Comment by Morgan Matthew on April 12, 2011 at 10:52pm

Nice find!

Comment by Courtney on April 12, 2011 at 10:54pm

Ha ha. Good one!

Comment by Galen on April 13, 2011 at 12:16am

Nice!

Comment by Kenneth Montville D.D. on April 13, 2011 at 10:20am

Funny, interesting, but sadly misleading. The quantity of atheist inmates in prisons is a number which hardly exists in statistical findings. At most irreligiousness, not atheism, is represented and the number can soar has high as 20% depending on the survey. I think as a group which claims to rely on reason it is important to source check any claims like this.

Comment by Tiago Martins on April 13, 2011 at 12:20pm

@Kenneth
83% of all statistics are made up on the spot. Now, yes it can be slightly misleading, but it's message carries the same impact should we change it to 20%. The thing is, this serves mainly to show how the common stereotype carried by a too large fraction of the religious community, where is assumed that atheism leads to immorality, is far from being reality.

Comment by Kenneth Montville D.D. on April 13, 2011 at 5:33pm

@Tiago

I understand the context with which the post is made, however making spurious claims is not the way to get a point across. The difference between 1% and 20% is vast, I don't think we should have to go over the fact that it is the difference between 1 in 100 and 1 in 5. Making up statistics like this shows a lack of intellectual rigour which I would expect from Young Earth Creationists. If the numbers don't exist, or aren't in our favour, we shouldn't lie about them. From my own research there are no definitive numbers on the percent of atheists in the prison system at any given time. If such numbers did exist, for them to be valid they would at least need to account for length of incarceration, number of repeat offences, and reason for incarceration. If that 1% is all multiple convict child rapists and murderers serving 25 year sentences then the meaning behind the numbers is going to be vastly different than if the 1% were all locked up first time convicts being held 30 days at a time for causing a public disturbance. Plus, with numbers pointing to 20% of those incarcerated being irreligious that does us no good either as that is about 4% higher than the national average in the US.

Comment by Christopher Swicegood on November 4, 2011 at 11:15pm

Catholic 29267 39.164%

• Protestant 26162 35.008%
• Muslim 5435 7.273%
• American Indian 2408 3.222%
• Nation 1734 2.320%
• Rasta 1485 1.987%
• Jewish 1325 1.773%
• Church of Christ 1303 1.744%
• Pentecostal 1093 1.463%
• Moorish 1066 1.426%
• Buddhist 882 1.180%
• Jehovah Witness 665 0.890%
• Adventist 621 0.831%
• Orthodox 375 0.502%
• Mormon 298 0.399%
• Scientology 190 0.254%
• Atheist 156 0.209%
• Hindu 119 0.159%
• Santeria 117 0.157%
• Sikh 14 0.019%
• Bahai 9 0.012%
• Krishna 7 0.009%

Comment by Christopher Swicegood on November 4, 2011 at 11:17pm

1997

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