[Closed] The First STW Religion Poll

I don't believe in doctrine, which is how I define religion.

However I have faith, which is mine and it's my world, my reality so it's true for me 😀

Make of that what you will.

4.5, I was going to type out a longer reply but cougar nailed it earlier.

5

4 and a half.

I like to be tolerant and think that people should believe what they want... but then someone always has to act like a dick about their religion.

1

7. I am a god.

4.

I suppose technically that makes me an atheist, but it doesn't define me as a person. In Derren Brown's words "i'm also not a Botanist, but i don't define myself by my Abotany".

I can't help but notice an overwhelming lean to the 4/5 end of the spectrum. Do you think STW represents a good cross section of society? A few years ago, [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32722155 ]the BBC[/url] suggested that some 60+% of the UK population defined themselves as Christian.

Northerly 4 veering north-easterly 5 or 6 later.

3. The search for otherness fascinates me. I suspect it's likely to be delusional bollocks in the end but I remain fascinated by the search.

SaxonRider - Member

Let's do our own religion poll on here.

If you are willing, indicate your attitude to religious belief (defined, for our purposes, as adherence to a particular faith tradition), using one the following categories:

1. practicing religious
2. non-practicing religious
3. *interested, non-religious
4. non-interested non-religious (ambivalent)
5. anti-religious

1. (mine might not even be called a religion ... assuming I mine is ...)

Mine does not belong to Abrahamic faith nor any notion of Almighty Creation.

We are responsible for ourselves, we have been warned.

I'm moomin...

[img] [/img]

Sh1T! No mormon! MORMON!

6. Not even interested enough to take part in a religious poll (sensibly).

Interested but Fully anti religious.

I'd like to be a 4

3/4

interested, some of the earliest things that humans have ever made are religious, personally: not for me.

3 mostly, 5 when some muppet thinks that any criticism or intelligent appraisal of their own faith is aggressive/militant without actually looking at the way their religion behaves/has behaved.

[b]saxonrider[/b] always thought some of your threads had a bit of the lay-preacher about them... 😉 What do you take from this poll so far?

5.

3 and 5. I find religious beliefs and stories fascinating, but also I'm repulsed by the sectarianism, the religious hate, the wars, the oppression of women and gay people.

The world would be a much better place if religions had never been invented, but also culturally poorer.

5

1 and like it here
You keeping a tally SaxonRider?

3 whilst I was working out in Canada at an outdoor centre with some guys with a First Nations background, Haida nation I think. Was also fascinated by religion in Nepal when I went on holiday there.
These days though I'm 4, with 5 tendencies when it comes to issues like abortion or same sex marriage.

3-4 but hit 5+ when anyone tries to thrust their beliefs on me, then I go into religionist mode, It's like being a racist which I'm not.

bencooper - the world would also be a much better place if it wasn't for a whole load of undesirable human behaviour that has precisely nought to do with religion.

Although there are some negative aspects to religion, I think it's quite naive to think that it's the root of most of the world's problems. If religion were obliterated, you'd be sorely disappointed to find that there is still a lot wrong with the world.

4-5

vickypea:

If you choose to answer, please do not make judgemental comments about anyone else's response.

4

3, if I'm hoping to sleep with a religious person.

I can't help but notice an overwhelming lean to the 4/5 end of the spectrum. Do you think STW represents a good cross section of society?

ask a randomly selected 100 (even a randomly selected 100 STWers) how they identify themselves, or what size wheels they use on their main MTB, or what configuration of shifters, derailleurs (sp?) they have, and the poll results will be totally different from those where the participants are desperate to show they are atheist or to let everyone know they have 650b / 1x / tubeless.

bencooper - I reserve the right to challenge such judgemental comments as the one you made.
Saxon Rider- I apologise if I've not followed the rules of this thread but as I'm not prepared to be called judgemental by someone who has just done exactly that themselves, I'm out of this thread and out of any other religious topics on STW. 😐

4 mostly.

I'm mostly a 4. After a few drinkies I may become either a 3 or 5 depending on the profundity of the conversation. If there's a firebrand theist in the room, it gets closer to 6. I much prefer existentialist discussions than dogma, but don't we all?

Btw: 29'er, 2x9 (one for going down the shops, the other for up hills)

saxonrider always thought some of your threads had a bit of the lay-preacher about them

What?!? I'm insulted. Trust me when I say I'm no 'lay preacher'! 😯

What made you think that? ?

@vickypea: Don't give up! I don't think you're judgmental!

Follow the Gourd !!! No, the Shoe is the one true way

I am here you know, give me my shoe back

[edit]

I'm a 5, I'd prefer the poll used the word atheist, it doesn't have the subconscious 'anti' suffix that could rile people (a very minor quibble). But as others have said, I don't like the organisations wielding influence over those who don't agree (schools, house of lords etc)

3, definitely.

The world would be a better place if there were more of us.

3 mainly

5 for all forms of aggressive bigotry, obviously not at all the preserve of religion!

bencooper - I reserve the right to challenge such judgemental comments as the one you made.

I didn't make any judgemental comments about you. Unless you are taking offence because I said I don't like religion, in which case getting personally offended about general statements is another thing that annoys me about religion.

I find it amazing how people can be disparaging about something clearly important to someone, to their face, and then get all self righteous when that person gets upset. In the name of secularism.

It's like me walking up and calling your wife an ugly bitch, then saying its your problem for being offended.

6 Atheist not anti religious just don't imagine for a second that god or gods exist. Quite happy for people to believe something different as long as they accept their belief in God is just that a private belief that should have no sway over civic life.

Or.. seeing that someone is upset by what you've said, and being self righteous saying they shouldn't get upset cos you're so right. In the name of secularism.

Maybe you should think about what you're doing a little more. You're being offensive (yes, you are) with secularism which is no different to religious people criticising you for being non-religious. Which is something almost everyone on this thread has complained about.

So basically, you're being a hypocrite. And THIS is what gets me wound up about the people complaining about religion on here. Cos you're no better.

It's like me walking up and calling your wife an ugly bitch, then saying its your problem for being offended.

If you're referring to bencooper's comment, it's like saying "I don't like ugly women" and the someone else getting offended about your opinion of their wife.

I'd hope everyone would be repulsed by sectarianism, religious hate, wars, and the oppression of women and gay people.

1, and always been a 1. I can feel in my bones that its the truth- and that's the difficult thing. I get all that "claims require proof!" schtick but I can only say that I just know.

Sorry.

Walk away mol 😉

If you're referring to bencooper's comment, it's like saying "I don't like ugly women" and the someone else getting offended about your opinion of their wife

Bingo. I didn't say anything offensive about vickypea, she decided to get offended because she took personally something I said about all religion. Something which wasn't actually objectively offensive - I didn't say "all religious people are idiots".

I find it amazing how people can be disparaging about something clearly important to someone, to their face

If that's aimed at me, then I didn't do that. I made no comments about anyone in particular at all.

Probably closest to a 3 from the categories given in the OP.

A strong dislike of zealots and bigotry, but with recent experience finding far more of this comes from the 5 end of the scale than the 1

If that's aimed at me, then I didn't do that. I made no comments about anyone in particular at all.

Oh, so if I said recumbents are stupid, and anyone who rides one is an idiot, you'd not think anything of it?

Vickypea- don't get offended by Ben.

He and I grew up in the same general area, and I can fully understand why he feels the way he does, based on what he's seen. I feel differently (just the opposite in fact) but fully get why Ben feels the way he does. Its the rational approach, and I know I'm not rational but have accepted that (for me anyway) there's truth beyond the rational, which is the bit I can never express.

BTW- sorry for 'apologising' for you Ben, I know you wouldn't want that, but you're a good bloke 🙂 and your viewpoint is totally understandable.

I'm out of here for the rest of this thread, have a good evening all.

Oh, so if I said recumbents are stupid, and anyone who rides one is an idiot, you'd not think anything of it?

Nope, I wouldn't be personally offended. Because I know you're wrong and so I'm happy to discount your opinion.

Cody, that's interesting - but I don't think I'm an atheist because I grew up in the West of Scotland.

Nope, I wouldn't be personally offended. Because I know you're wrong and so I'm happy to discount your opinion.

Do you not think that some other recumbent rider might be upset a little? What would happen if I turned up at a recumbent riders meet and started saying that?

Btw I hope you can understand I am simply using recumbents as a stand-in, clearly if I actually did this not much would happen.

Generally speaking, well behaved people tend not to insult things that are dear to others. That could be their kids, their religion, their country, their hair or clothes, and so on. You must understand that?

If you want to criticise something you have to be thoughtful and careful, so as to have a discussion without offending. Surely you were taught this as a kid?

Do you not think that some other recumbent rider might be upset a little? What would happen if I turned up at a recumbent riders meet and started saying that?

You might get missed out of the round when everyone goes to the pub afterwards. I don't think anyone would be seriously butthurt about it, they'd just think you were a bit of an idiot.

I know you're using it as a stand-in. My point is that the ability to take deep personal offence for somethings that's not directed at you personally is a common characteristic of religious people. Not solely religious people, of course, it's possible to get the same effect by being offensive about Scots or black people or whoever.

But, and I'll say this again, I didn't say anything offensive, I said that I thought the world would have been a better place if religion had never been invented.

Oh, so if I said recumbents are stupid, and anyone who rides one is an idiot, you'd not think anything of it?

But if you said some of the things done in the name of recumbents were bad and made no mention of the individual riders, he'd probably not care at all. I think you may need to reread what he said?

Religion or recumbents? Hmmmm. Good beards in both...sandals...self righteous smugness...hmmmmm

You might get missed out of the round when everyone goes to the pub afterwards. I don't think anyone would be seriously butthurt about it, they'd just think you were a bit of an idiot.

Btw I hope you can understand I am simply using recumbents as a stand-in, clearly if I actually did this not much would happen.

I guess not..

5.
Without going over points that are obvious, or have already been made, religion, I can only logically conclude is a mental illness, psychosis specifically.

Now [i]that's[/i] how you're offensive about religious people...

BenCoopers comment is a) not specifically aimed at anyone, and b) not particularly controversial. It's also c) within the context of a thread which is encouraging people to openly discuss their attitudes towards religion, so is ENTIRELY appropriate. In fact, I'm more offended by VickyPeas flounce and Mols attidude towards BenCooper than I am about anything Ben said. (That said, you'd still need a very sensitive offendometer to pick up a reading from me; in fact it may just be wind)

BenCoopers comment is a) not specifically aimed at anyone, and b) not particularly controversial. It's also c) within the context of a thread which is encouraging people to openly discuss their attitudes towards religion

It's also on the back of years of abuse handed out by a baying majority on STW. Don't forget that bit.

Mols attidude towards BenCooper

It's my attitude towards what he says on these threads. I understand that a person is more complex than that and I believe him to be a good man.

Fair enough, Mol. Your perceived context is evidently somewhat deeper than mine. I have a fair bit of trouble remembering who said what. I [i]do[/i] remember that you like Priuses though... 😉

3 to 5. I dislike the hypocracy attached to some elements such ad " be nice" but that only applies if you are nice my way " sort of thing.
I like the stability that moderate religion brings to our world. Just cannot believe as blind faith, is to me, idiotic and the world around can't be proof as that takes faith. See above. I do like the honesty seen in many religions and the way people stick to their guns. What irks me is that many people, religious or not preach the ideas of consideration, care, equality etc for all and show this by being unjust. Eg if you really cared about fairness you won't moan if someone slags off gays or looks at a woman's are.
It can be freaky if you don't have a belief. How the hell do chemical compounds fly aircraft for example?

I do remember that you like Priuses though

Don't mock my beliefs 🙂

I dislike the hypocracy attached to some elements such ad " be nice" but that only applies if you are nice my way "

That's not what religion says though - make sure that you separate the two. If I build a shed in my garden and it falls down, is it the shed that was crap or my interpretation and execution of the instructions?

It's also on the back of years of abuse handed out by a baying majority on STW. Don't forget that bit.

Since I have no idea what you're alluding to, I can't even begin to remember it.

I find it amazing how people can be disparaging about something clearly important to someone, to their face, and then get all self righteous when that person gets upset

I find religious beliefs and stories fascinating, but also I'm repulsed by the sectarianism, the religious hate, the wars, the oppression of women and gay people.

I'd hope everyone would be repulsed by sectarianism, religious hate, wars, and the oppression of women and gay people.

3 or 4. Then maybe 2 or 1. Definitely not 5. Cannot stand the "I'm so clever and much better than you" attitudes of the majority of the vocal atheist types that seem to pop up on the internet

The location & meaning of Santa Cruz is "Sacred Cross"

That's not what religion says though

So well done on your great shed, and I personally respect your semi permenent garden structure building skills. But you'll have to excuse me if I think that's largely down to you being a good erector who knows what's right and wrong when it comes to building tool stores, rather down to those bloody awful instructions from Abe's Sheds. I've seen a fair few people interpret those shed instructions a lot more litterally than you have, and their sheds are terrible.

Cannot stand the "I'm so clever and much better than you" attitudes of the majority of the vocal atheist types that seem to pop up on the internet

I'm offended!

*flounces*

Now that's how you're offensive about religious people...

Yet it is not removed - of course there are no double standards.

@v8ninety BEAUTIFUL

t's also on the back of years of abuse handed out by a baying majority on STW.

Remember Binners vegan thread when he gave a vegan kids meat - you think I liked the STW answer and felt respected?Its what STW does and none of our special beliefs about sky fairies or not harming animals are so sacrosanct that folk wont be "mean" about them

Personally i find you being offended on behalf of folk you disagree with preposterous, irksome and your arguments intellectually dire and woefully argued- trust me i did theology folk who believe are way more convincing and knowledgeable than you are. I assume this view "upsets" you but what you do "upsets" me so we are even.

Yet it is not removed - of course there are no double standards.

It's even possibly quite a justifiable if extreme opinion, in pure logic terms, and there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with having a mental illness anyway, so it shouldn't even be offensive. It's like someone saying; "looks like you've broken your arm mate" when actually an X-ray reveals that you've just it a funny shaped arm. Or something.

you being offended on behalf of folk you disagree with

I'm not offended on behalf of anyone.

I think it's poor behaviour.

but only by ignoring the bits in the instructions that said thing like "burn the heretics" "marry the woman you rape, and pay her dad off and it'll be okay" and "gay people are proper wrong'uns hmm'kay?"

Your lack of understanding would appear to betray you, I think.

and there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with having a mental illness anyway, so it shouldn't even be offensive.

Ah no, you miss the point. It's not offensive to be called mentally ill; it's offensive to have something you have chosen and hold dear described as a mental illness. And yes that has happened to me.

Can't believe I have to explain this. Do you lot have Asperger's Syndrome or something?

because it's an opinion, on a thread asking for opinions. Funny that.

So if someone said being gay is a mental illness that would be fine - or saying the black people are mentally retarded that you be ok too? Afterall, they are only opinions.

Do you lot have Asperger's Syndrome or something?

😀

Can't believe I have to explain this. Do you lot have Asperger's Syndrome or something?

As someone who's been told he's on the Asperger's spectrum, I find that deeply personally offensive.

Only kidding 😉

Do you lot have Asperger's Syndrome or something?

Your lack of understanding would appear to betray you, I think.

5 .
Blokes with beards done sit on clouds creating worlds and all living things , they ride singlespeed bikes and drink beer .

Your lack of understanding would appear to betray you

How many quotes do you want

Ok here goes just for molly
"'If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

"If a man commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death.

to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay her father fifty shekels of. ... He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her.

You are lamentably poor at this as your knowledge of the book is risible

So if someone said being gay is a mental illness that would be fine - or saying the black people are mentally retarded that you be ok too?

Not going to touch on the mental illness comparison (because I don't think it's true) but there is an interesting point here which Molgrips also alluded to. You're not born religious, the way you're born gay or black, you choose to be religious.

It's like choosing to buy an Audi, then getting deeply personally offended at people slagging off Audi drivers.

@Mefty
Putting religion in the same category as being being gay or black is patently ridiculous; religion is an irrational (in the strictest, non offensive sense) belief, the other two are unchangeable characteristics that describe individuals.

People change their religious status, they don't change their skin tone or their sexuality.

Mmm, 2.5 probably?

t's offensive to have something you have chosen and hold dear described as a mental illness

It is but the DSMV - the manual for the diagnosis of mental illness actually has to add a caveat or holding of religious beliefs would trigger it and the caveat is " culturally accepted beliefs"
True that

Delusion. A false belief based on incorrect inference about external reality that is firmly sustained despite what almost everyone else believes and despite what constitutes incontrovertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary. The belief is not one ordinarily accepted by other members of the person's culture or subculture (e.g., it is not an article of religious faith). When a false belief involves a value judgment, it is regarded as a delusion only when the judgment is so extreme as to defy credibility.

I do not think that all religious folk are mentally ill as that is daft but what do we call folk who "chat or get guidance or feel the presence of a thing that does not exist? If its not religious we call them mentally ill. IMHO its just insulting to bring this up on a religious thread so i add this as information only.

You are lamentably poor at this as your knowledge of the book is risible

you choose to be religious

I guess some people choose to be religious. For others, they don't have the choice.