The correct answer is B) Fewer people would identify as an atheist because people were not willing to share alternative religious beliefs publically.
Explanation:
A chart of mid-17th-century religious beliefs differs from this chart in that Fewer people would identify as an atheist because people were not willing to share alternative religious beliefs publically.
In the 1600s, people did not have total freedom of speech if they had any. The church had a tremendous influence in the life of people and religious beliefs defined societies and families. The Church exerted its power and influence in many aspects of the people's lives and something out of the purview of the church or different to the religious beliefs of the Church was considered to be sacrilegious. The Church prosecuted people for being against the Church, so people of that time preferred to say that they were religious people supporting the church. Being an atheist was not really an option in the 17th century.
