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

In My Humble Opinion
61

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

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

3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one? My early 20s

4. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it? I applied skeptical principals I had recently been interested in (debunking urban legends, pseudoscience, various woo) to the god(s) question (I was already a non-Christian vague theist). I was surprised to realize that thinking about it in this way made me an atheist.

5. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic. I’m also agnostic in that my mind could be changed - I acknowledge that there is no 100% proof, only evidence which supports one proposition or the other. I think the evidence supporting the god(s) hypothesis is quite weak.

  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? I have tried, and gotten hung up on the “begats.” I need to give myself permission to skip that and try again. I am familiar with many of the more well-known passages.

9. ditto, the koran? I’m interested to do so, but right now I’m not much in the mood for heavy lifting in reading - I’m more in the fluffy romantic mystery or fantasy mode.

10. ditto, the torah/talmud? same answer

11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name? Well, I have a J.D. and passed the bar, so you may address correspondence to me with an “Esq.” for what it’s worth.

12. Do you like Animals? Yeah. Right now mostly like to visit with animals that other people have to pay for/clean up after/board when they go on vacation. But we’ll probably get a dog one of these days.

13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake? These days, yes. I do get stressed out sometimes, and I have recurring depression, so that sucks, but I view it as a controllable medical condition, not my personality.

**14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
** Yes, though I’ve found it’s difficult to explain to my 6yo.

15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you? In a scientific context, it means a hypothesis (idea about how things might work) that has been repeatedly tested and has held up. Like gravity.

Bonus question Dude, don’t make my head hurt. My understanding is causation is meaningless outside the time/space continuum that is the universe, but I go all cross-eyed if I think about it too much.

16. Because I like doing this: Add your own question for the following poster. Have you read the Slacktivistblog? Because it is well worth it - this atheist loves it, regardless of it being written by an evangelical Christian (granted, of the highly liberal type).

62
  1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?

Atheist.

  1. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to
  2. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?

Birth? I don’t ever remember believing in anything, I remember as a kid being baffled by adults talking about Father Christmas as if he was real.

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

Well, there being no God?

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

Not much, and not recently (like not in decades). Read A Canticle for Liebowitz recently that’s as close as I get to religious reading.

  1. The koran?

Uh uh. Not a chance. A friend “converted” to Islam (to get married, it’s a long story) he read some and thought it was cobblers

  1. Torah/talmud?

No.

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

Nope.

  1. Do you like Animals?

Yup, it’s got some great guitar solos - oh wait -

Odd question. I watch David Attenborough’s documentaries, I feed the stray cat that lives in my garage, and the garden birds , so I suppose yes. Horses are scary close up though.

  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?

Better than fair.

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

What others have said, falsifiable, support the evidence blah…

  1. A. Have I read that blog? Not yet.

  2. Q. Bonus question, how big is your TV?

63

Thank you for correcting me on the law/theory definition. Mine was just off the top of my head, but I understand it better now.

As I mentioned, it might not have been “The God Delusion” that I started to read, but I know it was a Dawkins book. I found it very condescending so I stopped reading it.

64

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

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

  3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?
    I went from Lutheran to non-practicing, Christian-ish type after high school (circa 1996). I was a pantheist around my college years (2000-2004). I decided to drop the pretense around 2006.

  4. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?
    It wasn’t one particular thing. It was a gradual progression from “of course there’s a God” to “there’s a God, but it’s not like they say” to “there doesn’t need to be a God” to “what ‘God’?”

  5. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic.
    n/a

  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?
    The whole thing? No. Plenty of it of it, yes. It’s been a while, but I read most of the Pentateuch, some Psalms and Proverbs, much of the Gospels, then skipped straight to Revelations.

  9. ditto, the koran?

Nope

  1. ditto, the torah/talmud?
    Nope

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

  3. Do you like Animals?
    Uh, yes.

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

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

  6. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
    A theory is what a hypothesis becomes after it survives testing.

  7. Because I like doing this: Add your own question for the following poster.

  8. Q. Bonus question, how big is your TV?
    I have a 50" plasma, but it’s currently broken. It should be fixed by the end of the week. Until then I’ll have to settle for the 48" projection TV in my bedroom.

  9. Q. How is your opinion of Mystics/Ghost Hunters/Wiccans different from your opinion of Christians/Muslims/Jews/Hindus/etc.? Buddists?

65
  1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?

Atheist

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

I was raised atheist, by atheist parents. Briefly hedged my bets around first or second grade when my babysitter insisted I would go to hell if I didn’t pray. That died out soon enough.

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

Bits and pieces, but not all the way through.

  1. ditto, the koran?

As above.

  1. ditto, the torah/talmud?

As #8.

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

Technically, I suppose, if I wanted to look like a douche. I am certified in my profession by the state of CA. But I never did finish my degree(s).

  1. Do you like Animals?

Sure. Basically universally.

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

Yep. But I think that is mostly a function of intrinsic personality. I’m a low-stress sort of guy, living a low-stress life.

  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?

Most of the answers above are close enough for government work. Grab one at random.

Last seen Bonus: How big is your TV?

50"

Bonus: Can you name three prominent French generals, excluding Napoleon?

66

Do ones who predate modern France count?
De Gaulle, Charlemagne, William I of England.

67

No :p.

In my head I was really thinking post-renaissance, based on a discussion I was reading elsewhere. Part of the general modern disparagement of French military accomplishments seems to me to be linked to folks in English-speaking countries remembering and recognizing names like Wellington and Marlborough, but not comparable French commanders from the same general era ( excluding Napoleon, who everybody has heard of ).

That aside, really your answers are fine ( and William the Bastard is a clever one ), except for Charlemagne, who really can’t be described as “French” in any meaningful sense. He was Frankish, which is a bit different.

68

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

  2. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic. There may or may not be a god who created everything (the universe coming into being from nothingness makes as much sense to me as it coming into being by the hand of a creator), but I’m convinced that that god is an absentee landlord if he exists at all.

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

  4. Do you like Animals? Only as a food source

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

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

  7. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you? I know that it doesn’t mean “some stuff someone made up that has no basis in reality”. A theory has to hold up under scrutiny.

69

Meh.

The UK Royal Navy has an unmatched reputation among the armed services of the world for winning battles, but most Britons couldn’t name any Royal Navy admirals other than Nelson and John Jellicoe (maybe).

I grew up in England and I was in a Royal Marines CCF (UK eqivalent of JROTC) unit for two years and I watch the History and Military Channels all the time and I couldn’t think of a single one after those two (Francis Drake was never actually named an admiral as far as I can tell).

I’m starting a separate IMHO thread on this, because it’s an interesting question.

70

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

  2. If you are Atheist, When did you become one?
    Recently, within the past couple of years, but was leaning in that direction for much longer.

  3. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it?
    There wasn’t one thing.

  4. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?
    Cover to cover? No. I have attended Bible study discussion groups.

  5. ditto, the koran?
    No.

  6. ditto, the torah/talmud?
    Also no.

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

  8. Do you like Animals?
    Sure.

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

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

  11. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
    Explaination for observable stuff.

  12. Because I like doing this: Add your own question for the following poster.

Last seen Bonus: How big is your TV?

46"

71

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?
Drift between Atheist & Agnostic

**3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one? **
Late 20’s to early 30’s

**4. If you are an Atheist and if there was one thing/event that caused you to be an Atheist, what was it? **
Learning about the origin and history of my former religion.

**5. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic. **
This is no small question, but can be neatly summarized by my maxim "Incredible claims require incredible evidence."

8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?
Passages, but not in it’s entirety.

12. Do you like Animals?
Depends on the animal: I like cows and chickens for eating. Kittens and bunnies for petting. Deer and Tigers for admiring. You get the idea.

**13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake? **
At work, no. At home, yes.

**14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
**I like to think so.

**15. What does the word ‘theory’ in the scientific context mean to you?
**Heh. It shouldn’t be confused with “hypothesis,” if that’s what you’re driving at. It’s more like “Here’s our best explanation based on the facts at hand. It’s always open for reinvestigation when new discoveries are made.”

72

  1. Atheist

  2. Don’t rightly know. It was more of a gradual process than a sudden conversion on the road out of Damascus.

  3. Yes. Own a copy with the Apocrypha, somewhere.

  4. Yes. Mostly for reference purposes.

  5. Seeing as how the Torah is the first five books of the Old Testament, yes. Haven’t read the Talmud, though - I was under the impression it was pretty voluminous.

  6. I have an undergrad degree, but using the letters would be pretty friggin’ pretentious.

  7. Boiled or fried? Serious answer: Sure. I have long-gone pets I still miss terribly.

  8. I’m a lot happier and more likely to be content now than I was in early adulthood.

  9. I like to think I do, although I’m sure the lacunae make my accumulated knowledge look like the surface of the Moon.

  10. Hypothesis able to explain the evidence at hand.

  11. If there were such a thing as being a beerpire (I mean, being a vampire except you survive on beer instead of human blood), would you do it?

73

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?
Theist.
2. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to?
Christianity - Episcopal but considering finding a liberal RC congregation
6. If you are a Theist, have you entertained the idea of reading “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins?
No.
7. If not, why?
One, having some faith is comforting to me, so I’m not in any hurry to get rid of it, two, I’ve read reviews that make me think he’s not the best representative of his cause, and three, I’ve got a pile of books to read right now…did just read “The Year of Living Biblically”, though
8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible?
9. ditto, the Koran?
10. ditto, the Torah/Talmud?
Not an atheist, but have read the Bible and am reading through the Koran.
11. Do you have any qualifications that allow you to put letters after your name?
Yep, title in front, letters at the end.
12. Do you like Animals?
Yep…I’m one of the love em, don’t eat them types.
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 observed phenomenon that has been verified and can be used to accurately predict.
**16. Bonus questions: 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?
**
I don’t think anything would change based on the lifting of taboos, as I’m a very liberal Christian, but if I was to lose all hope in any form of an afterlife, I’m afraid I would end up battling serious depression.

For some of the other bonus questions, 50 inches, Yankees and I’ve not only studied statistics, I used to teach it.

74

Currently, the Sox are sucking bigtime. Their refusal to even consider the color bar in the 1940s and 1950s, much less cross it, also contributes to the morass of suck. In terms of sheer arrogance, however, the Pinstriped Bastards are the undisputed Emperors of Suck. Long may they reign.

75
  1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?

Agnostic but leaning toward Atheist.

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

I’ve always been agnostic, but I’ve only realised it in the past year or so.

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

Theists often speak of personal revelations. After decades of pleading speaking to God, He has completely failed to speak back to me. So while I’m not completely certain that there is no God, I’m quite convinced He will never make himself known to me.

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

I would add - If you are an Atheist / Agnostic, have you entertained the idea of reading “The Language of God” by genome scientist Francis Collins?

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

Yes.

  1. ditto, the koran?

Not yet.

  1. ditto, the torah/talmud?

No.

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

B.S.

  1. Do you like Animals?

Sure. I like anything that’s made of meat.

  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?

An idea that is accepted by the general scientific community because all attempts to disprove it have failed.

  1. Because I like doing this: Add your own question for the following poster.
    Ever had a near death experience?

Nearly died? Plenty of close calls. Come back from death, light/tunnel/etc? Nope.

My Q: for the next poster: What would it take for you to switch teams (theist -> atheist or atheist -> theist)?

76

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

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

  3. If you are Atheist, When did you become one? About age 10.

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

  5. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic. (NA)

  6. If you are a Theist, have you entertained the idea of reading “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins? Own it, read parts of it.

  7. If not, why? (NA)

  8. If you are an Atheist, have you read the Bible? Maybe about 100 pages of it, across several “books”.

  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? Only in Mexico (where bachelor’s and master’s degrees are treated thus.)

  12. Do you like Animals? Yes. (Not a well stated question, IMHO.)

  13. Be honest here: Do you consider yourself contented for more than half of the time you’re awake? No. (I’d say about 40% of the time.)

  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 way of explaining a bundle of observed phenomena.

  16. Because I like doing this: Add your own question for the following poster

Do you like Rolling Stones?
To answer previous poster’s question: Seriously, about the only thing that could make me a theist would be a lobotomy, or some other radical physical intervention upon the contents of my skull.

77

Nope.

78

1. Are you Atheist, Theist, or Agnostic?
Theist in practice, agnostic in belief (as I think most people in my congregation are)

2. If you are theist, which religion do you belong to?
Reform/Liberal Judaism

**5. If you are Agnostic, explain why you are Agnostic. **
I don’t think there’s any way of knowing.

6. If you are a Theist, have you entertained the idea of reading “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins?
Yes, but I haven’t read it cover-to-cover.

7. If not, why?
His arguments don’t apply to most practices of religion as I’ve seen and experienced it. His arguments are confused and he seems misinformed. I don’t mind the tone, but he’s simply not accurate about a lot of things concerning religion, so I don’t find it a very useful book to think about.

9. ditto, the Koran?
I have a shrink-wrapped copy from a Muslim missionary sitting in my sock drawer, but I haven’t opened it.

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

12. Do you like Animals?
I loved the two schnauzers I had growing up. I don’t have a pet now, but I like other people’s.

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

14. Do you have a fair grasp of the concept of Evolution and Natural Selection?
Yes, I like to think so.

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

Something that has been strongly tested according to the scientific method and not disproven.

The bonus questions I found interesting:

**Theists: once and for all, can you put forward a convincing pro-belief argument that doesn’t ignore any of all of the other religions in which you don’t believe? **

I find liberal Judaism useful because the rituals are structured to help people cope with their lives and make them better. I don’t think belief in god(s) is intrinsically valuable, but I think religious practice is a brilliant framework on which to build the important things in life, like love, stress, frustration, joy, grieving, friendship, big dinners and drunken parties. In my experience, and I may be wrong, most major religions are built to amplify these feelings through their practice.

I think if you find a religious practice that works for you, you are more likely to be able to deal with personal trouble and despair, and to recogise and express joy. I think religious practitioners have a language for that sort of thing that atheists don’t necessarily have.

Which is not to say that an atheist can’t have as good and fully-expressed a life as a religious practitioner, or that religious practice means you are automatically good. I think religious practice makes it easier to live intensely, and that can be mean good or bad acts.

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?

No, I don’t believe religious taboos are a sign of the supernatural. I keep kosher because it connects me with my community, not because god says I should.

Have you ever seriously considered that your religious position might be completely wrong?

Yes. My beliefs shifted significantly through adolescence and my late teens. I used to believe in a literal, personified, interventionist, male-gendered, capital-G sky God. Now I believe in echad as a reflection of community and self.

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

No. I like that my religion doesn’t pretend to know what happens after death, because nobody knows. It helps you through confusion and conflict because it reaffirms to you that there is confusion and conflict.

**If there were such a thing as being a beerpire (I mean, being a vampire except you survive on beer instead of human blood), would you do it? **

Holy shit, in a Jerusalem minute! I tried with Guinness for a week at university, but it turns out you need calcium.

79
  1. Theist
  2. I’m a Christian in that I believe in Christ, but I’m not a member of a church.
  3. No.
  4. I don’t care for Dawkin’s demeanor. He comes off as snide and intolerant.
  5. PhD in mathematics.
  6. Yes.
  7. Yes.
  8. Yes.
  9. It’s a set of models and principles that explain observations, such as quantum theory.
80

I had gotten to the point that I had lost all respect, instantly, for anyone that believed in Jesus Christ, son of God, Lord and Savior. I just thought, they are delusional idiots.

But it does me well to remember that there are people out here with PhDs in mathematics that believe in God, while I can barely help my 10 year old daughter with her math work. So yeah. Does me well to sit the hell down and think sometimes.