A new Harris Poll released today reveals that only 74% of Americans believe in God, an 8% decline since 2009. Before today, U.S. adults had remained fairly consistent in their religious beliefs — 82% of U.S. respondents previously reported that they believed there was a God since 2005. In another decline, only 54% of Americans are now "absolutely certain" in God's existence, a 12% decrease over the last decade. Not all of us feel this way. The groups most likely to be certain of God's existence are Black Americans (70%), Republicans (65%), Baby Boomers (60%), Southerners (61%), and Midwesterners (58%), as well as anyone with a high school education or less (60%). A few other notable takeaways from the poll: Almost a quarter of Americans (24%) believe in reincarnation Only 1% of U.S. adults believe God is a woman, and more women than men are likely to believe that God is male (43% women, 34% men) 23% of Americans say they are "not at all" religious, a figure that has nearly doubled since 2007, when it was 12% 42% of Americans believe in ghosts, only slightly less than the 58% who believe in Hell and the Devil The poll was conducted this past November, with 2,250 adults responding. The questions were administered by a computer, which the researchers explained led to more "accurate" data: Other research has shown that when replying to a question administered impersonally by a computer, people are less likely to say they believe in God, or attend Church services when they really don't. It is generally believed that surveys conducted by live interviewers tend to exaggerate the numbers of people who report the socially desirable, or less embarrassing, behavior, and that the replies given to an online survey such as this, are more honest and therefore more accurate. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/new-harris-poll-on-religion-in-america-2013-12#ixzz2nsVSev80
Not as long as the crap warriorsage posted in the past. Is this how you get your post count up? LOL...trying to get out of the #10 position? LOL Just teasing....Merry xmas bro!
Shots fired.. It's simple, really. Let warriorsage believe what warriorsage wants to believe, and go about yours. That's the best way to enjoy Christmas imo. Also, just like to point out that this entire thread is practically equivalent to what Christians, Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses do when they go door to door. Instead of spreading word on what people should do based on God/Jesus/whatnot would want them to do, this thread spreads word on what people should do based on what the majority of other people wants them to do. Quite amusing, imo.
I would have to wholeheartedly disagree with your statement above. These topics are posted in the religion/philosophy section of the forum for people to discuss, debate, learn and evaluate. For those who do not wish to be preached to or find these type of discussions offensive, they have an option not to come in to this part of the forum. On the other hand, those who go door to door are trying to convert you and preach to you without your welcome is far from equivalent to what we do here in this forum. But I get your point. It is amusing.
all beliefs are like people's dear ugly babies, they think theirs are the most beautiful in the world, they protect it, guard it, growl at whoever try to attack it they all look, smell and sound the same to me i reckon it is our job to tell them that their babies are ugly, and throw them in the river LOL merry xmas to all
Reference = http://jedmckenna.wordpress.com/secret-beliefs/ "The Users and Skeptics Generally are there 3 kinds of relationship to beliefs- The ‘avowed believers’, the ‘averse believers’, and the ‘pragmatic believers’: The ‘avowed believers,’ those who honor, embrace them and base their lives around an alignment to those beliefs. Obviously religions from Christians to classical Buddhists come to mind here. Then there are those who we might call the ‘averse believers’, those who handle beliefs as if they were dealing with the plague, these are your Scientarians (devotees in the popular cult of Scientism, see below), Post-Spiritualists, Advaitists, Zen Buddhists and Jedists. Then there are the ‘pragmatic believers’ who use beliefs in a casual way, and may believe in almost anything, from their children, to democracy, apple pie, the American Dream, Justice for mankind, Vitamin C, macrobiotic foods, marriage, freedom, the ‘free market’, ‘the future’, or even good bowel movements etc. Perhaps I should leave this group alone as they are probably beyond the Pale. They all seem to orient themselves in different ways in order to gain power over something – belief, doubt, knowledge, impersonal self-awareness, and the realization of (universal, absolute) ‘Being-ness’. Scientarians use data and doubt to get more knowledge, and they avoid belief. Religionists use belief to gain knowledge, or even to get being-ness, but they avoid doubt Spiritual Folk use knowledge and beliefs to get being-ness, but they don’t like doubt. Post-Spiritualists avoid doubt, belief and knowledge to get to their higher self or even being-ness, Mystics use a combination of beliefs and knowledge, but they don’t like doubt very much."
There's a fine line between discussing concepts to learn more about different beliefs and point of views (even though you may disagree with them), and condescendingly state that other people's contributions are "crap". What I would love to see is this: you take the stance of the religious, and inquire more about why people believe in religion, and warriorsage to take the stance of the scientist, to inquire more about why people don't believe in religion and spirituality. That would make for a much less bias and more civil discussion.
Well, it might not work.... because... The natural tendency of humans regarding beliefs are 1. People tend to avoid information they don’t agree with—but certain factors can prompt them to seek out, or at least consider, other points of view, new research has found. http://www.world-science.net/othernews/090702_opinion.htm 2. Confirmation bias (also called confirmatory bias or myside bias) is the tendency of people to favor information that confirms their beliefs or hypotheses http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias 3. What would happen if you developed a strong opinion on an issue, and later found that the majority of people disagreed with you? "You actually become doubly sure you were right." http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100802125819.htm So all these so called debates on Youtube / TV between worldviews, God views, or any other subjects, such as politics, whatever, after all the debates over, they don't convince each other, or change each other's views, or somehow 'blend or merged', but they are more convinced their point of views / beliefs are correct So what's going on.... one of the reasons might be, just human's love of war (to destroy things or other people).... now intellectual war... which one going to win / lose , cheering for their chosen team / speaker's intellectual performances, calling each other names instead (or additional) of watching 'physical wars' like 'sport competitive games', this is another type of war that most human find it fascinating and entertaining but it's all ok though, just human, got to filled up their time somehow so what's the ideal way? “The test of a first-rate intelligence,” said writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, “is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/psychology-writers/201304/why-changing-others-minds-is-so-hard Humans are not that smart , there is a chapter of 'confirmation bias' on this book http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Not-S...591727&sr=1-1&keywords=you+are+not+that+smart
