name. It is identical in every possible way and predates it by c1000 years. Christianity is total fiction, based on christos the pagan sun king mangled with Judaism.



Islam is horrendous. A dark ages draconian monstrosity.



Judaism is based on Shamanic abstract concepts that have been translated by a literal mindset. A recipe for misunderstanding.



God is a blanket expression to label ignorance, not a giant invisible sky fairy to wish upon.



Practicing Shaman... quantum physics rocks.

Answer 7

Sweden seems to have the highest proportion of atheists and Sweden used to be Lutheran. The further south you go in Europe the more catholic and the less atheist it becomes. So I would say Protestantism makes more atheists. And if a Muslim wanted to be an atheist they would probably have to leave their country, community and family, so I

Answer 8

You might do better to ask which religion is less intent on hunting down and persecuting those who stray.



Sometimes freedom of choice isn't on the menu. There must be a lot of "thinking minds" hemmed in by fear of execution if they try to make the break.

Answer 9

Christians, the minute they stop logging in on Yahoo answers and start to read their bible, they start to realise that the book they have in their hand is a book of incest, sexual content and should be rated X. It didn't amaze me when i bought the red line bible (what jesus said is written in red) and i found that 23 out of 27 books didn't have a single DOT, SLASH or EXCLAMATION in it. They say it was inspired by the holy spirit, yet each book contradicts the other.

Answer 10

the better question is which political structure produces the most atheists--i'd suspect that in islamic government control--atheists have a short lifespan. In america or europe--is why there is mroe there

Answer 11

The religion (or spiritual belief) that produces the most atheists is probably one that says to love God more than anything else and to put him before anything else, and nobody else higher. Seems like one such as that would make more atheists because it says to love God more than (technically) yourself

Answer 12

Yeah I'd go with Roman Catholicism. It's even managed to alienate half of all Christians. Never mind love thy neighbour, they can't even love one another.

Answer 13

It is probably one of those, since they are quite demanding. They actually expect obedience to what God asks.



It wouldn't be hard to be Catholicism, since it's the largest Christian group on the planet.

Answer 14

It's not religion that produces an atheist, it's a THINKING MIND.

Answer 15

well ok

1st) im not an atheist,

2nd) i WAS a born again christian, just christian, evanjeloucast, pentecostal, whatever you want to call it

3rd) reasion im not an atheist is because I KNOW there is a god out there, he has just FU*KED ME UP,

so call me what you will but im NO RELIGION

Answer 16

I went to a catholic school and had a catholic mother if it helps to know and I am an atheist

Answer 17

I grew up in southern baptist church before I learned to think for myself and question authority.

Answer 18

My atheism is the courtesy of Christianity.

Answer 19

I say christians.

I was taught god is blah blah blah from kindergarten up.



The blatant spreading of this lie is what made me ultimately disown any school.



It's simply a question of it is true. Common sense says...........



"NO"

Answer 20

Obviously christian religion, since it`s the biggest.

Answer 21

none because atheist do not believe in God



A religion teaches a belief in God not that there is no God