180 replies to this topic

[NoeL]

YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO POST!

I just want to make it clear that this isn't to determine who has what religious view, but only to gauge what percentage of the site has religious leanings. If you want to remain anonymous you're not obliged to reveal your answer. This is merely a survey because someone described the number of religious people here as "few", and I'm interested to see how accurate that is.

To clarify the terms:
You are religious if you adhere to one or more of the following:

• Regularly attend a church or other place of worship in order to worship or participate in religious activities.
• Hold beliefs that conform to a specific religion (e.g. the belief that Jesus is the son of God).

You are theistic if you:

• Believe in the existence of one or more gods, regardless of whether or not you worship them. This includes deists.

EDIT: Clarified further.

Edited by NoeL, 24 July 2011 - 06:30 AM.

[Saffith]

Well, I expect it is quite a few.

[Russ]

I'd expect the results to be about even, when everything is taken into account. Well, it might tilt a tad bit to one side or the other, but I'd imagine there's about an even number of religious and non-religious members here. I'd also be a bit interested in seeing how the different religions break down here (what percentage of religious people are Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc.), but that's a topic for another time, and probably the debate forum, all things considered.

[Jared]

Sure. I believe Jesus is the son of God.

[Zenith]

I won't get very far into it, but...I'm not very openly religious. I mean, I have beliefs and everything, but...I don't like relying on them.

Guess it's a combination of two things. For one, I don't like having to rely on others...especially since there are quite a few people I know in real life assume I can't do a lot of things on my own. For two, relying on faith always seems like a risk for me. It always comes off to me as leaving things up to chance...

...And every time I've done that in the past my luck has taken a turn for the worse. I don't chalk it up to God hating me or something...I'm just really hax prone, and I don't like letting myself have that chance of being screwed over by bad luck.

[Chakaa]

I believe in God, I just find most of what's in the bible hard to believe.

[NoeL]

I'd also be a bit interested in seeing how the different religions break down here (what percentage of religious people are Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc.), but that's a topic for another time, and probably the debate forum, all things considered.

If it's just a census then it shouldn't be in the Debate Room. I'd be interested in seeing the spread across religions, but I would imagine it'd be 99% Christianity, with maybe a few Buddhists or Wiccans hanging around.

[Moosh]

I nulled because I'm not quite sure where I'd fit. I guess I believe in the Christian God along with many Christian beliefs, but I've kinda resigned to the fact that I'm going to hell, because the teachings of the Bible just don't suit my lifestyle.

Edit: And also, I feel conflicted because it seems to me that my whole religion is mainly driven by the fear of Hell, and I don't feel that a god who has to use fear to gain followers can be considered a just one...or one that condemned all of mankind to die because of the decisions of two people under the influence of a talking snake.

Edited by Pokemonmaster64, 24 July 2011 - 03:30 AM.

[Sheik]

Me's agnostic. What should I vote? Should I null?

[Mitchfork]

Well if you're agnostic, that means that you don't believe in a god (rather just don't disbelieve) so I think that would make you not theistic. That's just my interpretation of the question though.

[NoeL]

Me's agnostic. What should I vote? Should I null?

What Ebola said - non-theistic.

[Sheik]

Hm, I don't think those options really work for agnosticsm. I'm tempted to null but I'll wait for what NoeL has to say on the subject, as I believe he chose those classifications for a reason.

Edit: Just noticed, I've been ninja'd.

Edited by Sheik91, 24 July 2011 - 06:21 AM.

[NoeL]

I nulled because I'm not quite sure where I'd fit. I guess I believe in the Christian God along with many Christian beliefs, but I've kinda resigned to the fact that I'm going to hell, because the teachings of the Bible just don't suit my lifestyle.

Edit: And also, I feel conflicted because it seems to me that my whole religion is mainly driven by the fear of Hell, and I don't feel that a god who has to use fear to gain followers can be considered a just one...or one that condemned all of mankind to die because of the decisions of two people under the influence of a talking snake.

Yeah, that's a toughy... though you DID refer to Christianity as "my (whole) religion". I'd say you're still religious, even if you have an unconventional view of Christianity. Even if your views are significantly departed from Christianity that doesn't make them non-religious, just non-Christian.

[Radien]

I identify as agnostic with leanings toward theistic or deistic (though I hadn't necessarily classified myself before now). I'm not sure it's quite accurate to lump deists in with theists, but I guess both believe in a god or gods unspecifically.

I don't really go to church, as I have found reason to take issue with the concept of organized religion these days. So, I answered "non-religious, but theistic."

Specifically, I think there may be a single god, but not necessarily as most people would imagine it. And the idea of creation might very well not apply to the universe(s).

[NoeL]

I'm not sure it's quite accurate to lump deists in with theists, but I guess both believe in a god or gods unspecifically.

It was for simplicity. I could have thrown in theist, deist, pantheist, panentheist, polytheist, atheist, agnostic, ignostic, antitheist... but it just would have bogged things down.