# Late summer 2014 SDMB religious beliefs **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 31, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065 "2014-08-31T19:10:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/1 "2014-08-31T19:10:56Z")
[In this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732535), the debate persists about how “overwhelmingly atheist” the SDMB is. We know atheists are certainly more prominent here than in the general global population, but let’s get an update as to how much more. Poll forthcoming, please be patient. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/2 "2014-08-31T19:18:51Z")
You omitted my situation, but I don’t think you’re a jerk. 🙂 I’m a strong atheist, but a practicing Jew (not just culturally, but going to synagogue, etc). ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/3 "2014-08-31T19:19:29Z")
And, uh, that should read “or lack thereof” in the poll question. Apologies for bad editing. I blame lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/4 "2014-08-31T19:20:31Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > You omitted my situation, but I don’t think you’re a jerk. 🙂 > > I’m a strong atheist, but a practicing Jew (not just culturally, but going to synagogue, etc). May I encourage you to choose “strong atheist,” then? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/5 "2014-08-31T19:25:43Z")
I’m not sure which of those categories I fit into, so I didn’t vote. I think there might be a God, but then again, there might not. I don’t know, and this is ok with me. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/6 "2014-08-31T19:26:12Z")
Do these terms have any commonly accepted definition? I never bothered deciding whether I am a “strong” or “casual” atheist. The prefix a- usually means that there’s nothing there, so any qualifiers are pretty much meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/7 "2014-08-31T19:26:20Z")
What if I just like calling people jerks? Can I choose that one, even if another selection applies? ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/8 "2014-08-31T19:30:45Z")
> [@BrightNShiny](#): > > What if I just like calling people jerks? Can I choose that one, even if another selection applies? Do what you must. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/9 "2014-08-31T19:32:43Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Do these terms have any commonly accepted definition? I never bothered deciding whether I am a “strong” or “casual” atheist. The prefix a- usually means that there’s nothing there, so any qualifiers are pretty much meaningless. There are some who don’t believe and don’t think about it much, and there are some people who don’t believe and think about it all the time. Clear enough? > [@bobot](#): > > I’m not sure which of those categories I fit into, so I didn’t vote. I think there might be a God, but then again, there might not. I don’t know, and this is ok with me. Sounds like agnostic to me. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/10 "2014-08-31T19:32:52Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > May I encourage you to choose “strong atheist,” then? I already voted, so I can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/11 "2014-08-31T19:33:56Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I already voted, so I can’t. C’est la vie. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/12 "2014-08-31T19:36:48Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > I’m not sure which of those categories I fit into, so I didn’t vote. I think there might be a God, but then again, there might not. I don’t know, and this is ok with me. Which is a pretty good description of an agnostic… :)\* The poll didn’t offer “deist” either, so I crossed my fingers and checked “casual theist” which is sorta close. \*Oops, ninja’d ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/13 "2014-08-31T19:44:56Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > There are some who don’t believe and don’t think about it much, and there are some people who don’t believe and think about it all the time. > > Clear enough? Clear enough. Strong, then. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/14 "2014-08-31T19:49:29Z")
> [@SeldomSeen](#): > > The poll didn’t offer “deist” either, so I crossed my fingers and checked “casual theist” which is sorta close. Dang it! I knew I forgot something! Oh, well. Let’s say deists should vote “Casual theist” or “You omitted my special situation, you jerk,” as they see fit. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/15 "2014-08-31T19:50:28Z")
Intellectually I am agnostic (I just don’t know), but by firm belief am an atheist (if god exists, just prove it), so how should I have voted? (I chose casual atheist.) ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/16 "2014-08-31T19:51:43Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Intellectually I am agnostic (I just don’t know), but by firm belief am an atheist (if god exists, just prove it), so how should I have voted? (I chose casual atheist.) I would have chosen agnostic in your case. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/17 "2014-08-31T19:52:21Z")
I’m pretty much a casual theists. The atheists in my life tend to think about religion a lot more than I do. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/18 "2014-08-31T20:09:08Z")
“Casual atheist” sounds like I’m only gonna wear jeans and t-shirts. My wardrobe demonstrates otherwise. I’m basically atheist, with a side of “I dunno, guess I’ll find out when I die. It would be nice to see Nana again, but it would really suck if we just hung around where we lived and scared living people.” Religions annoy the crap out of me, as do smarmy know-it-all religious people (you know the type). I think it’s fun to point out logical fallacies. So… a lot of people would call me an obnoxious atheist. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/19 "2014-08-31T20:10:29Z")
Militant Agnostic. (“I don’t know, and you don’t either.”) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065/20 "2014-08-31T20:12:11Z")
I voted “strong atheist” - although I’m actually a theological noncognitivist, it’s close enough for government work. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-summer-2014-sdmb-religious-beliefs/697065.md?page=2)