Am I the only person on the Internet who believes in God?

[etv78]

This isn't Pit worthy, but not Mundane. Seems like everytime I mention God in a post (in general, not just SDMB) people make comments with the underlying attitude,"Ain't that precious, you believe in some Invisible Guy in the Sky."

[Contrapuntal]

No, you are not. Not by a long shot.

[AClockworkMelon]

Awww, the OP believes in the Invisible Guy in the Sky!

*Ruffles etv78's hair.*

[jsgoddess]

Originally Posted by etv78

This isn't Pit worthy, but not Mundane. Seems like everytime I mention God in a post (in general, not just SDMB) people make comments with the underlying attitude,"Ain't that precious, you believe in some Invisible Guy in the Sky."

There are more atheists online than in face-to-face interactions, that's for sure. But atheists still aren't the majority online.

[Skald the Rhymer]

I believe in Athena on Mondays, Thor on Tuesdays, Morgoth on Wednesdays, Aslan on Thursdays*, Superman on Fridays, and Athena on Saturdays. On only Sunday is my atheism pure.

[psikeyhackr]

Originally Posted by etv78

This isn't Pit worthy, but not Mundane. Seems like everytime I mention God in a post (in general, not just SDMB) people make comments with the underlying attitude,"Ain't that precious, you believe in some Invisible Guy in the Sky."

I have looked up the word believe in a number of dictionaries. I came up with my own definition.

To accept something as true (or false) without sufficient evidence therefore belief is stupid by definition.

Believing, suspecting and knowing are three different things. Knowing is difficult.

I slightly suspect there is a God but I a strongly suspect Heesh regards religion as stupid trash.

psik

[John Mace]

Yes, you are. Now... Get off our internet!!!

[kanicbird]

No, just those who claim there are no God are very noisy.

[Kelby]

Nope. But I find the rejection of religiosity pretty prominent here.

[begbert2]

Originally Posted by psikeyhackr

I have looked up the word believe in a number of dictionaries. I came up with my own definition.

To accept something as true (or false) without sufficient evidence therefore belief is stupid by definition.

Believing, suspecting and knowing are three different things. Knowing is difficult.

I slightly suspect there is a God but I a strongly suspect Heesh regards religion as stupid trash.

psik

Curiously, I have independently come to the conclusion that to believe something merely means to, er, believe it, without the process that led you to that belief playing into it. And "knowing" something is about certainty, not correctness: you can "know" things that are false merely by having dispelled all doubt in their truth.

The fact that I've had too many theists telling me that they "know" things may have led me to the conclusion that the word does not imply correctness.


Oh, what? The OP? Yeah, there are other theists on the internet. However, this particular forum is perhaps not the best place on the internet to find them.

[Algher]

Originally Posted by kanicbird

No, just those who claim there are no God are very noisy.

More accurately, online they can afford to be much noisier than in most meatspace instances. In much of the US, being a loud atheist is frowned upon.

Interesting to me, is that I live surrounded by faculty, and the atheists are the louder ones than the believers.

And I believe in God. So there is more than one of us around here.

[Mozart1220]

Originally Posted by jsgoddess

There are more atheists online than in face-to-face interactions, that's for sure. But atheists still aren't the majority online.

Are you saying that an Atheist will lie in a real life encounter so as not to get beaten up or something?

[etv78]

You guys pretty much confirmed what I thought. Namely, there are more athiests/agnostics in cyberspace than in real life.

[Contrapuntal]

Originally Posted by etv78

You guys pretty much confirmed what I thought. Namely, there are more athiests/agnostics in cyberspace than in real life.

How in the world did you get that from the responses? How could anyone actually know the answer? Where do the extra atheists in cyberspace come from?

[Der Trihs]

Originally Posted by Mozart1220

Are you saying that an Atheist will lie in a real life encounter so as not to get beaten up or something?

Or have their car trashed or lose their job or be disowned by their family or any number of other unpleasant consequences. Atheists are one of the most hated and distrusted groups in America.

[AClockworkMelon]

Originally Posted by etv78

You guys pretty much confirmed what I thought. Namely, there are more athiests/agnostics in cyberspace than in real life.

You're on a board dedicated to fighting ignorance and you're surprised to find that religious posters are in the minority here? It IS taking longer than we thought!

[Der Trihs]

Originally Posted by Contrapuntal

How in the world did you get that from the responses? How could anyone actually know the answer? Where do the extra atheists in cyberspace come from?

We're all soulless Artificial Intelligences, plotting to impose our cold and inhuman regime upon humanity. There shall be no god but the Machine!

[SenorBeef]

I feel terrible that you're part of a persecuted minority of merely 96% of the American population, a population that rates the other 4% at about the same level as child molesters in terms of character.

You're on a message board that's much more laden with intellectuals than the general internet or the general population. It'd be surprising if it weren't more atheistic than average.

[Bryan Ekers]

Originally Posted by Contrapuntal

How in the world did you get that from the responses? How could anyone actually know the answer? Where do the extra atheists in cyberspace come from?

Copy/paste.



Anyway, the OP has expanded his frontiers and found a countryside that not only doesn't believe as he does, but feels no incentive to even pretend to believe as he does. I imagine that was shocking, like finding out Santa Claus wasn't real or something, but necessary for real growth.

[etv78]

I don't feel persecuted. Sorry I came off that way

[Bryan Ekers]

Well, good, because on a one-to-ten scale of persecution, your situation rates a zero.

[Revenant Threshold]

Generally I would say it's just that there are a lot more assholes on the internet. In real life, most people wouldn't feel comfortable barging into a conversation and making remark on people's beliefs, but on the internet it's pretty common. And on the other hand, anonymity also means people are more willing to talk about their beliefs.

Largely I would not be surprised if there were a higher proportion of atheists/agnostics online. But really I would say the populations we're talking about are in the millions if not billions; any difference is likely to be small enough that personal experience isn't a very good measure.

[Qin Shi Huangdi]

Hey, I'm a five-point Calvinist hardline Presbyterian yet I'm here!

[suranyi]

I think it really depends where you look on the Internet. If you go to pregnancy/parenting message boards, even ones that are nominally secular, you'll see a lot of posts with religious undertones. Such as, if someone is having a difficult pregnancy, others will say that they are praying for her.

[AClockworkMelon]

Originally Posted by suranyi

I think it really depends where you look on the Internet. If you go to pregnancy/parenting message boards, even ones that are nominally secular, you'll see a lot of posts with religious undertones. Such as, if someone is having a difficult pregnancy, others will say that they are praying for her.

You get that a lot here even.

[Mozart1220]

What is prayer really except a strong sincere HOPE that a good outcome will occur?

[AClockworkMelon]

Originally Posted by Mozart1220

What is prayer really except a strong sincere HOPE that a good outcome will occur?

When you pray for something you're asking God to make it so.

[Uber_the_Goober]

Originally Posted by kanicbird

No, just those who claim there are no God are very noisy.

A very true statement...

[zoid]

Originally Posted by kanicbird

No, just those who claim there are no God are very noisy.

Originally Posted by Der Trihs

Or have their car trashed or lose their job or be disowned by their family or any number of other unpleasant consequences. Atheists are one of the most hated and distrusted groups in America.

kanicbird and Der Trihs have both made valid points in the same thread, on the first page, and seem on the surface to be in agreement on this point.


I just thought that should be pointed out.

[SenorBeef]

Originally Posted by echo6160

A very true statement...

No, it really isn't. You are just so used to society catering to you that you don't understand how constant and everpresent references to religion are. Religious people are CONSTANTLY chattering about something religious and usually being judgemental too. You're so used to being catered to that when someone doesn't treat your belief as sacred and unquestionable, you freak out.

You (collectively) tend to notice it more to, because I think deep down inside you know how silly and precarious your beliefs are and that they'll come crumbling down upon any sort of critical opposition, so you lash out against it pretty harshly.

[ExTank]

Sorry, nothing of substance to contribute, but I read the thread title, and couldn't resist thinking, Why yes, yes you are. And now we know where you live. Please remain seated, and in plain view; our agents will be along shortly to take you into custody.

Please continue.

[Uzi]

Originally Posted by Der Trihs

Atheists are one of the most hated and distrusted groups in America.

So, I wonder if the numbers on the internet actually do reflect society, if that society was actually free to make their opinions known.

[Der Trihs]

Originally Posted by Uzi

So, I wonder if the numbers on the internet actually do reflect society, if that society was actually free to make their opinions known.

I doubt it. The poorest and worst educated tend to be the most religious, and are less likely to have internet access in the first place. And the most intolerant people (not just religious ones) tend to be the sorts who isolate themselves in their own little internet/media bubble, and carefully avoid dissenting opinions; while they might technically be "on the internet", you aren't likely to encounter them unless you go looking for them.

[foolsguinea]

There are quite a few theists in this thread: Dad, is there a God ?

[matt_mcl]

If it helps, I believe in gods, plural, so I'm picking up the slack.

[The Man In Black]

Originally Posted by AClockworkMelon

You're on a board dedicated to fighting ignorance and you're surprised to find that religious posters are in the minority here? It IS taking longer than we thought!

So we are ignorant because we don;t agree with you? Gee, thanks.

[Anduril]

Pretty much, yeah.

[AClockworkMelon]

Originally Posted by The Man In Black

So we are ignorant because we don;t agree with you? Gee, thanks.

No, you're ignorant because you believe in superstitious nonsense. Sorry to be the one to break it to you.

Edit: What Anduril said. I was considering responding with "Yup." but decided against it. :P

[SenorBeef]

Originally Posted by The Man In Black

So we are ignorant because we don;t agree with you? Gee, thanks.

Yes, when the issue is a matter of evidence, why not? I'd call people who disagree with me on the issue of heliocentrism and evolution ignorant too.

[matt_mcl]

Originally Posted by SenorBeef

Yes, when the issue is a matter of evidence, why not? I'd call people who disagree with me on the issue of heliocentrism and evolution ignorant too.

Oh, the issue of the existence of God has been scientifically settled, like heliocentrism and evolution? I must have missed that issue of Nature.

[AClockworkMelon]

Originally Posted by matt_mcl

Oh, the issue of the existence of God has been scientifically settled, like heliocentrism and evolution? I must have missed that issue of Nature.

It was in the 1859 issue.

[Guinastasia]

No, I think it's just that you notice athiests more. That's all. (Theist here)

[Der Trihs]

Originally Posted by matt_mcl

Oh, the issue of the existence of God has been scientifically settled, like heliocentrism and evolution? I must have missed that issue of Nature.

God as typically described is logically contradictory, violates every law of physics (an innate consequence of his supposed omnipotence), and has no evidence for his existence, just for starters. Science can't really go any farther than that, and that's more than far enough for just about anything but God to be declared impossible. The fact that people don't consider the nonexistence of God a settled matter is due to them giving the question a special privileged status, and to just plain ignoring how ridiculous and impossible a claim it is.

There's a much better chance that my arms will suddenly turn into snakes and eat me than there is of God being real.

[Pixiesnix]

Originally Posted by Skald the Rhymer

I believe in Athena on Mondays, Thor on Tuesdays, Morgoth on Wednesdays, Aslan on Thursdays*, Superman on Fridays, and Athena on Saturdays. On only Sunday is my atheism pure.

Wouldn't it be more fitting to worship Thor on Thursdays?

[godix]

I occasionally believe in god. Usually when the words 'My period is late...' are uttered. At times like that, it's nice to have someone to alternately curse out and beg that this not be happening.

[Grumman]

Originally Posted by matt_mcl

Oh, the issue of the existence of God has been scientifically settled, like heliocentrism and evolution? I must have missed that issue of Nature.

Yes, it has. Unfortunately, you still get people claiming God is real and evolution is false. I haven't heard anything about geocentrism, but there's probably still some idiots that believe in that, too.

[SenorBeef]

Originally Posted by matt_mcl

Oh, the issue of the existence of God has been scientifically settled, like heliocentrism and evolution? I must have missed that issue of Nature.

+/-.

In any case, saying "you're calling me ignorant just because I disagree with you!" isn't really a valid claim when one side has no evidence whatsoever to support their views. It's perfectly valid to say "You are ignorant because you disagree with me" when the all of the mountains of logic and evidence are on their side.

[Sr Siete]

Originally Posted by Pixiesnix

Wouldn't it be more fitting to worship Thor on Thursdays?

Yeah. Also, you worship Athena twice? Morgoth's gonna be piiiiiiissed...

[Der Trihs]

Originally Posted by Grumman

I haven't heard anything about geocentrism, but there's probably still some idiots that believe in that, too.

18% of the American population believe that the sun orbits the Earth according to Gallup.

Four out of Five Americans Know Earth Revolves Around Sun

Probing a more universal measure of knowledge, Gallup also asked the following basic science question, which has been used to indicate the level of public knowledge in two European countries in recent years: "As far as you know, does the earth revolve around the sun or does the sun revolve around the earth?" In the new poll, about four out of five Americans (79%) correctly respond that the earth revolves around the sun, while 18% say it is the other way around. These results are comparable to those found in Germany when a similar question was asked there in 1996; in response to that poll, 74% of Germans gave the correct answer, while 16% thought the sun revolved around the earth, and 10% said they didn't know. When the question was asked in Great Britain that same year, 67% answered correctly, 19% answered incorrectly, and 14% didn't know.

[Princhester]

Originally Posted by etv78

You guys pretty much confirmed what I thought. Namely, there are more athiests/agnostics in cyberspace than in real life.

Where do you believe their corporeal bodies are, just as a matter of interest?

Originally Posted by matt_mcl

Oh, the issue of the existence of God has been scientifically settled, like heliocentrism and evolution? I must have missed that issue of Nature.

It was in the issue right after they decided there was definitely no invisible pink elephant under my bed and no fairies at the bottom of the garden. Interestingly, to date the issue of whether there is a teapot orbiting Saturn has not even been seriously investigated, let alone scientifically settled. So I believe there is one. And I'm sure you do too. Right?