POLL: How religious are you?

[CaptainCernick]

I love statistics, therefore I would like to know some more about religious beliefs on the TWC.
There have been dozens of polls before about 'what' you believe in, that is not what this one is about. If you want to know the results of a poll like that, I suggest you use the search function. I am sure you will find enough material. This poll probes how 'fundamental' your beliefs are. Read all options carefully before choosing, this one's really about the nuances.

POLL OPTIONS:

1. I don't believe there is a god (atheism) or I don't know if there is a god (agnosticism).

2. I believe in a god, but my beliefs don't correspond with any religion. (deism)

3. I consider myself "member" of a religion. That does not mean I take everything my religion is based upon (what 'holy book(s)', religious leaders, prophets and wise men say and have said) for truth.
For example: I do not agree with the pope's stances on abortion/economics/... Or I think many things delivered to us by the Koran have great symbolical value, but are open to various levels of interpretation and should therefore not be taken too literally.

4. I am 'member' of a religion and I consider most things delivered to us by the 'roots' of our religion (for example the Bible, Koran, Torah,...) to be the truth, but I am sceptical of some later additions or of what some current religious leaders tell us.

5. I am certain all or most of the things religious leaders (perhaps only some of them who represent a 'fraction' of our religion or who are the representants of the real truth of our religion) are right. Of course , the holy books contain nothing but the truth. We should take everything they say as truth and strive to do as they do or say.


Notes:
* In my eyes, and thus for this poll, a religion is a more or less organised group of people with more or less the same ideas, upon which they base religious beliefs .

* If you cannot find yourself in any of the options of this poll, let me know. If I think you have a good point, I may add a new option to it.
EDIT: Unfortunately, this is not possible. I can, however change the defenitions of options 3, 4 and 5. Feel free to suggest!

* You are invited to explain your choices in this thread, but keep things civil! If this thread gets out of hand, I fully agree with the mod who closes it. If you tell us which option you have chosen, would you care to add your religion, age, sex and nationality?

* If the mods allow me and there is enough response to this poll, I may open another one that probes for other aspects of your beliefs.

[Fuji]

I really don't quite get atheism i mean everything that isn't infinite must have a beginning right. A sort of god, creator must be, but i don't believe any of the "popular" believes they all say/think that there's god abd then us and then the animals and etc. Few say that there's something in between (besides angels)


ps what does angel really mean ??

[Over and Out....]

I really don't quite get atheism i mean everything that isn't infinite must have a beginning right. A sort of god, creator must be, but i don't believe any of the "popular" believes they all say/think that there's god abd then us and then the animals and etc. Few say that there's something in between (besides angels)


ps what does angel really mean ??

Then tell me where did the creator or God come from or where was he before anything excisted??? And to answer the poll I'm atheist, although I won't deny the excistence of God if he or she shows his/hers face. Purely logicly atheist.

-Creo

[Over and Out....]

Many have said something like this: "If there is no God, then how universe was created?". I think we made up religions and Gods and such because humans wan't to know everything. If we can't explain something we say that God made it. It is far easier to create things like God than to try figure out everything by reason. This is something that people should stop trying. I have long ago accepted that my mind is limited in ways of understanding something like creation of universe or how nature could create certain complex things like brains.
Altough I admit that believing in something can help some people to survive or to ease their pain and sorror. I have to think that believing in some greater power makes people weak sometimes. And I can't forget all the horrible thing men have done to each other just because they believe in God and religion. Like how western "civilised" people have destroyed many large nations and cultures just to bring God to barbarians.

P.S.
Everyone has done this so I follow:
Atheist
Male
Finnish (My limited english is the reason I sometimes sound far younger than I am. I hope everyone still gets my point)
17 years

-Creo

[GodNeptune]

Religion: Worships self
Nationality: West Coast (US)
Age: 20
Sex: Frequently

There is no empirical evidence for the existence of a god, so why believe in one? And if there somehow happens to be a god, he is a sick fellow for creating a world with so much pain and suffering. Maybe he gets off watching thousands of people starve to death and get blown to pieces every day. If a god does exist, he or she? is clearly not worthy of being worshipped.

[Graycloak]

Just pair of comments from an avowed atheist here: 1) Where is it ever proved that there has to have been a creation? Why not believe that the universe is, was and always will be existant in some form and perception of it merely alters to degrees dependent on the length, scope and perspective of your observations of it.

2) Even assuming creation, why does creation imply superiority and worship? I would not contest that in the litteral sense, my parents created me. Yet I do not worship them, revere them or elevate their judgement to some status above that of my own. (PS I do love them, respect them and treat their knowledge and opinions with the consideration their greater experiences merit, but they are merely flawed individuals like myself with gaps in knowledge, lapses and prejudices.)

[Fuji]

Just pair of comments from an avowed atheist here: 1) Why not believe that the universe is, was and always will be .

See ? Just replace universe by god...

[Julius Isidrus]

Religion : None and "all"
Nationality : Portuguese
Age : 16

I don't believe in Religion, it only brings evil. I believe in the doctrines.
I believe in Jesus as much as Maome or Moses.
If i could join the best parts (the best parts to me, maybe not for other person) of all religions (christian, jewish, even buddhism, etc) into one, and when i say religions i'm talking about the doctrines, i would be happy. For me, the Bible is not Christian, Jesus is not christian, the Coran is not islamic and so on.
1 example : Someone shows me the Bible and the Coran and ask me which book do i like more, i would join the two books with my hands (one after the other, as in a bookshelf of course, im not a magician ) and say "This one".

And because of this i am open minded, i don't have any problem entering a Church or a Sinagoga or a (mosque?) (sry im not english) I respect everyone beliefs.

I think they (Jesus, Maome, Dalai Lama, etc) say the same things in different ways. Of course, Jesus said new things, Maome said new things, all say the same things and new things, but as long as their "morals truths" point to "do good", i like them ;D
(Was this what you were saying Ummon?)

As to If i believe in God... i do. Sometimes i'm not quite sure, but then i think in Jesus... he said amazing things like "Love the other as you love yourself" or "Do good to those who dispitefully use you", all in the name of God. AND even when he was on the cross, before dying he said "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they're doing" amazing, even then...

But then i believe that God is in every man...
And i like buddhism, but always thinking that there is "something" that i dont know what is called God.
And sometimes i dont believe in God... i never saw him, what has he done to me? But i think of Jesus, Maome who died for him, how could they be wrong? But...well... it isnt that important to believe in God, as long as we do good...

And i dont give a sh|t if Jesus was married or not, i personally believe he was. I dont like that priests cant marry, women cant become priests, all those stupid things. Cruzades, Jihads OMG!!! LITERAL holy WARS.

Christians are more interested if Jesus was married or not rather of what he did. Christian "official" truth is that Jesus wasnt married (maybe because of all that implied if they said he was), so priests cant marry. Women have no role in the church. I think these are only traditions, powerfull traditions. They will need decades and a crazy Pope (which i dont believe there will be one because of all that implies) to be changed.

I love Science, i love logic.
I don't believe in God only because i need to find something to explain the things we cant explain.
I believe in a physical (i can touch it, i can see it) and spiritual world (i cant touch it, but maybe we can see it...), i believe physical strengh is as much important as mental strengh. Not more important, not less important, but balanced (just like anything else).

(confuse?)

[Fuji]

Then tell me where did the creator or God come from or where was he before anything excisted??? And to answer the poll I'm atheist, although I won't deny the excistence of God if he or she shows his/hers face. Purely logicly atheist.

-Creo

Well the simple anwser is that he did'nt had a beginning and that he's just been there all the time, this is an easy and stupid awnser but it's probably the same awnser to your question ( just atheism in general) of the beginning of the universe.

[Søren]

Are we talking the stories or the messages here? because things like Genesis come into conflict horribly with science, and others (especially the OT) come into cnflict with historical evidence. So do you go with the Bible or the evidence on those?

Well, the first point would be better discussed in the Creation V Evolution thread.

Well, cite some instances where the OT comes into conflict with historical evidence.

[Atheist Peace]

Religion: None
Age: 14
Sex: Male
Nationality: American

I am choice 1 because i do not believe, in any way that there is a god.

Reasons:
1)I think Science contradicts religion and god in many ways and i trust in science.
2)Looking back on history, it is clear to me that gods are nothing more than an invention of humans when they were (and are somewhat) too ignorant to explain the universe and life fully.
3)I just simply use my common sense and the idea of a god does not make sense to me.
I have other reasons certainly but im a bit rushed right now.

BTW, i always thought deism was the belief that god created the world and then abandoned it, giving us free will and all that?

[Fuji]

Religion: None
Age: 14
Sex: Male
Nationality: American

I am choice 1 because i do not believe, in any way that there is a god.

Reasons:
1)I think Science contradicts religion and god in many ways and i trust in science.
2)Looking back on history, it is clear to me that gods are nothing more than an invention of humans when they were (and are somewhat) too ignorant to explain the universe and life fully.
3)I just simply use my common sense and the idea of a god does not make sense to me.
I have other reasons certainly but im a bit rushed right now.

BTW, i always thought deism was the belief that god created the world and then abandoned it, giving us free will and all that?

well to "1)" even in science every thing needs to have a beginning, and there were/are still many great scientists who were religios-us ( Newton for example who wrote a lot about it to)

[Tom Paine]

well to "1)" even in science every thing needs to have a beginning, and there were/are still many great scientists who were religios-us ( Newton for example who wrote a lot about it to)

God also must have had a beginning then, so he cannot be God. No two ways about it.

And I answered your question as I understood it. If I wasn't answering the question you asked that is a diffrent matter....

[Fuji]

God also must have had a beginning then, so he cannot be God. No two ways about it.

Yes, yes, thought about that, but, the universe is not infinite, god is infinite, you can't make something that's infinite.

Simple example, you can make a eh object of 2cm you can't make an object of 0.33333...cm or 1/3cm.

So god can't of had a beginning.

[Tom Paine]

Yes, yes, thought about that, but, the universe is not infinite, god is infinite, you can't make something that's infinite.

Simple example, you can make a eh object of 2cm you can't make an object of 0.33333...cm or 1/3cm.

So god can't of had a beginning.

You cant have something that's infinit. And your example does not hold: you can make something that is a third of a centimetre because it is finite, dpending on howq you exress it. You cannot have something thaty is 1/infinite of a centimetre however....
God must hav had a beginning otherwise the argument does not hold: the universe is infinite, the known universe is not. An important distinction. Itself the universe is infinite and boundaryless however.

[Atheist Peace]

well to "1)" even in science every thing needs to have a beginning, and there were/are still many great scientists who were religios-us ( Newton for example who wrote a lot about it to)

Okay, but that does not mean science doesnt contradict religious theory on many occasions. Just look at Evolution and Creationism, you may choose to believe in creationism but i trust in evolution.

BTW, bavarian noble, youre only 13? Wow, i thought you were certainly older.

[smack]

Choices 3,4, and 5 don't leave much room for religions that are not dogmatic, that ask a person to discover Truth for themselves, have little in the way of set-in-stone laws or opinions, or are pantheistic. Just thought I'd mention that, though I think your spin on things is interesting.

[MoROmeTe]

Voted 1... As seems to have voted the majority on the forum... Which is interesting...

[Exploding_Pig]

I'm a 15 year old male from the US, and I consider myself agnostic, and possibly partially buddhist. (I voted 1)

just thought I'd make some comments on the poll:

I don't believe there is a god (atheism) or I don't know if there is a god (agnosticism).

You got agnosticism basically right, but I would define it as beleiving that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven, rather than "not knowing" which sounds too indecisive.

2. I believe in a god, but my beliefs don't correspond with any religion. (deism)

atheist peace was right about deism. This would be something more like non-denominational theism.

* In my eyes, and thus for this poll a religion is a more or less organised group of people with more or less the same ideas about a god(s).

It is a very common western misconception that a religion has to consist of beleif in a god, but there are some "atheist religions" like buddhism and taoism.

[Ardeur]

Religion: Christian
Age: 22
Sex: Male
Nationality: American

I chose option 5, but I think there needs to be a separation in believing in the absolute truth of Holy Scriptures and believing that spiritual leaders preach only the truth.

I believe the Bible is absolute truth, however, I don't believe any person preaches 100% truth 100% of the time, especially spiritual leaders.

To have unerring faith in God is one thing, but to have that same faith in a person, other than Christ, is, in my opinion, idolatry.