Good Without GodSecular and Religious Minority Awareness

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How do you identify

someone who doesn’t share mainstream

religious views?

FACTS AND FIGURESStatistics and Terminology

Christians33

Muslim22

Budhist7

Hindu14

Other12

Secular12

100 People Religious Diversity

Profile

THE WORLD IN A VILLAGE OF 100

Source: 100people.org

WORLD POPULATION

19.5%17.4%4.44%

58.66%

Protestant; 48

Catholic; 22

Mormon; 2 Atheist; 2.4Agnostic; 3.3

Nothing; 13.9

Don't know; 2

100 People Religious Diversity

Profile

THE U.S. IN A VILLAGE OF 100

Source: Pew Report

Secular Identification

US Census Bureau Report: Self-Described Religious Identification, Adult Population

1990 2001 2008

No Religion, Total 14,331,000 29,481,000 34,169,000

Atheist (incl w/ Agnostics) 902,000 1,621,000

Agnostic 1,186,000 991,000 1,985,000

Humanist 29,000 49,000 90,000

No Religion 13,116,000 27,486,000 30,427,000

Other no religion n/a 57,000 45,000

Trends in Religious AffiliationPew Research: Religion & Public Life Project

Fastest growing demographic in AmericaPew Research: Religion & Public Life Project

• 1/5 of the US public do not identify with a religion

• 1/3 of adults under 30 are religiously unaffiliated

• 5-year growth - just over 15% to just under 20% of all U.S. adults.

• 13 million self-described atheists and

agnostics (nearly 6% of the U.S. public)

• 33 million people who say they have no particular religious affiliation (14%).

Fastest growing demographic in AmericaPew Research: Religion & Public Life Project

“young adults today are much more likely to be unaffiliated than previous generations were at a similar stage in their lives.”

Terminology - Religions• Advent Christian• Amish• Anabaptism• Anglicanism• Apostolic• Assembly of God• Bábism• Bahá’í• Baha’l• Bhakti• Baptist• Bible Missionary• Brethren, Plymouth• Carmelite• Cavalry Bible• Chapel of Faith• Charismatic• Christ Adelphians• Christian Calvary• Christian Reform• Christian Science• Church of the Brethren• Church of the First Born• Church of the Nazarene• Church of Universal and

Triumphant• Confucianism• Covenant• Disciples of God• Druze (Juhhāl and ‘Uqqāl)

• Dīn-I Iláhī• Eastern Orthodox• Eckankar• Eden Evangelist• Evangelical / Born Again

(Traditionalist, Centrist, and Modernist)

• Federated Church• First Church• Gnosticism• Grace Reformed• Greek Orthodox• Hinduism (Shaivism, Shaktism,

Smartism, Vaishnavism)• Holy Roller• House of Prayer• Indigenous Traditional Religions

(African, American, Arctic, Asian, Eastern, European Ethnic)

• Islam (Sunni, Shia, Sufism)• Jainism (Digambara and

Svetambara)• Jehovah's Witness• Judaism (Conservative,

Humanistic, Haymanot, Karaite, Liberal, Orthodox, Progressive, Traditional, etc.)

• Latter Day Saint Movement• Lutheranism

• Mandaeans• Manichaeism• Mazdakism• Mennonite• Mithraism• Mission Covenant• Missionary• Mormonism• Muslim (Sunni, Shia, other)• Mysticism• Native American Religion

(Longhouse, Waashat, Shaker, Drum, Earth Lodge, Peyote, Bole-Maru, Feather, Mexicayotl, etc.)

• Nazarene• Neopaganism• New Age• New Testament Christian• Occult• Pentecostal (Apostolic, other)• Pilgrim Holiness• Polytheism• Pentecostalism / Full Gospel

(Apostolic Church, Assemblies of God, Foursquare Gospel)

• Quaker• Rastafarian• Reformed Church of Christ• Russian Orthodox

• Salvation Army• Sanctified• Seventh Day Adventists• Shabakism• Shinto• Sikhism• Southern Baptist• Taoist• Therādava Buddhist• The Way Ministry• Tibetan Buddhism• Universalism• United Holiness• Unity Church• Wesleyan• Wiccan• Witness Holiness• Yazdânism• Zen Buddhist• Zoroastrianism (Parsi/ Irani)

Terminology - Secular• Heretic• Humanist• Humanistic Judaism• Hylotheist• Ignostic• Igtheist• Inclusionist• Infidel• Latitudinarian• Materialist• Naturalist• Non-believer• Nones• Non-theist• Objectivist• Pagan• Pantheist• Pastafarian

• Agnostic• Antitheist• Apatheist• Atheist• Atheist+• Bright• Critical Thinker• Deist• Disbeliever• Doubter• Esotericist• Evangelical Atheist• Freethinker• Gentile• Giaour• Heathen• Hedonist

• Pearlist• Positivist• Pragmatist• Pyrrhonist• Rationalist• Satanist• Scientist• Secular• Secular Humanist• Secular Ministry• Secularist• Skeptic• Solipsist • Somatist• Spiritualist• Truth Seeker• Unbeliever• Unitarian Church (some)• Universist

PERCEPTIONS AND REALITIESHow we make people feel.

Most hated demographics in America

This group does not at all agree with my vision of American society... • Atheist: 39.6%• Muslims: 26.3%• Homosexuals: 22.6%• Hispanics: 20%• Conservative Christians: 13.5%• Recent Immigrants: 12.5%• Jews: 7.6%

I would disapprove if my child wanted to marry a member of this group.... • Atheist: 47.6%• Muslim: 33.5%• African-American 27.2%• Asian-Americans: 18.5%• Hispanics: 18.5%• Jews: 11.8%• Conservative Christians: 6.9%• Whites: 2.3%

University of Minnesota Research

Religious Advantage

What are some of the advantages?

Religious Advantage

• Public offices, groups, events often shun non-religious• Public offices, groups, events, agencies often require

religious affiliation• Public services and charities• Official documents• Lucky holidays!• Freedom of speech, freedom of expression• Benefit of the doubt and trust based on your stated

religious affiliation

COURAGEOUS VOICESWhy people speak up for themselves and others

Quote from a Central Florida woman (Jan 2014):

“So difficult! It’s one of my goals to be more open about my lack of religious

beliefs in society, but I am a coward too.”

Speaking Up-Breaking the Silence-

Silence reinforces:

Speaking up reinforces:

The subject is taboo Exclusive practices – topic should be avoided

The subject has valueInclusive practices – topic should be open

Discrimination and intolerance of different perspectives

Acceptance and inclusion of diverse world views

Speaking Up-Breaking the Silence-

• Reasons individuals come out as not sharing the mainstream religion–Honesty– Self-Identity–Genuine connections– Integrity–Promoting inclusiveness –Normalizing

Speaking Up-Breaking the Silence-

• We can help reduce discrimination and support others feel included by:

Speaking Up-Challenges-

Labeling oneself takes time, thought, and courage.

RESOURCESFinding support, assistance, activities, and friendships

RESOURCES

-College Campus- Local (Central Florida)-Events -State-National

WWW.CFLFREETHOUGHT.ORG/MEETUP

WWW.CFLFREETHOUGHT.ORG/MEETUP

Secular and Religious Resources - UCF

DAVID _ RESEARCHOmbuds OfficeUCF Office of Diversity InitiativesUCF Counseling CenterUCF Campus Faith and Ministries Office Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative ActionEmployee RelationsUCF Secular SafeZone Representatives

WWW.SECULARSAFEZONE.ORG