religious belief and no religious belief poll

[Bertha Venation]

Please forgive my ignorance of many belief systems.

[slackmaster]

1. Third-generation atheist

My grandfather quit Christianity after his church failed to validate his claim of Conscientious Objector status during World War I. He was sent to prison with a life sentence, reduced on appeal to 25 years, then pardoned by President Wilson after the war ended.

[NightTrain]

43. Hey, me too!

My dad and granddad were both Atheists. :hi:

[vi5]

2. I fluctuate between atheist and agnostic....

I'm 99.999% sure there's no god so technically my belief system is atheist. But since I'm not arrogant enough to think I know the answers to the universe based on either mankinds limited knowledge of science, or some book of stories written by other men, I'll call myself an agnostic.

[Bronco69]

4. WOW vi5! That's about the best explanation I've heard.

Put me in that category! :-)

[TXlib]

14. Depends on whether you use the strong or weak definition of atheism

Strong definition: "There is/can be no god." (What I usually call a gnostic atheist.) This position, I feel, is intellectually/logically untenable, since it requires complete and perfect knowledge of the universe.

Weak definition: "I do not believe there is a god." (What I usually call the agnostic atheist. And yes, similarly, there are gnostic and agnostic theists.) This position is the one of an empiricist who merely sees a lack of credible evidence for the theistic hypothesis.

As a scientist, I regard the theistic claim as a non-scientific hypothesis -- it does not explain any physical phenomena (except to replace the original question with another unanswerable one) and it makes no testable predictions.

[hfojvt]

44. that's why I thought agnosticism was such a cop-out.

Just admit you are an atheist, you weeny. Everyone is an agnostic since nobody knows for sure. An agnostic is a little bit like an undecided voter.
Then again I am a flip-flopper since I went from somewhat fundy Christian (as a teen) to atheist to liberal Christian.

[vi5]

48. Agnosticism is not a cop out.....

It's a lack of arrogance. My beliefs are those of an atheist since I need things proven to me. But to me to declare that I have all the answers one way or another, is just as arrogant as being a fundamentalist of any stripe.

WHen I master all the earth sciences and can understand how every single thing works and why, then I'll pull the trigger on my agnosticism. Until then I'll just consider it skepticism.

[SmokingJacket]

50. My agnosticism = I have no fucking idea.

It's not a copout, it's honest.

Maybe there is a God! But I have been given no reason to believe there is one. NO reason at ALL.

Except for the fact that so many other people seem to believe in one.

So... maybe I'm missing something.

Sometimes I say I'm an atheist, but it's not really true, because I'd be pretty damn full of myself to be sure of something (the nonexistence of God) that's so important to everyone else.
:shrug:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. i am a hindu and an atheist.

i have recently come to the conclusion that you can be both. and if you were brought up in india as a hindu, but later realized there is no god...you probably still hold on to some hindu beliefs.

[Bertha Venation]

9. I think that's where I am with Christianity, LP.

I grew up a born-again baptist & renounced that in a slow process starting at age 23. I still have a hard time saying I'm an atheist. I'm not sure I'm an atheist. But I believe in Christ's teachings and think it's worth it for me to try to live by them. :shrug:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. you know what, i believe in christs teachings too...

[AllyCat]

30. Christ's teachings are appropriate, eloquent, and inclusive

As far as I'm concerned, none of the current "Christian" religions profess, more or less practice, or even believe what Jesus taught. There are good people in all those religions who do follow Christ's teachings, but their religious bodies as a whole do not.

I study his teachings, but have converted to Buddhism, a faith that believes one can be a good member of another faith and be a Buddhist too.

[Bertha Venation]

47. What led you to Buddhism, AllyCat?

I have read a little about Buddhism and it is appealing to me. But I don't know if I have the discipline to make it a practice.

[AllyCat]

49. BV---PM'd you.

Hope that helps. You can find Buddhist organizations in your area at:

www.buddhanet.net

[frictionlessO]

5. Im a taoist

but I cant explain it, because its not explainable.
what is, is... and thats all.

[saltpoint]

6. Went with 'Other' on the poll.

A witch's brew of wiccan/pagan, Hellenic pantheism, savagely liberal Christianity, and contemporary western buddhist.

Thanks for this post, Bertha Venation.

[Bertha Venation]

11. dammit! paganism! I knew I left out something key.

Sorry. :D
:bounce:

[saltpoint]

21. No, BV -- I wasn't complaining.

If it sounded that way, I am the one who's sorry. I just meant it to be conversational in support of your poll.

The American Humanist Society did a poll like this a few years ago and I liked it, too.

It's a good chance for people to take a sort of personal inventory.

[Bertha Venation]

22. oh, no, I didn't think you were complaining . . .

I'm just hyper-self-critical. :dunce:

[Darranar]

7. I don't believe in the traditional Judeo-Christian concept of God...

and I think that logically such a thing cannot exist.

That does not mean that such a thing does not.

I think that makes me an atheist.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. I Am An "Other"

I give no thought to such things, one way or the other. I'm not an atheist or theist. I'm not even an agnostic, because i don't CARE if i know or don't know. I don't want, need, or care to pursue proof of anything and i don't need to have faith in anything.

Existence is enough to ponder for me. Existence beyond this mortal coil is irrelevant.
The Professor

[truthseeker1]

10. A combination - but no definitive label

Was raised Christian but over the last couple of years have come to reject blind faith in the Bible and many of the inconsistencies in the organized Christian religion. I still accept Christ's teachings as important and sacred, but don't see them reflected in most of the people who proudly claim to be Christians and who seek to evangelize the world. I question many of the stories and the doctrine as being motivated by those in power to control the masses.

I don't really declare myself to belong to any one group - I suppose I could be identified as a deist ( One who believes in the existence of a God, but denies revealed religion; a freethinker) but could say my beliefs are a combination of New Age/New Thought/Religious Science/Paganism.

[sniffa]

13. reLigion kiLLs individuaLity

i say a prayer (aLmost) every night whiLe Lying in bed - i thank god for my Life, as crappy as i feeL about at times, and for the peopLe in my Life both good and bad. it's more therapy than praying.

i aLso say it siLentLy. it may be part of my new engLand upbringing, but i keep my reLigion or Lack of to myseLf.

so i have no reLigion.

do i beLieve in god? probabLy, not sure. i think god died a gaziLLion years ago. he was riddLed with cancer, and one day he went kaboom! and expLoded, creating the universe as we know it. so we're each a decendent of god - grown of a piece of him that wasn't infected.













makes about as much sense right?

[Acryliccalico]

15. Agnostic here

When I go to bed at night, I just go to bed. When I get up in the morning, I say thank god I am still living. Yes I am Agnostic ;)

[Kathy in Cambridge]

18. That's what I like about New England

my neighbors could worship Baal, but I wouldn't know about it. I think religion is highly personal, and I think good deeds are the expression of true religious belief, and NOT going door-to-door prosletyzing.

[AntiCoup2K4]

20. Just to take your theory a little further.....

The "infected" pieces became the Freepers, PNAC, and the Bush Fraudministration.

[truthseeker1]

16. Here's a quiz that takes a stab at labeling your beliefs

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

[Bertha Venation]

23. Oh, my. I'm "100% UU"

That surprises me.

[catbert836]

31. Here are my results:

Unitarian Universalism (100%)
Liberal Quakers (98%)
Mahayana Buddhism (96%)
Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (92%)
Theravada Buddhism (91%)
New Age (83%)
Neo-Pagan (79%)
Taoism (71%)
New Thought (71%)
Jainism (70%)
Orthodox Quaker (70%)
Hinduism (70%)
Reform Judaism (68%)
Sikhism (64%)
Bahá'í Faith (64%)
Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (61%)
Secular Humanism (54%)
Scientology (52%)
Orthodox Judaism (39%)
Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (38%)
Seventh Day Adventist (37%)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (31%)
Eastern Orthodox (29%)
Roman Catholic (29%)
Nontheist (29%)
Islam (27%)
Jehovah's Witness (27%)

[AllyCat]

32. Cool test!

100% Mahayana, 96% UU. Amazingly, my childhood religion (Catholicism) was only 12% Guess I've changed.

[MrSlayer]

36. 100% Secular Humanist

Cool.

[H3Dakota]

38. Very cool!

Every time I take that one, I get about the same... :) Turns out just right, as I am Pagan, but do occasionally attend a local UU church.

1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. New Age (88%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (86%)
4. Mahayana Buddhism (78%)
5. Liberal Quakers (73%)
6. Reform Judaism (70%)
7. New Thought (69%)
8. Jainism (66%)
9. Theravada Buddhism (66%)
10. Hinduism (65%)
11. Scientology (64%)
12. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (57%)
13. Sikhism (56%)
14. Secular Humanism (54%)
15. Bahá'í Faith (49%)
16. Taoism (47%)
17. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (43%)
18. Orthodox Quaker (42%)
19. Orthodox Judaism (41%)
20. Islam (34%)
21. Nontheist (30%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (18%)
23. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (17%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (15%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (14%)
26. Roman Catholic (14%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (9%)

[Zenlitened]

17. Born-Again Athiest.

Finally, after a long, long journey, I see the truth.

[UrbScotty]

19. A liberal Catholic

Bite it, freepers.

[Beaverhausen]

24. Other - Pagan

[LWolf]

25. other.

All of the above, none of the above, and more.

I don't have a definition, a label, or an organization.

[Maat]

26. I belong to the Church of Religious Science.

It is a progressive church like UU. It believes that science and spirituality are compatible, and that the God/Goddess/One-Energy is an energy within us all, and all around us - the Force that can be used for good through postive thought, if you will. It is a New Thought Church ... like Unity ... only not as focused on Christianity. 'You have a new thought ... you have a new experience.'

We get to study Pagan, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian beliefs - anything we want to. No one tells us what to think or with whom to associate.

We believe in all paths to God (that's why we get to explore).

I'm proud to support their administrative org. I urge all DUers to not give money to the Southern Baptist Convention, for example. That money goes to bigots' salaries. You want no part of that!


For those who are agnostic or pagan, you have a warm, loving and respecting congregation in a UU one or a ucrs.org one.

Enjoy! Peace! Blessings to you!

[DemGa]

27. I consider myself a non-religous Christian n/t

[catbert836]

28. Roman Catholic

My family's been that way since shortly after the Roman Empire, I'm pretty sure.

[jellybelly]

29. I don't worship a god

the real god would be too busy ensuring the rotation of planets in the universe or creating other life forms. God wouldn't send prophets to a lttle crappy planet. I really love Jesus though. He is one of the best human-beings that ever walked the earth. I don't believe he's the son of god, he was an average, enlightened man.

and where's "I'm Jewish" on the poll?

[Acryliccalico]

33. I took the poll

100% UU go figure, I thought I was Agnostic. Is UU a church for Agnostics?

[AllyCat]

35. My mother is UU

Sometimes I go with her to services. There is no profession to any one religion, no set of rules to follow, and no doctrine. They are actively involved in community service, philosophical and theological discussion (of any stripe), and there are many there who profess to be agnostic or even atheist.

They encourage dialogue about spirituality, not religion. Everyone has spirituality. You might find you like it.

[Cuban_Liberal]

34. Liberal Catholic/Marianist.

:)

[genieroze]

37. I'm a born again Christian former Catholic but I'm not one

of those fascist Talibornagains.

[guitar man]

39. I believe

there is a "god", "great spirit, or spirits" or something bigger and better "out there". I don't know exactly how to describe what it is, but the god I believe in certainly doesn't have the ill-tempered, narcissistic traits and personality of the god described in the Old Testament. I believe that "god" has behaved over the years exactly as the people who created him and continue to believe in him would have him to behave.

I have no use for a king and I refuse to kneel before one.

[H3Dakota]

40. Pagan here, too

[jukes]

41. jukes is an atheist

but has learned *not* to spout flames about it. i leave religious discussion threads alone, because i'm pretty opinionated and somewhat inciteful on the subject.

[LanternWaste]

42. I'm a nutty fundie. Seriously

I'm a nutty fundie. Seriously! :)

Qualifier: Fundamentalist in the traditional, non-trendy use of the word; that is, someone who believes in five particular truths as fundamental and absolute.

I usually stay quiet during religious debates, though. Odd, that because I've been reading a lot of apologetics works over the past five years.

I live in Cancun half of the year (not in the "Rich and Famous" sense, more in the "Destitute and Transient" sense) and found that hitting the Catholic churches on Sundays is one of the coolest ways imaginable to learn Spanish.

Holy Non-Sequiter, Batman! I've had a bit too much to drink-- time to stop typing...

:)

[Acryliccalico]

45. Thanks AllyCat might try it sometime

:)

[progressoid]

46. What about APATHEISM?

http://www.langmaker.com/db/eng_apatheist.htm

http://www.tribe.net/tribe/1d9fb47f-23d4-49cf-903b-64ccdc15cb90