# The Dawkins' Belief Scale: Where Do You Fall? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dawkins-belief-scale-where-do-you-fall/599653 "2011-10-14T17:23:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dawkins-belief-scale-where-do-you-fall/599653/141 "2011-10-19T01:24:52Z")
Because theists try to make the argument “you think you must know everything if you could rule out god for 100% sure, that’s as much a faith based belief as believing in god 100%” FWIW, I think that’s a stupid, bullshit argument, but it resonates with some people. But in reality, I would suggest that the vast majority of atheists aren’t saying “I know everything, and that includes knowing for sure that god doesn’t exist”, but rather, “I put him in the same category as leprechauns and the tooth fairy - sure, in a pedantic, technical sense, I can’t rule them out entirely, but practically it’s exceedingly unlikely” ---
**Author:** ![Bibliothecarius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@Bibliothecarius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliothecarius)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dawkins-belief-scale-where-do-you-fall/599653/142 "2011-10-19T09:35:20Z")
I put 6. More like 6.9 in practice. A 7 if we are talking about a specific idea of God, e.g. Abrahamic God, being logically impossible and not a particularly nice character even if he were possible; Zeus, etc. I leave a small possibility that some undefined kind of god could exist, but find the idea extremely unlikely. If a god does turn out to exist, I hope it turns out to be the [Flying Spaghetti Monster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster) - now there’s a god I’d be willing to believe in. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dawkins-belief-scale-where-do-you-fall/599653/143 "2011-10-19T13:16:37Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If God were to appear in my room right now and speak to me, I would assume I was having some sort of psychotic delusion, and I would seek psychiatric help. You seem pretty certain that you would recognize a hallucination or a delusion as such. What do you base that certainty on? ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dawkins-belief-scale-where-do-you-fall/599653/144 "2011-10-19T17:03:15Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > You seem pretty certain that you would recognize a hallucination or a delusion as such. What do you base that certainty on? Not to speak for **RickJay** , but I would say that he’s certain it would be a delusion if he were to witness God which, (in his opinion), would be impossible, because to him there’s no God. I feel the same way. If I saw things or heard voices, I would get help too. ---
**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:** [October 19, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dawkins-belief-scale-where-do-you-fall/599653/145 "2011-10-19T17:41:45Z")
I voted 6. I consider myself a Militant Agnostic (“I don’t know, and you don’t either.”) . ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dawkins-belief-scale-where-do-you-fall/599653/146 "2011-10-19T22:10:56Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > You seem pretty certain that you would recognize a hallucination or a delusion as such. What do you base that certainty on? Never having had a psychotic episode, I’m hoping I’ll manage to save enough of my sanity to get to the hospital, but of course I can’t say for sure. But if you start hearing voices and seeing impossible things, wouldn’t you seek help? I’m not proud; I don’t mind seeing a shrink if something’s wrong with my brain. If I can’t manage that, it means I’m full-fledged insane, at which point I won’t really have a position on the Dawkins scale at all. ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dawkins-belief-scale-where-do-you-fall/599653/147 "2011-10-19T22:40:13Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > You seem pretty certain that you would recognize a hallucination or a delusion as such. What do you base that certainty on? It’s a psychotic hallucination if the person/being/voice/writing on the wall in it is addressing you personally; advising you, haranguing you, belittling you, etc. If you don’t recognize the person, voice, etc., and they’re simply doing stuff unrelated to you then it is a likely harmless hallucination, a brain fart of sorts likely related to some fault in one of your sense processing systems. ETA: IOW, a person of generally sound mind, or someone who has never before had a psychotic hallucination, is likely to recognize it as such. ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dawkins-belief-scale-where-do-you-fall/599653/148 "2011-10-19T22:45:15Z")
I never expected such a response to this thread, which I started on a whim after I saw a suggestion in something **Skammer** posted. And I’m particularly delighted by the thoughts everyone has posted. Thank you all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dawkins-belief-scale-where-do-you-fall/599653.md?page=7)