Religion Poll

[Whitehouse]

Where I live people get more surprised if you ARE religious. About 65% are members of the church though, but very few actually believe in god. And religious groups are very respected and not looked down on either.

Getting confused here. If they don't believe in god, then why should they maintain their church membership? Is there any advantage of being a church member? Or do the non-members face any discrimination?

Maybe a bit of both.

[Lauda]

Where I live people get more surprised if you ARE religious. About 65% are members of the church though, but very few actually believe in god. And religious groups are very respected and not looked down on either.

Getting confused here. If they don't believe in god, then why should they maintain their church membership? Is there any advantage of being a church member? Or do the non-members face any discrimination?

They probably face discrimination. In my area, most people are members and go to the church. You would be a very big anomaly if you were saying that you're an atheist to everyone. They would probably never look at you the same way. That's actually ignorant. They think that what they believe in (there is a God up there and..) is the only truth. They don't leave room for other possibilities.

[activebiz]

Christian

[notbatman]

Agnostic, is that when you know something's up but give both organized religion and mainstream science a failing grade with fail sauce on top?

What do you mean 'know somethings up'?

The church has it's secret stash of books and relics hidden away while they push their dogma on the masses.

The mainstream scientists also push their dogma on the masses knowing it's mostly bullshit but keeping quiet so as not to rock the boat.

While I'll leave what the church has locked up in it's basement for other theologians to rant on about. I can say that what the establishment has to offer in terms of science is a gross misrepresentation of the facts.

It's set up so either your with the religious nutcases in their fantasy universe or you're with the scientists and their material universe. One group abuses the left side of the brain the other abuses the right side.

But how do I know somethings up you ask? Well, I've seen UFOs up close in broad daylight. I had to look up to see them. Neither established science nor religion has an answer for these things.

[blacksails]

Where I live people get more surprised if you ARE religious. About 65% are members of the church though, but very few actually believe in god. And religious groups are very respected and not looked down on either.

Getting confused here. If they don't believe in god, then why should they maintain their church membership? Is there any advantage of being a church member? Or do the non-members face any discrimination?

Because if they do they can get married in a church and the get to be buried on a churchyard. Also it doesn't cost that much per year, and most of the money goes to maintaining the churches and charity. Charity for all people, even the ones that's not christian.
Very few people actually believe in god though, and almost none goes to church, so there's no repercussions if you don't.

Where I live people get more surprised if you ARE religious. About 65% are members of the church though, but very few actually believe in god. And religious groups are very respected and not looked down on either.

Getting confused here. If they don't believe in god, then why should they maintain their church membership? Is there any advantage of being a church member? Or do the non-members face any discrimination?

They probably face discrimination. In my area, most people are members and go to the church. You would be a very big anomaly if you were saying that you're an atheist to everyone. They would probably never look at you the same way. That's actually ignorant. They think that what they believe in (there is a God up there and..) is the only truth. They don't leave room for other possibilities.

Over here you will be anomaly if you do go to church regularly. It's funny how big parts religion plays in society depending on where you live.

[bryant.coleman]

Because if they do they can get married in a church and the get to be buried on a churchyard. Also it doesn't cost that much per year, and most of the money goes to maintaining the churches and charity. Charity for all people, even the ones that's not christian.
Very few people actually believe in god though, and almost none goes to church, so there's no repercussions if you don't.

Oh.. so the situation is very similar to the former USSR. People used to go to church just 3 times in their whole life. 1. for the baptism 2. for the marriage and finally, 3. the funeral. 

[blacksails]

Because if they do they can get married in a church and the get to be buried on a churchyard. Also it doesn't cost that much per year, and most of the money goes to maintaining the churches and charity. Charity for all people, even the ones that's not christian.
Very few people actually believe in god though, and almost none goes to church, so there's no repercussions if you don't.

Oh.. so the situation is very similar to the former USSR. People used to go to church just 3 times in their whole life. 1. for the baptism 2. for the marriage and finally, 3. the funeral. 

Haha, yes, exactly!
The big difference is that Christianity is the official religion, and the government doesn't hate religion!

[hilariousandco]

Because if they do they can get married in a church and the get to be buried on a churchyard. Also it doesn't cost that much per year, and most of the money goes to maintaining the churches and charity. Charity for all people, even the ones that's not christian.
Very few people actually believe in god though, and almost none goes to church, so there's no repercussions if you don't.

Oh.. so the situation is very similar to the former USSR. People used to go to church just 3 times in their whole life. 1. for the baptism 2. for the marriage and finally, 3. the funeral. 

Isn't that what happens with most "Christians"?

[YTREWQ]

I'm a scientologist. Give me your money.

Lol, jk, I'm an Atheist!

[Whitehouse]

No Catholic voting option?  I guess my vote is mute.

That would fall under Christian.

[bryant.coleman]

Isn't that what happens with most "Christians"?

No. May be true for the Christians in North America and Europe. In most of the regions in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the Christians tend to me more religious. They usually visit the church on every Sundays, and almost all aspects of the life is inter-twined with the Church. Heard that a lot of Catholic congregations in the Europe are actually importing priests from Asia and Africa.

[beetcoin]

i remember giving church a go when i was in my teens.. they told me i was a lamb of god, and my money was his. they passed around baskets asking for donations. i passed. i am grateful i wasn't raised to be religious.

btw, im certain that there's a fairly large group of guys who go to church to find a chick to hook up with.. i admit, it's a great place to meet people and find networking/connections. the only problem is that it is with the kind of people i don't want to associate with.

[u9y42]

i remember giving church a go when i was in my teens.. they told me i was a lamb of god, and my money was his. they passed around baskets asking for donations. i passed. i am grateful i wasn't raised to be religious.

btw, im certain that there's a fairly large group of guys who go to church to find a chick to hook up with.. i admit, it's a great place to meet people and find networking/connections. the only problem is that it is with the kind of people i don't want to associate with.

Why wouldn't you want to associate with people that believe in an invisible man in the sky that is always watching them? People these days are too elitist.  

Anyway, I don't see Pastafarianism in the poll... what about those that believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster)?

EDIT:

[Bitcoin Magazine]

life is about understanding.  chose agnosticism

[BitChick]

Jesus "freak" checking in. 

[rhino34567]

No Catholic voting option?  I guess my vote is mute.

That would fall under Christian.

Yes, it would. Roman Catholics are also known as Christian Catholics.

[Vod]

I watched a documentary today that proved a god did not create the universe.  Using terminology and facts you could verify yourself.

This doesn't mean a god didn't evolve on another planet AFTER the creation and is now watching over us, but it showed how it's impossible for a god to have existed before the big bang 14 billion years ago.

[hilariousandco]

I watched a documentary today that proved a god did not create the universe.  Using terminology and facts you could verify yourself.

This doesn't mean a god didn't evolve on another planet AFTER the creation and is now watching over us, but it showed how it's impossible for a god to have existed before the big bang 14 billion years ago.

What? What documentary is that? I don't see how you can prove[i/] that here is not god (though there's no readon or evidence to suggest there is).

[Vod]

It was on the discovery channel.  I didn't catch the name, but if you want to search, it played on April 26.

It didn't prove there is no god.  It's possible a species evolved on another planet and now is playing god in our little world.  (Yes, it's improbable but not impossible)

It proved that a god did not create the universe.  Basically, there was no time before the big bang for a god to exist.  Time started at the big bang.

[hilariousandco]

It was on the discovery channel.  I didn't catch the name, but if you want to search, it played on April 26.

It didn't prove there is no god.  It's possible a species evolved on another planet and now is playing god in our little world.  (Yes, it's improbable but not impossible)

It proved that a god did not create the universe.  Basically, there was no time before the big bang for a god to exist.  Time started at the big bang.

I'm not sure you could prove that either, especially not definitively. Maybe our time started then, but multiverses are possible. Maybe the universe has been and gone though several big bangs and big crushes and will keep repeating infinitely. Let me know if you find out the name of this doc. I'd like to see it.