Atheism/Theism/Agnosticism on the dope. A Poll.

In My Humble Opinion
41

  1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?
    Agnostic.

  2. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to?

  3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?
    I think I used to believe in some sort of higher power as a kid, but gradually schooling and science got the better of me, I suppose.

  4. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?
    It was a gradual change… I can’t remember how it happened.

  5. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic.
    I have more faith in man’s ignorance than his knowledge.

  6. If you are a Theist, have you entertained the idea of reading “The God Dellusion” by Richard Dawkins?

  7. If not, why?

  8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?
    Bits and pieces only.

  9. ditto, the koran?

Nope.
10. ditto, the torah/talmud?
Nope.
11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?
Some people would say I’ve earned my S.O.B.
12. Do you like Animals?
Love 'em.
13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?
Not at all.
14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
Layman’s grasp only, but I believe in their principles.
15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
A well-accepted hypothesis supported by loads of other theories and findings?

–> Do you feel that your belief system is well-represented (quality or quantity) on these boards? Do you wish that the religious climate here were different, or do you like it as it is?

I think mine is and I’m happy with the religious discussions here.

  1. Because I like doing this: Add your own question for the following poster.
    What do you think the goal of religion, as a divine or social construct, is?
42

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?
Strong Atheist

**3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one? **
Haven’t ever not been one.

8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?
If you mean the New Testament, then no. But that’s hardly surprising having grown up in Israel.

9. ditto, the koran?
No

10. ditto, the torah/talmud?
Torah - yes; Talmud - some.

**11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?
**Does B.A. count?

12. Do you like Animals?
Yup

13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?
No :frowning:

14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
Better than “fair.”

15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
As close to “proven” as possible in the world of empirical science – an hypothesis that has a) explained observed phenomena in its field b) not been falsified by observation and/or logic and c) has made accurate predictions in its field.
Or in other words – not “proven” in the sense we generally mean, could be possibly falsified by new evidence, but bloody unlikely to be discarded any time soon, because it works.

43
  1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?

-Somewhere between agnostic and atheist.

  1. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?

-I’ve never really believed in a god, but I have only considered myself an atheist for a couple of years now. I am 30 years old, btw.

  1. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?

-Nothing in particular.

  1. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic.

-I am agnostic (kinda) because I realise that god can’t actually be disproven, so technically, it makes sense to not make any claims of 100% certainty. Of course, there are a lot of very silly things that can’t be disproven, and I think I need to be agnostic to them all (celestial teapot, Odin, pan, etc), even though in practical terms I don’t feel particularly unsure about wether they exist or not.

  1. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?

-Parts of it.

  1. ditto, the koran?

-I started reading it, and got like a couple of pages in, before giving up. That was seriously not good reading.

  1. ditto, the torah/talmud?

-No.

  1. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?

No.

  1. Do you like Animals?

-Yeah, but mainly the atheistic ones.

  1. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?

-No.

  1. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?

-For a layman, yes.

  1. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?

-A way of explaining how something works. A real scientific theory will of course have to work in accordance with the laws of physics as we know them. It does not mean the same thing as “theory” might mean in every day language. It is not a “guess”.

44

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?
Theist.
2. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to?
Christianity - Roman Catholic denomination.
6. If you are a Theist, have you entertained the idea of reading “The God Dellusion” by Richard Dawkins?
No.
7. If not, why?
I believe in live and let live. I’ll never try to convince anybody to convert to Christianity and I’m not not interested in anybody’s attempts to convert me, or anybody else to atheism or another religion, or what have you.
8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?
9. ditto, the koran?
10. ditto, the torah/talmud?
Not an atheist, but in Jr. High I read some of the Koran, and some Hindu writings for the fun of it. They were pretty interesting, but I’ve forgotten most of it.
11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?
Nope.
12. Do you like Animals?
Yes.
13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?
Depends on which day I guess, but overall, I guess so.
14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
Yes.
15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
Everybody else has answered this question pretty well already, so I agree with them.
16. Because I like doing this: Add your own question for the following poster.
First, to answer Reply’s question - What do you think the goal of religion, as a divine or social construct, is? Depends on the religion. Could be to help obtain inner peace or enlightenment. For those religions with deities, it could be to help get closer to, and understand the deity (deity) and his/her/its will(s).

My question - If you’re a theist, if you found undeniable proof that there was nothing supernatural at all, period, is there anything you would change about your life, or do something you’ve never done since religious taboos would be gone? (My own answer is that probably nothing would change.)

45

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic? Atheist, as I disbelieve in God and I don’t believe in god. Agnostic, as I will entertain the possibility that something that might meaningfully be called a god could exist, but anyone who claimed to both comprehend such a being and know for certain of its existence would be mistaken.
**
2. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to?** N/A

**3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?**Hard to say, actually. I used to consider myself a skeptical Christian. I guess I gave up the Christian part sometime before graduating college, but it was a gradual process. There was no road from Damascus moment.

**4. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?**There was no one clear thing or event, just a gradual realization that belief in a god explained nothing to me about reality as I perceived it, and in fact belief in God required me to ignore the evidence of my own senses and reason.

5. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic. Logic tells me that if there were a being worthy of being considered a god, it would not be comprehensible to us.

6. If you are a Theist, have you entertained the idea of reading “The God Dellusion” by Richard Dawkins? N/A

7. If not, why? N/A

8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible? Yes.

9. ditto, the koran? No.

10. ditto, the torah/talmud? No.

11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name? Well, I was an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church. I think I paid $10 for the card. Unfortunately, it did not survive a trip through the washer and dryer.

12. Do you like Animals? Yes, and I am for treating them with kindness. But I also think some of them are delicious, so there’s a bit of a conflict there.

**13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?**I guess so, largely because I don’t spend much time thinking about whether I’m contented or not.

**14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?**I think I have a much better grasp than the average layman, although sadly that’s not saying much.

**15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you? **An explanation of some aspect of the natural world. A theory can be quite general or quite specific and be supported by scant evidence or overwhelming proof. That’s not from “Jayne’s Big Book of Scientific Definitions,” but it’s good enough me.

16. Why aren’t more people answering the bonus questions? I’ll answer some of them. I’ve never tried marmite and from what I’ve heard of it I’d never buy any, but if someone offered me some on a bit of toast I probably wouldn’t turn it down. I suppose I average an hour or two of TV a day, but it rarely has my full attention. I get along with people with opposing points of view - if I didn’t, I’d be pretty lonely. I don’t know if I’d call it a phobia, but sometimes when I’m on a balcony or terrace I get an uncomfortable feeling that I might jump off, even though I have no intention of doing so. I suppose there could be two levels to the universe as described, but I see no reason to think there are and ample reason to think it unlikely. I do not care a shadow of a fraction of an iota about the Yankees or Red Sox. It is my job to spend several hours a day on the Internet - but I probably would anyway. It seems trivially true that “changing [my] brain such that [ I ] suddenly and inexplicably believe in Him” would certainly convince me of “His” existence, so you might want to rethink the question. I don’t consider myself to have a religious belief system as much as an asystematic condition of nonbelief, but I wish there were more tolerance and acceptance on the board (and off, naturally). I think attributing a single goal to religion is a gross oversimplification.

46

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?
Atheist.

**3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one? **
Around age 16. I had my doubts sooner, and tried like hell, but in the end didn’t see the point of pretending to be religious anymore.

4. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?
Someone close to me rubbing in that I was more in attracted to the idea of being religious than a believer.

8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?
Yessiree.

9. ditto, the koran?
Tiny parts of it.

10. ditto, the torah/talmud?
I understand this is mostly what Christian folks call the old testament, so yeah.

11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?
GQ, PHD, FBI

12. Do you like Animals?
Yes. This covers both the ‘food’ and the ’ here, kitty kitty kitty!’ aspects. I’ve taken a hypocritic oath, so it’s okay.

13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?
Make that exactly half.

14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
I think I do, yeah.

15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
A description to explain why or how things happen, based on research and logical arguments. May be refuted or improved once more research has been done.

**16. Because I like doing this: Add your own question for the following poster. **
Do you like chocolate bubblegum?

47

  1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic? Theist, but I view religion as a social and psychological mechanism, not necessarily The Truth. I happen to know it’s not possible for a human being to know The Truth (cf Godel’s Theorem).

  2. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to?
    Catholic.

  3. If you are a Theist, have you entertained the idea of reading “The God Dellusion” by Richard Dawkins?
    Nope.

  4. If not, why?
    Because this is the first time I’ve heard of it, and anyway I pretty much only read fiction.

  5. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?
    I think my US degree allows me to do that, yes, but it’s not done in Spain.

  6. Do you like Animals?
    Alive and happy (free or well treated) yes, cooked yes, stuffed no.

  7. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?
    No, happy. That’s a higher degree than content.

  8. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
    I believe so.

  9. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
    A working hypothesis/system which simplifies things greatly and/or explains many things which previous systems couldn’t explain, but which gets proposed as a “theory” as a way to CYA due to expected rejection from the establishment, to say “I’m not saying this completely revolutionary idea is the way things really are, ok, just that things work better if we work as if it was.” For example, heliocentrism, evolution or atomic theory, all three of which are now widely accepted by their respective scientific communities but all three of which have also been refined and/or surpassed (add to the same examples “eliptic orbits,” “mutation triggers” and “subatomic particles”).
    Also, the work of coming up with hypothesis and proposals for practical work, using exclusively mathematical and logical methods (for example, Theoretical Physics).

  10. Do you like chocolate chewing gum?
    Never tried, but it doesn’t sound like something I’d like.

New question:
Did you ever study Statistics?

48

Since it’s you, jjimm, I’ll answer you. No. Because an argument must convince a wide variety of people. For example, my nephew, who is in Superior Court for grand larceny, has had his plea bargain rejected by one judge but accepted by another. What might be meaningful to John might not be at all meaningful to jjimm.

And besides all that, it isn’t that I believe in a religion. (Or a book, for that matter.) I can see how that might sound like semantics, but it isn’t. Just because one man calls Him Yahweh and another calls Him Allah and yet another calls Her the goddess of creation — none of that kind of stuff matters to me. People set up religions, often for the same purpose that people set up governments — to build wealth, power, or an empire.

I think the elephant-in-the-room question is whether I can PROVE that God exists. That’s even more iffy than mere convincing, because it means we must accept the same premises, and often we don’t. And it’s especially difficult if the relationship with God is personal in nature. You cannot live my life, so therefore how can you know my experience? So I don’t think there would be a convincing proof even metaphysically possible. Which is as it should be. After all, if God’s existence could be proved, there would be obvious problems with free moral will.

49

I waver between Agnostic and Atheist, leaning more usually towards Agnosticism. I tend to believe that there is a higher power that created us, but don’t believe that any of our religions has captured his/her/its essence. My beliefs are an odd mix and quite muddled and I can’t always say that they align with logic.

50
  1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?

Atheist

  1. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?

Senior year of high school, though I wouldn’t admit it to myself

  1. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?

Catholic School. :stuck_out_tongue:
Seriously, it just kind of dawned on me that I don’t believe in any sort of god(s), and no amount of trying to force myself is going to change that.

  1. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?

Yes, practially cover to cover several times. There was nothing else to do in freshman religion class…

  1. ditto, the koran?

I’ve been exposed to bits of it through other sources

  1. ditto, the torah/talmud?

same as Koran

  1. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?

In three years I will

  1. Do you like Animals?

Yep. Horses, dogs, and cats in particular.

  1. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?

Despite some issues with anxiety, yes

  1. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?

Yep!

  1. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?

Some concept that is generally understood to be true, but left open-ended just in case additional information is learned. Because Science isn’t too prissy to admit it gets things wrong sometimes :slight_smile:

  1. Did you ever study Statistics?

Nope (Not yet?)

Bonus question:

Ever had a near death experience?

51

Depends what country you live in.
1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?
Atheist.

3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?
I think I’ve always been one. When I was a kid, I was told there was a God and that we have to go to Church. About the time my Grandparents died, my Mum gave up on religion, and I was happy to leave. Somewhere between then (I was 8) and thirteen years of age, I began to realise I never believed there was a God, because it made no sense with how I was observing the world operating.

8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?
Parts of it.

9. ditto, the koran?
10. ditto, the torah/talmud?
Nope and Nope. Never even seen a copy of them in anybody’s hands. Where I grew up, there weren’t many outside displays of what religion you followed, except for Born-Again Christians who won’t shut up about it at every opportunity.

11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?
No.

12. Do you like Animals?
Sure. Why not?

13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?
Contented, yes. But I realised that I’ve never known true happiness. I’ve always lived a solitary life, and it can be quite sad and lonely, even though I now enjoy where it’s taken me.

14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
A pretty good understanding of it, yes.

15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
Not “guess” but a principle or rule or idea that is being explored.

**16. Did you ever study Statistics? **
I took it as a subject at High School. It was the only subject I passed in my final year, even though it was my least favourite subject.

New Question: Why is drug use so prevalent?

52

  1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic? I believe in God.

  2. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to? I am an evangelical Christian.

  3. If you are a Theist, have you entertained the idea of reading “The God Dellusion” by Richard Dawkins? I have read The God Delusion.

  4. ditto, the koran? I have read the Koran in English.

  5. ditto, the torah/talmud? I have read all of the Torah, I think, since I believe that the term refers to the first five books of the Old Testament. I have read a very little bit of the talmudical writings in English.

  6. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name? I have a BS in management.

  7. Do you like Animals? I like animals a lot.

  8. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake? Yes. I am content almost all of the time.

  9. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection? Yes. I have read extensively on these topics, including all of Stephen Jay Gould, most of Dawkins, and a couple of books by Darwin.

  10. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you? An explanatory framework that accounts for observed facts and makes accurate predictions about unknown facts.

  11. In answer to jjimm’s bonus question: No. I can’t put forth a convincing argument in a general sense. I believe that my personal testimony would be convincing to some people.

My bonus question, addressed particularly to atheists: Do you think that it is possible that there are facts about the universe that humans are cognitively incapable of understanding?

53

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?

I identify Agnostic, although some would consider me a weak atheist in that I believe that there is an infinitessimal but non-zero probability of some sort of deity, deities or other sentient supernatural forces existing, but as this existence cannot be demonstrated through conventional means and as this existence is not required to explain the various workings of the universe it seems sensible to assume the non-existence of such force or forces for all practical purposes without requiring a position of absolute non-existence.

**5. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic. **

I was raised in an entirely secular household. Religion was never really discussed. When I grew up, I never found any compelling reason to accept one particular religion over others (or indeed over none at all).

That said, I did attend church for many years as I had a friend who was a choir director who needed support in the bass section.

8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?

I’ll take this one anyway: yes - many years ago. Numbers is really dull.

9. ditto, the koran?

No.

10. ditto, the torah/talmud?

Not specifically, except as the Pentateuch in the OT.

11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?

BA, MA.

12. Do you like Animals?

Yes.

13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?

No - I am quite a miserable person.

14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?

Yes.

15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?

A working model, supported by current evidence.

16. Why is drug use so prevalent?

Because it’s easier than dealing with reality. Sad but true.

New question (for atheists/theists/agnostics): Have you ever seriously considered that your religious position might be completely wrong?

54

  1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?
    Atheist

  2. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?
    In the army in Korea

  3. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?
    No real reason. I guess I just realized that any sort of kind and loving god was incompatible with history. Nothing more dramatic than that.

  4. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?
    Yes, quite often (grew up Catholic)

  5. ditto, the koran?

**I’m in the process of piecing it out. **

  1. ditto, the torah/talmud?
    No

  2. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?
    No

  3. Do you like Animals?
    Yes, IMHO, many types of animals are better than people.

  4. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?
    No way, and I never have been. Too much to do. Too much to accomplish. Too much daylight between me and my goals. I’m happy, certainly, but contented? Never.

  5. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
    Yes

  6. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
    **Pretty much what it means for any scientist. **

  7. Because I like doing this: Add your own question for the following poster.
    What’s your perfect weekend like?

55

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?

Atheist

2. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to?

I was raised a Lutheran, but it never really took

3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?

I don’t think there was a specific time or place. I just never bought the God stuff, I guess. But then, I never really thought about it back then, either. Sunday School was just that annoying thing to do when all the good cartoons were on.

4. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?

See above.

**5. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic.

  1. If you are a Theist, have you entertained the idea of reading “The God Dellusion” by Richard Dawkins?**
    **
  2. If not, why?**

8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?

Not really. Again, I was raised a Protestant and went through both Sunday School as a kid, and Bible study as a teenager, so some Bible exposure must have happened. Damned if I can remember what it was all about - I do remember the pretty brunette, though ;). But in any case I never slogged through more than the requisite bits. I was into better written fantasy.

9. ditto, the koran?

Nope. I read a few of the suratas for their poetic value (spelling ?), that’s about it

10. ditto, the torah/talmud?

See : bible study.

11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?

Does MA count ?

12. Do you like Animals?

Wait, what ? What does have to do with anything ? But I suppose I do, yes. I certainly like them more than many people :slight_smile:

13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?

Nope, not one bit. But I wouldn’t like it any other way. Comfort scares me.

14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?

Define “fair” ?

15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?

A model explaining observed data and predicting further data. To be discarded, amended or re-examined should new data contradict it.

16. Had a NDE ?
Nope. But I like to think my entire existence is a Near Life Experience :slight_smile:

Bonus Question
Is the question of what lies after death (if anything) of import to you ?

56
  1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?

Atheist.

  1. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to?

N/A, but raised Presbyterian.

  1. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?

Mmm… Mid teens?

  1. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?

Just seemed to make sense.

  1. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?

Some of it.

  1. ditto, the koran?

No.

  1. ditto, the torah/talmud?

No.

  1. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?

No.

  1. Do you like Animals?

Yes.

  1. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?

Yes.

  1. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?

Yes.

  1. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?

A set of related hypotheses that are falsifiable, which have been tested repeatedly and shown to be consistently predictive.

57

Absolutely.

58

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?
Atheist, pretty much.
3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?
Most of my life. Was dragged to an LDS church a few times in middle school by my mom, but eventually she stopped going. Dad never went, though he was raised catholic. As a kid I never understood why people believed in God, or why they went to church.
4. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?
No one thing. Kind of slowly built up. Didn’t discuss it much with anyone until I was a teen, and then discussions only served to further strengthen my thoughts on the matter.
8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?
9. ditto, the koran?
10. ditto, the torah/talmud?
None of these directly, just quotes from other people trying to make a point one way or another. There is some nasty stuff in those books that serves to reinforce hostility toward “out-group” members, and it’s frustrating to see people pick-and-choose which parts of the bible/koran/torah they follow. “Oh, I’m a devout christian, but I don’t believe in THAT part of the bible.”
11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?
BS, MS, PhD. All in mechanical engineering. Maybe some relevance, in that I’ve spent a lot of time studying science and practicing rational thought; you don’t get very far in an engineering endeavor if you’re prone to irrational thought processes.
12. Do you like Animals?
Sure, they taste great, and they’re (usually) fun to be around. friends own cats/dogs, and I enjoy visiting, but I’ve never wanted one badly enough for myself to take on the responsibility of ownership. Had a cat when I was a kid, whose company I enjoyed greatly and whose death I mourned just as greatly.
13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?
There are certainly things in my life that are not quite the way I would like them to be, and like some other Dopers here I’ve dealt with mental health issues in the past. But when I think of the 6B people on this planet, and the spectrum of lifestyles lived, I think to myself, holy shit, I’ve got it pretty damn good.
14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
Better than average, I think.
15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
A theory is a model of the universe that has survived rigorous experimental testing and makes useful predictions that turn out to be reliably correct. Most people are familiar with the term “theory of evolution,” but we also have, for example, “the germ theory of disease” and “the molecular theory of matter,” which have been the basis of huge advances in the fields of medicine and chemistry, respectively. Most folks confuse “theory” with “hypothesis;” when a shadetree mechanic says “I have a theory about why my car won’t start,” what he really has is a hypothesis. So when that shadetree mechanic hears about “the theory of evolution,” he doesn’t imagine the vast research in multiple endeavors that backs up this theory: a huge fossil record, carbon dating, molecular clocks, and so on; he regards it as an idea a couple of idle scientists cooked up one evening over a couple of beers.
Bonus Question
Is the question of what lies after death (if anything) of import to you?

It’s a subject of immense curiosity. Although I daydream from time to time about life after death, I regard that as wishful thinking; a cold look at the evidence suggests to me that our consciousness does not continue after the meat dies. Indeed, one article I recently read asserts that “you will not know that you have died,” because the biological processes that sustain conscious thought end, so there will be no consciousness to be aware of having died.

Bonus Question:
What’s the highest mountain you’ve ever climbed?

59

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?
Somewhere between a Theist and an Agnostic. I believe in the possibility of a God —actually more likely the probability of a God— or at least some vague, New-Agey, creative, benevolent conciousness floating around out there in the ether.

2. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to?
Organized religion makes me a bit uneasy; especially the Big Three.

3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?
Not really an atheist, per se, but spending 3 years in a Baptist-run boys ranch as a kid soured me on Christianity forever.

4. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?
See answer #3.

5. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic.
I’m level-headed enough to recognize the possibility that I might be wrong (although I doubt it).

6. If you are a Theist, have you entertained the idea of reading “The God Dellusion” by Richard Dawkins?
Read it. Good book; brings up a number of interesting points, but the condescending tone isn’t going to make many of the “Yea God!” crowd rethink their beliefs.

7. If not, why?
See answer #6.

8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?
Again, not really an Atheist, per se, but yeah, I’ve read it (read Grimm’s Fairy Tales as well; not a lot of differences).

9. ditto, the koran?
Yeah.

10. ditto, the torah/talmud?
Nope. But I have read the Bhagavid Gita, the Vedas, the I Ching, and small chunks of the Dhamma…

11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?
Not really; I could put BFA after my name, but artists who do that are generally assholes.

12. Do you like Animals?
Yes! Yes I do; the more delicious the better. I also like pets, but if I was hungry enough…

13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?
Sure. I’m occasionally even happy.

14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
Yeah.

15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
An clear idea; a thought, or series of thoughts, based on careful analysis of existing data and/or controlled experiments.

**16. A true religious question for the next poster: Who sucks more, the Yankees or the Red Sox? **
The Yankees could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch.

16-A. What is that fucking smell?

60

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?

Theist.

2. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to?

“Mere” Christian, as described by C.S. Lewis.

3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?

N/A

4. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?

N/A

**5. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic.

N/A

  1. If you are a Theist, have you entertained the idea of reading “The God Dellusion” by Richard Dawkins?**

Yes, I’ve entertained the idea. Haven’t read it yet.
**
7. If not, why?**

N/A

8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?

Did you want theists to answer this? If so, yes, I have read the whole Bible, many times.

9. ditto, the koran?

I have read the Koran.

10. ditto, the torah/talmud?

I have read the Torah, but almost none of the Talmud.

11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?

Bachelor’s degree.

12. Do you like Animals?

Meh.

13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake?

Yes.

14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?

Yes.

15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?

An explanation which covers all observed facts concerning a given phenomenom and allowing predictions on how it responds to future experiments.

16. Had a NDE ?
No.

Bonus Question
Is the question of what lies after death (if anything) of import to you?

It’s important, but I don’t spend much time worrying about it. I don’t believe that I possess the concepts to understand what it will be like, any more than an unborn child knows what adult life will be like.

My bonus question - What caused the Big Bang?

Regards,
Shodan