Here is a survey I was definitely a little surprised by, Korea ranked ninth in the below survey ranking the world’s most non-religious nations:
[Survey results via Japan Probe]
You wouldn’t think Korea would have such a high proportion of non-religious people judging by the how many churches and Buddhist temples you see in Korea. From my own personal experience I have a hard time believing over half of Koreans are non-religious. Anyone else have thoughts of their own on this?
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8:42 am on April 13th, 2008 1
I thought I’d almost exhausted everything there was to say about the subject over at the other place..but low and behold the baton seems to have been passed on over here.
I’ll be back on this shortly
remora
10:10 am on April 13th, 2008 2
What does your comment have anything to do about religion?
11:33 am on April 13th, 2008 3
Here is a thought for everyone, should the eco-faith be included as a religion in this survey?
If so the non-religious numbers for the US would drop even further.
12:55 pm on April 13th, 2008 4
Korea may be non-religious, but the fervor of many of the religious in this country completely makes up for it. Odd mix.
2:08 pm on April 13th, 2008 5
I don’t think it’s too far off the mark to suggest that the fervor of the religious in Korea (and the aggressive way they foist that fervor on innocent passersby, family, friends, and coworkers) CAUSES the large percentage of non-religious people — everybody in my conversation class either belongs to a religion, or has a story about being told they’d go to hell by a street proselytizer.
6:08 pm on April 13th, 2008 6
It matches what I’ve always heard as the stat going back to the mid-1990s — that 50% of Korean adults are non-religious and 50% of the religious ones are Christian and 50% are Buddhists.
What jumps out big time to me on the graphic is that North Korea is listed as being one of the most religious countries on earth. WTF is that!!
#1 — How the heck would the researchers even know? They somehow polled North Koreans?!!
I guess, though, if you consider the cult of personality and Juche as a state religion, it can make sense…
7:40 pm on April 13th, 2008 7
That is what I am thinking that the cult of Kim was counted as a religion.
4:52 am on April 17th, 2008 8
I wonder how many of that non-religious 50% have relatives living in the USA?
In your various Korea Towns, you can’t drive along a city block without passing a Korean church.
I agree with GI Korea: Bad statistic.