We have a very successful poll that attempts to discover the makeup of EMM posters religions, and while that is interesting on its own, what I am interested in is how people arrived at their current beliefs. Topics like this have arisen before but I will attempt to be comprehensive and have this be a resource for future posts here in the ethos much like the previous poll.
There will be two subsets, one for irreligious, one for religious. I define irreligious as anyone who does not believe or eschews believe in god. If you don't care about religion at all, you count as irreligious. Same goes for deists who believe in god but have no religion (of course, unless you consider your deism your own religion). Religious goes without saying, if you believe in a god or in a dogmatic religion pick a selection in this category.
- I was raised in a religion/without a religion. This is obvious, if your religion (or lack thereof) is that of your parents and you have experienced no crisis of faith or conversions and have been consistent in your beliefs choose this. If you've stayed within the same doctrine choose this. If you stayed religious but changed religions DO NOT choose this.
- I arrived at my beliefs through reasoning. This means that you arrived at your position through thought. Becoming an atheist through skepticism or a Christian by studying theology or anything of the sort. If on your own you sought out and changed your beliefs choose this. If you were convinced through proselytizing and later reasoned it out DO NOT choose this one. If you were born in a religion and later reasoned it out DO NOT choose this either.
- I arrived at my beliefs through proselytization. Someone else convinced you, through whatever reasons you felt valid, to accept a set of beliefs. This includes books and media! If you read Dawkins and instantly renounced your faith then pick this. If you read Dawkins and it resonated with what you already were thinking do NOT pick this. Same goes with the religious side. If someone special convinced you enough to change beliefs, but later on you reasoned it out pick this.
- I arrived at my beliefs through a life changing event. I know two people who this applies to specifically. My aunt works with a woman who's been raped in front of her children, witnessed a murder of a family member, amongst other things. She's an atheist. I know another woman who was in an accident and had an near-death experience and says she saw Jesus. She's a Christian. Both were the opposite beforehand. If this experience reaffirmed your beliefs this doesn't count, so if you went to Jersusalem and had a vision at the Dome of the Rock and you were already Muslim do not pick this.
- I arrived at my beliefs through other means. Anything that doesn't fit into the above categories. I think I covered them all but if you choose this PLEASE explain.
NO CHOICE IS BETTER THAN ANY OTHER! I WILL NOT JUDGE ANYONE ON WHAT THEY CHOOSE! JUST BE HONEST!
After this poll has gained, in my opinion, sufficient sample size, I will analyze and interpret the results. I'm not going to reveal the purpose until after this so this attempt at an experiment (yes, it's self selected, I'm not a scientist) will at least be single-blinded. Results in the poll will be show after I close it, but you can reveal what you chose if you want. I just don't want anyone to try and fix it one way or another.
Don't debate other people's beliefs here. No insults or douchebaggery is permitted. Feel free to tell us what you voted for and why, I like to know the stories behind people. I may, and others may, ask you why you think why you do. Answer or don't answer, it's up to you. Don't flame others, and again, no douchebaggery.