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from the The-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is... dept.
Chapman University recently completed its third annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears (2016). The survey asked respondents about 65 fears across a broad range of categories including fears about the government, crime, the environment, the future, technology, health, natural disasters, as well as fears of public speaking, spiders, heights, ghosts and many other personal anxieties.
In addition to the set of fears examined in previous waves, the survey team took a closer look at two fear related phenomena: Americans' beliefs in conspiracy theories and fear of Muslims, sometimes referred to as "Islamophobia."
In its third year, the annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears included more than 1,500 adult participants from across the nation and all walks of life. The 2016 survey data is organized into five basic categories: personal fears, conspiracy theories, terrorism, natural disasters, paranormal fears, and fear of Muslims.
The 2016 survey shows that the top 10 things Americans fear the most are:
- Corruption of government officials (same top fear as 2015)
- Terrorist attacks
- Not having enough money for the future
- Being a victim of terror
- Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition (new)
- People I love dying
- Economic or financial collapse
- Identity theft
- People I love becoming seriously ill
- The Affordable Health Care Act/"Obamacare"
http://phys.org/news/2016-10-americans-annual-survey-american.html
A comprehensive list of the all the fears is available from The Chapman Survey on American Fears 2016.
A video is also available at: https://youtu.be/Rr0XAFbe8b8
Previously:
What Americans Fear Most (2014)
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Monday October 17 2016, @04:05PM
Have you even seen a history book? Is your Internet connection sufficient to reach Google and Wikipedia? Communism alone scored a body count greater than a hundred million even if you accept their own version of history, i.e. the official version. Surely there isn't anyone posting here so historically ignorant that they would question the fact as anything other than a 'citation needed' troll and that joke is stale these days.
Your conflation of atheism with brutal totalitarian dictatorships is as amusing as it is flawed. Apparently you're unfamiliar with simple logic. I'll explain, and I'll use small words so you'll be sure to understand: Just because some atheists were/are bloodthirsty, murderous thugs, that does not mean that *all* atheists are bloodthirsty, murderous thugs.
And so you confirm the suspicion of the AC who pointed this out [soylentnews.org]:
By your "logic", since the Spanish Inquisition maimed, tortured and murdered thousands, all Catholics are also murderous thugs who will happily perform such acts, yes?
The problem seems to be rejecting the religion of a civilization also implies rejecting the moral code that is bundled with it. Most stop there, with no religion and no moral code beyond avoiding punishment by society instead of avoiding punishment by God, Which is, by definition, dangerous.
Again, you are incorrectly conflating concepts. You claim that ethical behavior is only possible in a religious society, because only those who are frightened of being punished by some omnipotent/omniscient/omnipresent fantasy figure will act in ethical ways. I find your blind reliance on demonstrably false belief systems to be both pitiable and rather humorous.
While a fear of "divine punishment" may be how you, and those with you down at the shallow end of the gene pool, are kept from committing heinous acts, that's not the case for many of us.
What's more, there is no such thing as a "societal" or group morality. Those who share a similar culture may also share similar ideas about ethics and morality, and they may even publicly espouse similar ideas about such things. However, moral choices are always individual choices. Each time someone is faced with a moral/ethical question/quandary/dilemma, they must choose what action they will take. That is inherently an individual choice. Such a choice may be informed or constrained by the culture in which they are embedded, but the choice will be an individual one.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by jmorris on Tuesday October 18 2016, @01:55AM
Just because some atheists were/are bloodthirsty, murderous thugs, that does not mean that *all* atheists are bloodthirsty, murderous thugs.
I said no citation was needed or possible, I stand by that. Provide ONE example of a society ruled by an open atheist, without a large religious element to moderate State behavior, that you don't consider one 'run by bloodthirsty murderous thugs'.
those with you down at the shallow end of the gene pool
Nice elevated debate skills ya got there. I have been openly declared as an agnostic since my earliest posts though I tend to consider the religious better allies than most of the godless. Just a reality. But you are intentionally missing my point. Unless you are planning a 'final solution' for the bottom 75% of the population you really should be thinking of some sort of way to keep them in a civilized state. Religions work. Again that is a reality. One I seriously doubt you even intend to challenge.
Those who share a similar culture may also share similar ideas about ethics and morality, and they may even publicly espouse similar ideas about such things.
Try replacing 'may' with 'do' because soon after you lose consensus on ethics and morality you cease having a single civilization and have several, usually followed by a war to settle the new boundaries.