Irreligion

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World map showing the percentages of people who regard religion as "non-important"

data not currently available

World map based on the results of a 2002 Pew Research Center study on the percentage of people who regard religion as "important"

Irreligion is a lack of religion, indifference to religion, or hostility to religion.^[1] Depending on the context, it may be understood as referring to atheism, agnosticism, deism, skepticism, freethought, secular humanism or general secularism.

[edit] Conviction

Irreligious people may have convictions equal in depth to those of religious adherents. For instance, followers of the life stance of Humanism regard themselves as just as deeply believing in their life stance as corresponding to any religious belief.

[edit] Irreligious theist

Although people classified as irreligious might not follow any religion, not all are necessarily without belief in the supernatural or in deities; such a person may be a non-religious or non-practicing theist. In particular, those who associate organized religion with negative qualities, but still hold spiritual beliefs, might describe themselves as irreligious. It also must be noted that in countries such as China, the government discourages religion, and in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the government essentially requires religion, so the numbers might not be entirely accurate.

Map of mostly European Union countries by percentage which claim "I believe there is a God" based on the results of a Eurobarometer poll ([4], pg. 9) conducted in 2005. Other possible responses in the poll were "I believe there is some sort of spirit or life force", "I don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force" and "don't know". Grey signifies that the country was not included in the poll. Results not included below.

[edit] Statistics by country

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] See also

• Agnosticism
• Antitheism
• Antireligion
• Atheism
• Ignosticism
• Nontheism
• Post-theism
• Postchristianity
• Secular humanism
• Secularity
• Skepticism

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