Do you not think you should?

That has nothing to do with the scenario I posted though :/

I was referring to the article on the Guardian website .

What you personally would and wouldn't verbalise and what that means for you is besides my point.

Not wanting to say those things doesn't make a person a believer and saying those things doesn't make a person an atheist.

So, yeah, it's a silly simplistic article.

I'm agnostic.

The Guardian didn't do the study... they just reported on it you understand? :umm2:

Yes I believe in God. No, I wouldn't shout those things out, not because of fear but out of reverence. If someone else doesn't believe and wants to shout them? Knock yourself out.

So?

I'm still commenting on an article from the Guardian website?

Should I list the names of the people who carried out this "study" instead?

Yes you are, I'm not sure why you're so affronted by the study as reported in the Guardian.
If you think the study simplifies the concept of belief say so.

I have done. :umm2:

Lord knows why you have to make conversation in these threads so difficult.

Good for you, I'm not finding it difficult :umm2:
It's fascinating.

So why are you requesting that I say something I've already said?

You said the Guardian simplified belief, really you feel the study does, you never really clarified that... but I think I know where you're coming from now.

I believe in God but not the religion

Yes, the ARTICLE.

The article is about the study so the connection there is obvious. I haven't read the study itself so only have the article as a reference.

Most great scientists are religious, the 2 are NOT mutually exclusive. That's like saying do you believe in God or baking cakes? bizarre predictable, liberal illogical attention seeking nonsense. no offence...PS Jesus rocks!

I wouldn't shout those things Kizzy, the same as you, i wouldn't want those words out in the universe. And yet i have considered myself agnostic, however i found myself talking to him (god) whilst out walking my dog last night, i'm a walking contradiction!:laugh:

I don't believe in God. It's just not realistic.

I believe.

I happily said them out loud. I'm 99.9% certain that "God" in any religious sense does not exist. For the other 0.1%? I'm 100% certain that if such a being DOES exist, it's not ****ing listening :joker:.

However, this is a stupid test. I also said them out loud because I'm not superstitious. A lot of non-religious people still wouldn't say those things, not because they believe in god, but because they believe in "not tempting fate"... for example, I know plenty of people who definitely don't believe in God / religion, but would never dream of doing the whole "Swear on your children's lives" thing.

**** no. There is absolutely no part of me that thinks there is even a possibility that God exists. Every God that others believe in are evil according to their own texts, so even if they did exist (which they don't) i would do everything i could to fight against them.

God does not exist and all of the Gods that other people believe in are evil.

I believe that religious people have a psychological disorder and should not be trusted to work in important jobs that have a lot of influence, like doctors, teachers, politicians, judges, etc...

This is incorrect, it's based on a combination of obvious history and straight up myth.

The number one major myth being that Einstein was religious when he actually was not... he was broadly agnostic but more importantly - in terms of the Christian (et al.) concept of "God" and the concepts of God offered by every other major world religion, he was straight up atheist. As a scientist, he did not rule out the possibility of "a god / creator / universal force beyond our understanding" of some sort, but he did NOT believe in "God" and described the idea as being "childlike", or "wishful thinking".

Moving on to historical scientists of significance - many talked of god and feigned religion because at the times they lived, if they had shared an opinion that suggested not believing in God or following the Church... at best, they would have been discredited and cast out of academia and at worst, they would have been hounded as a heathen / satanist / witch and faced the pitchfork brigade.

Modern scientists are probably a mixed bag, as with anything else, however I'd wager than on the whole there are a higher percentage of non-religious people in scientific careers than in other careers.


I would imagine that, in general, most "great scientists" have in fact fallen into the same category as Einstein. Largely agnostic to the concept, but atheist in terms of specific / defined religious deities.

..I didn't say them out loud..not because of anything to do with religious beliefs or superstition..but because as you say, there is no sense in it for me...it's not about whether something could 'come true' if I said it or thought it, but why would I say or even think anything negative about the people and things that are the most important in my life...the things that I hold the closest in my heart.../that makes no kind of sense, so to say them would just not be being true to me, really...but just to appease a survey or whatever it is...


..it's like the example that you gave really...I wouldn't swear something on my child's life, not because I would worry that it would cause them harm if I did but just because ...why would I need to swear on anything if what I believed being said or happening or whatever was true to me anyway..../just silly...

no offense Ammi, but the way you describe it, you reminded me of the type of friends you have that always drink too much, and if alcoholism comes up they say "i could stop drinking if i really wanted to, but i just don't want to"...

...:laugh:..oh ok then, I'm going to have to think about that analogy for a bit, Alex..to see if I can understand the comparison...

I'm just saying, i think you are really religious, but you don't want people to think you are really a true religious person because you think they will think you are ignorant and all the other negative stereotypes of religious people.