Although we are still a minority worldwide, the numbers of atheists – those who lack belief in a supernatural deity – have been growing at an increasing rate, at least in America. Now, from the latest American Religious Identification Survey from Trinity College, we see exactly how much as of 2008. According to the survey, 1.6% of Americans label themselves as “atheist,” a significant jump of 1.2% since 2001 [.PDF]. Despite this seemingly low percentage, the real number is much larger: 12% are actually atheist based on their stated beliefs (or in this case lack thereof).

Now let’s get into exactly what this means:
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