Pacifying Religious Convictions

The latest WIN-Gallop International network of opinion pollsters has released its findings.  Not surprisingly, the conclusion reached is that people committed to religious observation have diminished in numbers. 

A country as Roman Catholic as they come, Irish statistics give a 47% rate of religious commitment, down significantly from the previous 2005 poll which stood at 69%.  Still, abortions are unlawful in Ireland.

The number of convinced atheists rose worldwide from four percent in 2005 to seven percent in the current year.  And, rather surprisingly, the largest growth in atheist conviction was in France.  The continent of Africa represents countries where religion continues to play a large and important role in the lives of its people. 

Those self-identifying as religious in Ghana represented 96% of the population. Nigeria boasted a 93% religious conviction.  Macedonia was close behind at 90%, though much of Europe is far, far below that number. 

The greatest number of atheists were to be found in Japan at 31%, in the Czech Republic at 30%, and France bringing up the lead with the lowest religious conviction rate at 29%.  Japan sees very little civil unrest, disobedience and crime is virtually unknown at the street level.

Those born into the Buddhist tradition declared themselves 97% religious, while Protestants declared at 83%, Hindus at 80%, and 81% of Catholics described themselves as religious.  Among Muslims 74% felt themselves to be religious.  Those born as Jews declared themselves to be 38% religious, but then religion is not the sole determining feature of the Judaic tribe.

Africa, Latin America, South Asia and the Arab world, at 89%, 84%, 83% and 77% respectively topped up the list of most devout regions of the world.  North Asia defied that statistic, at 17%, and East Asia at 39%.  North Americans reported 57% religious conviction, Western Europe 51%, and Eastern Europe 66%.

What the survey described as global flashpoints rated themselves high in religious conviction - Muslim Iraq at 88%, Pakistan at 84%, Afghanistan at 83% and the Palestinian territories at 65%. 

What was emphasized in the survey was that as economic development progresses, the level of religious conviction tends to drop.  And over the past decade, economic progress has paced with the diminishing level of religious conviction.

What is also starkly evident and instructive to a great but somewhat puzzling degree - given that religions of all kinds tout themselves as teaching peace and goodwill, the fellowship of humankind - is that the more religious a country is, the more restively violent and aggressively belligerent its population appears to behave.