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DavesUrMan Posted Mon 06 Oct, 2008 10:13 PM |
This is Richard Dawkins famed method of a quick and accurate description of what you do or don't believ ein with respect to religeon. State what number you are (use decimals if necessary!) and say why and give details of religeon etc.
1 Strong Theist: I do not question the existence of God, I KNOW he exists.
2 De-facto Theist: I cannot know for certain but I strongly believe in God and I live my life on the assumption that he is there.
3 Weak Theist: I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God.
4 Pure Agnostic: God’s existence and non-existence are exactly equiprobable.
5 Weak Atheist: I do not know whether God exists but I’m inclined to be skeptical.
6 De-facto Atheist: I cannot know for certain but I think God is very improbable and I live my life under the assumption that he is not there
7 Strong Atheist: I am 100% sure that there is no God. |
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elfy Posted Mon 06 Oct, 2008 10:51 PM |
What if you believe in something but not necessarily God? Where do I fit in then?
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DavesUrMan Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 7:22 AM |
elfy wrote: What if you believe in something but not necessarily God? Where do I fit in then?
Well thats simple if you don't believe in God youre somewhere between 4 and 7 inclusive as that is atheism. It doesn't really matter what else you DO believe in as they are generally supernatural things if you specifically say not necessarily a god. You can state what your beliefs are though but in general the scale is talking about the abrahamic religeons though its easy enough to fit budhism and hinduism etc into it. |
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la femme qui Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 8:26 AM |
| What if I believe that there are many gods, and several of them are female? |
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Ruudio Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 9:24 AM |
| I'd have to say a 7 =D |
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Hanne Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 10:06 AM |
2,5
My logical sense says no, but the feeling that he/she is there is just too strong to ignore. |
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Eledh Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 10:28 AM |
la femme qui wrote: What if I believe that there are many gods, and several of them are female?
Exactly.
I'm not a theist.
I don't believe in the catholic or christian God.
I believe in many Gods. And several are female.
So... I'm pagan.
So... I don't fit the pattern.
What a news. XD
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Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 10:37 AM |
| SEVEN!!!!!!!! |
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DavesUrMan Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 12:14 PM |
Eledh wrote: la femme qui wrote: What if I believe that there are many gods, and several of them are female?
Exactly.
I'm not a theist.
I don't believe in the catholic or christian God.
I believe in many Gods. And several are female.
So... I'm pagan.
So... I don't fit the pattern.
What a news. XD
Hi La Femme, Hi Eledh
Thats absolutely fine - you still fit the pattern. What you're suggesting is you are polytheistic, still meaning you are in belief that there is a god / are gods, and whats more the gender is irrelevant. The belief in a god, one or more, means that you are (poly)theist - ie a theist, so you fit in 1 - 3 or possibly 4. (Agnostisism and atheism aren't mutually exclusive)
I'm interested to know why you believe in many gods, and what your general beliefs are? |
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DavesUrMan Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 12:16 PM |
Ruudio wrote: I'd have to say a 7 =D
Thats an interesting one. It's difficult to be a 7 in scientific reality, because you are comitting to the absolute knowledge that there is not, and never has been any God of any type. And as a scientist myself, I couldn't commit to that because its not ethically or even mathematically sound given the knowledge (or lack of) that we have.
What are your views? |
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DavesUrMan Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 12:17 PM |
Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) wrote: SEVEN!!!!!!!!
Hey see my comment about the other 7 below :) |
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DavesUrMan Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 12:19 PM |
Hanne wrote: 2,5
My logical sense says no, but the feeling that he/she is there is just too strong to ignore.
Thats a good inbetween state!
But still on the theistic side.
What exactly do you mean by 'feeling'? What feeling is it you are experiencing, and what evidence do you have that persuades you that this feeling is the probability of a God's existence? |
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Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 12:21 PM |
| It is not an absolute knowledge. It is simply a belief built upon life experience. |
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DavesUrMan Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 12:25 PM |
Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) wrote: It is not an absolute knowledge. It is simply a belief built upon life experience.
Yeah.
What I'm saying is you could only realistically be 6.9999 because being number 7 carries that same weight as number 1- how can you be 100% sure and KNOW that God exists? No one has seen him etc etc - theyre both interesting positions to have though. |
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happy_me Posted Tue 07 Oct, 2008 12:25 PM |
DavesUrMan wrote: Ruudio wrote: I'd have to say a 7 =D
Thats an interesting one. It's difficult to be a 7 in scientific reality, because you are comitting to the absolute knowledge that there is not, and never has been any God of any type. And as a scientist myself, I couldn't commit to that because its not ethically or even mathematically sound given the knowledge (or lack of) that we have.
What are your views?
I'm a scientist and I'm a 7 |
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