Poll: do you believe in god
24 comments
The poll taker seems to expose a bias through the use of lower case "god" in the question and derogatory notes. Not sure if this will influence how people will answer or participate.
Good point to the use of lower case. Not sure that making a statement of fact qualifies as "derogatory". Perhaps the specific examples could be considered so.
I was about to say "define God" but then I realized that's a lot like "define insert racial or gender classification here" - for the purpose of polls (among other things), it's about self-identification. So I voted "yes" even though I'd probably put "atheist" on a survey because I have my own definition of "God" and I believe it relates to this question closely enough to count.
Yes, this was indeed another daft poll on the subject. I rejected catholicism about 20 years ago (was a hard thing to do considering my whole family are devout catholics). I am in no way religious. I also (weirdly even to myself) had to vote 'yes' here. I assume / guess / something created the universe. I don't know or really care what it is.
Honestly my answer to this is a bit more complex than the poll, and is best described as I'm not sure.
Here's my two cents: if an intelligent being created the universe, then what makes you think it cares about our feelings like religion says? Our worries seem quite a few levels of abstraction away from the design of the underlying principles of the universe. On the other hand, why shouldn't it?
Here's my two cents: if an intelligent being created the universe, then what makes you think it cares about our feelings like religion says? Our worries seem quite a few levels of abstraction away from the design of the underlying principles of the universe. On the other hand, why shouldn't it?
Agnostic, borderline atheist here. I've always wondered something. If theists scoff at the idea that the universe was created from nothing and just came into being, convinced that it must've taken a higher power to create it, then how do they explain where god came from?
What you're trying to do here is to subordinate god to laws of logic. But, from the theist point of view, everything is god's creation. The world, essentially, is a system of laws, and laws of logic are as much part of it as laws of physics. So, they, too, are god's creation, and he is as much at liberty to break them as he is to break physical laws.
P. S. Fellow atheist here, btw.
P. S. Fellow atheist here, btw.
Seriously. I mean, like, has anyone ever thought seriously about that problem, man?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmoved_mover
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinque_viae
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmoved_mover
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinque_viae
Find a Mormon friend and ask them. They have a different view.
My personal view on this subject is that while I don't believe in a god its still possible that there might be one.
Saying there is no god is kind of ignorant unless I know 100% for a fact there isn't one
Saying there is no god is kind of ignorant unless I know 100% for a fact there isn't one
I believe all religions are scams.
That doesn't make them wrong, but they aren't worth believing.
That doesn't make them wrong, but they aren't worth believing.
My guess is he/she was speaking about the concept of a 'creation point of the universe' - not religion.
Yes. Gods are probably a bunch of mathematicians and programmers. And we are living in their life simulation program. The universe might as well be a projection.
Does anyone believe, but doesn't want to believe?
I'm edging atheist intellectually, but can't shake a gut emotion that there is something bigger.
I'm edging atheist intellectually, but can't shake a gut emotion that there is something bigger.
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Which one? :-P
Which one ? Seriously tho', I imagine the results would be a bit skewed because most agnostic people are really just atheists who'd rather not be bothered with asserting their atheist belief simply because they haven't thought long and hard enough to cross over the line with conviction.
I used to be like that. I had my 'personal understanding of god' and so would call myself agnostic. However, a while back it really bothered me that I couldn't explain my beliefs to anyone who asked. It was always so imprecise and incomplete. Always on the fence, in a manner of speaking. On further reflection, I realized that my belief system was basically this:
Since then, I let go of my 'personal god' and have been calling myself atheist. I still meditate, reflect, marvel at the beauty of life and am in awe of nature. I just don't call it one name so as to confuse people into thinking that I believe in a larger-than-life-miracle-working-life-creating-morality-judging-God.
I used to be like that. I had my 'personal understanding of god' and so would call myself agnostic. However, a while back it really bothered me that I couldn't explain my beliefs to anyone who asked. It was always so imprecise and incomplete. Always on the fence, in a manner of speaking. On further reflection, I realized that my belief system was basically this:
* A moral compass. The fact that there is a very real right and wrong. These
are not relative. Shades of grey don't really exist for morality if you do
away with the notion that humans are in any way more 'deserving' of lesss
suffering (IOW: there is *always* a right and a wrong. Any 'in-betweens' is
solely due to the expectation that humans are in some way special)
* A recognition that the universe/nature/existence is immense, beautiful and
awe inspiring
* Everything in this universe/nature/existence is connected and as such there
is a network of influence (ie: every action will have long ranging effects)
* I am part of this universe/nature/existence, so my actions have long
ranging effects.
* Death is the end of life. There's no after-life. No re-incarnation,
ressurection, heaven or hell. This life is all that one has and ever will
have.
Since then, I let go of my 'personal god' and have been calling myself atheist. I still meditate, reflect, marvel at the beauty of life and am in awe of nature. I just don't call it one name so as to confuse people into thinking that I believe in a larger-than-life-miracle-working-life-creating-morality-judging-God.
yes
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For reference, the national average for US of 92/7/1 as of 2011: http://www.gallup.com/poll/147887/americans-continue-believe-god.aspx