# SD population poll: believe in a deity, Yes or No (optional: dunno)? Please read description first. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 19, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280 "2010-07-19T21:47:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/1 "2010-07-19T21:47:23Z")
Since I suspect the number of believers on this board are higher than [the OP in this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=571378) suspects. Just curious. PLEASE, if you self-identify as an agnostic, but _don’t believe_ in any god, or self-identify as agnostic, but _do believe_ in a god, choose option 1 or 2 respectively. This is not a poll about what you (can) _know_, it’s about what you _believe_. If you don’t know what you _believe_, please fill in according to how you _act_. If still really can’t choose (for instance, you’re a regular church goer or pray occasionally but have doubts, or are a “practicing atheist” but are considering joining a church for non-social reasons) fill in option 3. ETA: This is and will always be a private poll. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/2 "2010-07-19T21:56:04Z")
Gotta admit before voting I was sarcastically thinking “I bet this’ll be a close poll on the SDMB”. I laughed heartily when I saw the results so far were 8/0/0. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/3 "2010-07-19T21:57:11Z")
Oops. I made some mistakes in wording this poll, but I think everyone can figure it out. Right now it’s 8:0:0. Maybe not that surprising given that I linked it from the “Why are there so many atheists here” thread, but still that was quick. We’ll see what it’ll look like in a day or so. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/4 "2010-07-20T00:23:09Z")
I don’t like the choices. I’d like to see I’m not sure but I lean toward belief in a god. and I’m not sure but I lean toward not believeing in any god. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/5 "2010-07-20T00:24:35Z")
I also dislike the choices. I know exactly what I believe, but neither 1 nor 2 fits me. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/6 "2010-07-20T00:29:24Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > I don’t like the choices. > > I’d like to see > > I’m not sure but I lean toward belief in a god. > and > I’m not sure but I lean toward not believeing in any god. I don’t care: for 1, choose 2, for 2 choose 1. Unless you really act differently from what you claim to believe, or if you believe one thing one day and the other the next. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/7 "2010-07-20T00:31:08Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I also dislike the choices. I know exactly what I believe, but neither 1 nor 2 fits me. **Skald** , if you believe you _are_ a god, choose 2. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/8 "2010-07-20T00:33:42Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > **Skald** , if you believe you _are_ a god, choose 2. 😃 I don’t believe I am a god. I disbelieve in the existence of Yahweh specifically and mythological deities, but I also believe that it is impossible ot state definitively that no creator deity exists. I am a technical agnostic but practical atheist. I objected to your poll options because the third, which I assume you mean tot capture the “agnostic” vote, implies that those who pick it do not know their own minds. ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/9 "2010-07-20T00:33:51Z")
Yes, I believe in a God. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/10 "2010-07-20T00:39:31Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I don’t believe I am a god. I disbelieve in the existence of Yahweh specifically and mythological deities, but I also believe that it is impossible ot state definitively that no creator deity exists. I am a technical agnostic but practical atheist. I objected to your poll options because the third, which I assume you mean tot capture the “agnostic” vote, implies that those who pick it do not know their own minds. Sorry about the joke, if I offended you. The third poll is NOT intended to capture the agnostic vote at all. I explicitly stated as much in my OP. All 3 options are valid for agnostics (as they should be, as most people IMO are at least technically agnostic). Let’s put the question another way: Is there any god that you are currently aware of\* that you believe exists? If no: choose 1, if yes choose 2. You may or may not believe that it’s possible for gods to exist, but that’s not what I was asking. - ETA: that means, you know something about the mythology or name or whatever, not personal experience, since that would imply option 2. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/11 "2010-07-20T00:42:17Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I don’t believe I am a god. I disbelieve in the existence of Yahweh specifically and mythological deities, but I also believe that it is impossible ot state definitively that no creator deity exists. I am a technical agnostic but practical atheist. I objected to your poll options because the third, which I assume you mean tot capture the “agnostic” vote, implies that those who pick it do not know their own minds. Sounds like option 1. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/12 "2010-07-20T00:47:50Z")
Ok, wait, **Skald**. If you’re a agnostic WRT Deism, my choice isn’t really fair, since Deism only has the absolute minimum of mythology. Still, if you think Deism is likely, choose 2, if not, choose 1. Is that fair? ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/13 "2010-07-20T00:50:14Z")
> [@rolandgunslinger](#): > > Yes, I believe in a God. If you haven’t clicked and voted for that option, please do so. Thanks. If you’re objecting to the my choice of wording, please note that there are multiple popular poly-theistic religions in the word. If you’re objecting to my lack of capitalization, I don’t particularly like Zeus. Or Kukulcan. ---
**Author:** ![hougaswd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@hougaswd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hougaswd)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/14 "2010-07-20T00:54:08Z")
I voted #1. However, my lack of belief is situated in my rational mind. Underneath there is a lot of religious imprinting from my childhood. For instance, I often have an involuntary thought percolate up from my subconscious which wonders if an event in my life was a sign from God. It’s kind of like the “many worlds” interpretation of quantum mechanics. If I make a decision, then I immediately wonder what the alternate path would have led to, and if it would have led to a destiny more in line with His intentions. Rationally, I know this is nonsense, but it lives on inside. Walt ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/15 "2010-07-20T01:00:03Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > If you haven’t clicked and voted for that option, please do so. Thanks. If you’re objecting to the my choice of wording, please note that there are multiple popular poly-theistic religions in the word. If you’re objecting to my lack of capitalization, I don’t particularly like Zeus. Or Kukulcan. I voted. I believe in the Christian God. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/16 "2010-07-20T01:08:16Z")
> [@rolandgunslinger](#): > > I voted. I believe in the Christian God. Fair enough, thanks for voting. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/17 "2010-07-20T01:19:18Z")
oaky. The wording doesn’t accuratly reflect how I feel but I’ll play just to see what happens ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/18 "2010-07-20T05:35:29Z")
Man, so many complainers about “Yes” “No” and “Maybe”. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/19 "2010-07-20T06:12:06Z")
I believe in a deity, but he sure ain’t a god. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280/20 "2010-07-20T10:20:40Z")
I voted “no” in this poll, but I’m more with\*\* Skald\*\*. I don’t believe in the gods people worship/have worshipped as part of the religions I know of, but I don’t believe it possible to say for sure that no god exists. It’s not that I don’t know what I believe. (Though I’d be interested to know more about what a “practising atheist” does to make them practising!) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-population-poll-believe-in-a-deity-yes-or-no-optional-dunno-please-read-description-first/547280.md?page=2)