Quote:
Originally Posted by Moksha
Elf, I wonder if the idea of a higher power is catching on with people? Wouldn't the soft atheists like to believe in some unifying ideal underlying the Universe? If so, perhaps this is a reflection of that wish.
|
Perhaps. However, IMO, a soft atheist is really an agnostic, and not a true atheist.
I believe human beings began searching for a higher power the minute the species could comprehend one. Everyone would like to believe there is more than this life, and that they are not alone. Believing in God provides this.
So, no, I don't think people wanting to find a higher power is anything new. In fact, I believe that, from an evolutionary viewpoint, people created gods that best reflected their individual cultures. And as people's cognitive abilities grew, their respective gods evolved as well.
As far as the Pew Survey, if I am right that people who are really agnostic self-identified as atheists, that would explain the screwy numbers.
Elphaba