Why America? Why? (Chart fun)
by Chris 15 comments Leave a comment May 13th, 2008
I’m not sure what conclusion, if any, to draw from this juxtaposition of data (it’s just fun to make bar charts). But I think it just might be a sign of the apocalypse. Keep an eye out for the other two horsemen.
I’m more concerned about the 28% thing. I don’t see why I should care about the other.
You’re the one concerned about the “intelligence of the average person.”
There is a difference between intelligence and hubris, maybe you should look them up? You are basically equating being religious with not being intelligent. “Creationism” encompasses a lot of different views on how things got started.
The question from the Gallup Poll:
39% said definitely true, 27% said probably true.
http://pollingreport.com/science.htm
I’ve known people who consider themselves “Creationist”, but still think that evolution is possible. Regardless, I am not so arrogant to think someone not intelligent for believing in it.
I think it’s perfectly reasonable to believe that a god or gods created the universe and created mankind. However, “the idea that God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years” is just batty or willful ignorance of generations of scientific thought.
You are walking a fine line here. People who are religious follow the doctrine of their religion. If that doctrine says God created everything 10,000 years ago, then thats what they believe. It isn’t a question of fact, its a question of faith. Science and reason have no bearing in the world of religion.
What would you call someone that unquestionably believes something they’re told?
Chris, religion doesn’t, or at least shouldn’t be an a la carte system. You can’t pick 9 of the 10 Commandments that you like and forget about “Thou shalt not kill.” I think the creation story can be seen as a major tenet of a religion as well. You can take issue with people following what a religion says, but then you are taking issue with the institution of religion.
And yet, that’s how the 100% of religions work. That’s why there are different sects, different translations of religious texts, etc.
Yes, but that is the denomination that a given church teaches. That isn’t up to the person who attends the church.
So Martin Luther should have just shut his pie hole?
I think we have kind of veered off topic. For the record, I think Luther’s complaints about abuses in the Catholic church were legitimate, but I don’t know if it should’ve spawned all these other churches. Regardless, I don’t judge people for following any church or believing what it says wholeheartedly until they start infringing upon me.
It depends on your definition of religious devotion, I think. I’ve always thought that the most important aspect was your devotion to the deity, not your blind faith in worldly institutions.
Some people can’t separate the two, or don’t think that they should be separate. There is that whole thing in Catholic doctrine that says whatever the pope says on earth can be considered the word of God. I agree with you in some sense in that I don’t see why the institution of religion is necessary. If you can read and have your Bible, Torah, Koran, what have you, you can figure this stuff out on your own. Some people just like the sense of community and having someone give them an inspirational thought or a different perspective on a religious topic.