The Netherlands: More non-believers than religious people in NL for first time

Palinurus

The Living Force
Source: More non-believers than religious people in NL for first time: SCP

Thursday, March 24, 2022 - 08:30 AM
More non-believers than religious people in NL for first time: SCP

The Netherlands now has more non-believers than religious people for the first time, research by the social and cultural planning office showed. According to the SCP, about half of the Dutch population is now atheist or agnostic - double since this was first mapped in the mid-1960s and late-1970s, NOS reports (in Dutch).

Atheists believe there is no god. Agnostics think there may be a god, but that's impossible for people to know. According to the SCP, there are some fluctuations. The number of non-believers increased mainly in the first half of the previous decade. Before and after that, the number stabilized somewhat.

The researchers found (in Dutch) that atheists and agnostics are less interested in looking for the meaning of life, instead searching for meaning in their own lives. "Developing yourself, taking care of others, having intense experiences, and knowing you are part of a greater whole are examples of how they give meaning to their lives," the SCP said.

The planning office also warned that misunderstandings might increase between religious people and unbelievers. The SCP, therefore, advised policymakers to focus on mutual understanding and acceptance in society.

A survey conducted by Ipsos in 2015 showed that 25 percent of Dutch people were atheists, 17 percent believed in the existence of a god, and 60 percent were agnostic or wavering in their beliefs

Similar coverage: The Netherlands is no longer a religious country, says think-tank - DutchNews.nl

Coverage in Dutch:
Ontkerkelijking leidt tot nieuwe verhoudingen in de samenleving
SCP: Voor het eerst meer niet-gelovigen dan gelovigen in Nederland
Ontkerkelijking brengt kerk bij hoge roeping
 
It might not stay that way. How long before we see the stereotypical 'street preacher' raving about the end of days, like in the movies?

Would be more useful to know how may are atheist and how many agnostic, because I think they can be very different things.
 
It might not stay that way. How long before we see the stereotypical 'street preacher' raving about the end of days, like in the movies?
Those street preachers have always existed in very small numbers and still do. It seems not very likely there will be a considerable growth in their numbers now or in the foreseeable future. But you never know for sure until it actually happens (or not). ;-D
Would be more useful to know how many are atheist and how many agnostic, because I think they can be very different things.
I've tried to ascertain any numbers from the PDF-file (in Dutch) containing the full report but wasn't really successful. I only learned that the number of atheists is relatively small compared to a vast majority of agnostics just because the term 'atheist' has the pejorative meaning and connotation of being against religion and God in stead of only non-believing in a neutral kind of way. So most secular persons call themselves agnostic rather than atheist - in a proportion of 8 to 2 or thereabout.
 
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