Religion Is “Very Important” to 6 in 10 Americans

Galvatron · Post by **Galvatron** » 2004-06-24 11:22pm

Roughly 6 in 10 Americans say religion is a "very important" part of their lives and believe religion can answer all or most of today's problems.

Link

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-06-24 11:32pm

I wouldn't trust these polls,60% of what if they sent it to everyone in the nation,i'll bet the result would be much different

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-06-24 11:39pm

Gallup polls are rather reliable.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2004-06-24 11:40pm

I'm none too trusting of polls nowadays.

But nonetheless, these are disconcerting statistics.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-06-24 11:41pm

I don't really think so. It's not a big deal how many people are religious, the big deal is how many people let religion think for them.

Those might appear to be one and the same, but that is not necessarily true.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-06-25 12:01am

This is nothing new. I recall a Harper's poll before that showed 60% of people believed that evolution was "only a theory" and 40% thought that "Genesis was an accurate account of how the world began".

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2004-06-25 01:35am

How many of these people polled do you think give serious thought to their answers?
A lot of people are going to say that yes, religion is very important to them, but how many of them actually give religion an important place in their everyday activities?

In my varied workplace experiences over the years, I've only encountered one person who prayed openly on the job, and she was a Buddhist. Religion was obviously very imortant to her, but if it's so important to 60% of the population, I'd imagine that I'd have run into more examples of open religious expression than that.

That's not to say that I haven't known religious people at work, but other than the occasional "He/She's a Born-Again..." statement behind their backs, I'd have never known.

IMHO, polls often are likely to put words in people's mouths on subjects they don't spend much time thinking about, or make them to sound more strident than they actually are.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2004-06-25 01:37am

For some reason I'm reminded of the Pyramid of Prayer from Hellblazer.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-06-25 01:38am

I would say that religion would be "very important" to my life, though I wouldn't say it would answer all of lifes problems (or even very many of them).

GySgt. Hartman · Post by **GySgt. Hartman** » 2004-06-25 01:21pm

Only 60%?

Post by **AdmiralKanos** » 2004-06-25 01:23pm

Howedar wrote:I don't really think so. It's not a big deal how many people are religious, the big deal is how many people let religion think for them.

Those might appear to be one and the same, but that is not necessarily true.

That distinction is not relevant to this poll, which asks a fairly specific question. Anyone who thinks religion can solve most of the world's problems and questions is obviously allowing it to think for him.

admiral_danielsben · Post by **admiral_danielsben** » 2004-06-25 05:12pm

AdmiralKanos wrote:
Howedar wrote:I don't really think so. It's not a big deal how many people are religious, the big deal is how many people let religion think for them.

Those might appear to be one and the same, but that is not necessarily true.
That distinction is not relevant to this poll, which asks a fairly specific question. Anyone who thinks religion can solve most of the world's problems and questions is obviously allowing it to think for him.

I'd say it is the difference between belief and lack of sense. A moral person who believes in god has belief, a terrorist who blows himself up for god has a lack of sense.

Faith does not equal religion. Many who believe in God don't accept any one religion's standpoints. Me, I'm neither a believer nor a non-believer. I am also a believer that the burden of proof lies on both parties: thousands of years, and neither believers nor atheists have convincing proof one way or the other. So, perhaps one or the other is true. Or both. Or neither. Who knows? Truly no one. Rabid religious folks and equally rabid atheists who claim to know are not reasoning it through.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-06-25 05:16pm

AdmiralKanos wrote:
Howedar wrote:I don't really think so. It's not a big deal how many people are religious, the big deal is how many people let religion think for them.

Those might appear to be one and the same, but that is not necessarily true.
That distinction is not relevant to this poll, which asks a fairly specific question. Anyone who thinks religion can solve most of the world's problems and questions is obviously allowing it to think for him.

This is true when one takes into account the bolded part in the OP. I'd been up kinda long at the time of that post.

The Aliens · Post by **The Aliens** » 2004-06-25 05:32pm

Depends what the bias is in the questions, as well. If tehre were too options "Not important at all" and "Very Important", guess which side wins?

Saurencaerthai · Post by **Saurencaerthai** » 2004-06-25 09:49pm

From the site:

Survey Methods

These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,000 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted June 3-6, 2004....

Personally, I think 1,000 individuals over United States does not accurately account for all the demographics of the population. It just seems too far spread out.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-06-25 10:02pm

Aliens: Read the link, kay? The questions are biased:

It's an either-or.

admiral_danielsben · Post by **admiral_danielsben** » 2004-06-28 05:16pm

DPDarkPrimus wrote:This is nothing new. I recall a Harper's poll before that showed 60% of people believed that evolution was "only a theory" and 40% thought that "Genesis was an accurate account of how the world began".

It is only a theory. So is the Theory of Relativity. Just because it's a damned good theory doesn't make it any less a theory.

We don't know absolutely. Someone could've planted the limited but compelling evidence for evolution - either God, the devil, or space aliens. Of course, we could all be a bunch of brains in tubs - but try to prove it?

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-06-28 05:26pm

It is only a theory. So is the Theory of Relativity. Just because it's a damned good theory doesn't make it any less a theory.

Umm, no, you can see evolution happening, it's observed. That makes it a fact.

We don't know absolutely. Someone could've planted the limited but compelling evidence for evolution - either God, the devil, or space aliens. Of course, we could all be a bunch of brains in tubs - but try to prove it?

The thing is, you don't need the God, the devil, or space aliens to explain all the evidence for evolution. It's naturally occuring.

Post by **Cairber** » 2004-06-28 07:23pm

I believe it. This nation was founded on religion and continues to house a large number of devout. Think about it, you may live in a atheist big city, but there are hundreds of thousands of people in the Bible Belt, midwest, and southern states that are extemely connected with their religions. The population of hispanics in this country is going by leeps and bounds; they tend to retain their strong faith. I know that my home city, Buffalo, has a population that boasts 73% strong faith (according to the last one of these polls I saw in the paper)---and i believe that number...I mean, they list houses in the for sale section by which parish they are in.

admiral_danielsben · Post by **admiral_danielsben** » 2004-06-28 07:55pm

Joe wrote:
It is only a theory. So is the Theory of Relativity. Just because it's a damned good theory doesn't make it any less a theory.
Umm, no, you can see evolution happening, it's observed. That makes it a fact.

We don't know absolutely. Someone could've planted the limited but compelling evidence for evolution - either God, the devil, or space aliens. Of course, we could all be a bunch of brains in tubs - but try to prove it?
The thing is, you don't need the God, the devil, or space aliens to explain all the evidence for evolution. It's naturally occuring.

Perhaps i should explain myself. We have noticed evolution in some lower species - both naturally occuring and via controlled breeding and genetic engineering. However, the evidence for HUMAN evolution is spotty - we still lack the true 'missing link', for example.

Occam's Razor agrees with you - simplest explanation is usually the best. But not always. And to be honest, 'God did it' is a damned simple explanation, although it may not be correct.

Also, what about 'controlled' evolution? Say, God decided upon certain advantageous features. I mean, how do you explain a duck-billed platypus unless you assume God has a sense of humor?

I mean, there are many mammals who dive into the water for food (seals, opossums, and so on) and eat without duck bills and don't lay eggs. I'd like to think (although I know this is not rational, just humorous) that God has a sense of humor. It would explain A LOT. Including duck-billed platypuses.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-06-28 07:57pm

admiral_danielsben wrote: It is only a theory. [/quoteSo is the Theory of Relativity. Just because it's a damned good theory doesn't make it any less a theory.

Boy, I suggest you go read Wong's Science vs Creationism site, before you get ten kinds of smackdown laid on you by irate board members.

Someone could've planted the limited but compelling evidence for evolution - either God, the devil, or space aliens.

Yes, and purple winged giraffes could cause carbonation of Pepsi-Cola.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2004-06-28 07:57pm

admiral_danielsben wrote:Perhaps i should explain myself. We have noticed evolution in some lower species - both naturally occuring and via controlled breeding and genetic engineering. However, the evidence for HUMAN evolution is spotty - we still lack the true 'missing link', for example.

At the risk of stepping in, I must mock this repeated moronic claim. Endless links between the proto-Ape and Mankind/Modern apes have been found. The opposition, of course, simply shoves the goalposts back every time, allowing them to lie.

Occam's Razor agrees with you - simplest explanation is usually the best. But not always. And to be honest, 'God did it' is a damned simple explanation, although it may not be correct.

Lie. 'God Did It' fails parsimony gloriously; it invokes an unobserved unknown, with unknowable characteristics.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2004-06-28 08:20pm

admiral_danielsben wrote:Also, what about 'controlled' evolution? Say, God decided upon certain advantageous features. I mean, how do you explain a duck-billed platypus unless you assume God has a sense of humor? I mean, there are many mammals who dive into the water for food (seals, opossums, and so on) and eat without duck bills and don't lay eggs. I'd like to think (although I know this is not rational, just humorous) that God has a sense of humor. It would explain A LOT. Including duck-billed platypuses.

Advantageous features only exist due to the particulars of the environment. And if the species exists, then obviously the advantageous eatures it has are suited to the environment. And since evolution already gives a mechanism for why animals have "advantageous features" there is no reason to add God, an unobserved unknown, as Nitram put it.

So what about "controlled evolution?"

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-06-28 09:05pm

admiral_danielsben wrote:Perhaps i should explain myself. We have noticed evolution in some lower species - both naturally occuring and via controlled breeding and genetic engineering. However, the evidence for HUMAN evolution is spotty - we still lack the true 'missing link', for example.

Wrong. Pre-human upright-walking primate fossils have been discovered. More to the point, please name me a single organ in the human body which is not found in other primates. If we're so special, and not evolved from common ancestry, this should not be difficult to find. If, on the other hand, we share every single organ in our bodies with other primates, what makes you think we're so special?

And what makes you think other species are biologically "lower" then us?

Occam's Razor agrees with you - simplest explanation is usually the best. But not always.

Simplest explanation is the most logical. It's not guaranteed, but the burden of proof is on he who would claim a more complex explanation.

And to be honest, 'God did it' is a damned simple explanation, although it may not be correct.

Don't be an imbecile. God is not an "explanation" at all. An explanation shows us how something was done. Do you know HOW God supposedly did this? Of course not; you don't know how he does anything. So instead of answering the question "how", you simply propose to answer the question "who", and pretend that it's the same question.

Also, what about 'controlled' evolution?

All evolution is controlled by environment. We have performed controlled evolution on various flora and fauna ourselves, such as corn, wheat, rice, turkeys, and dogs. What the hell do you think selective breeding is?

Say, God decided upon certain advantageous features. I mean, how do you explain a duck-billed platypus unless you assume God has a sense of humor? I mean, there are many mammals who dive into the water for food (seals, opossums, and so on) and eat without duck bills and don't lay eggs. I'd like to think (although I know this is not rational, just humorous) that God has a sense of humor. It would explain A LOT. Including duck-billed platypuses.

So anything you don't understand is automatically "explained" by simply saying the word "God"? Fascinating. Also totally illogical. But "illogical" and "religious" are pretty much synonymous, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-06-28 09:59pm

Can we have the evolution stuff split and moved to SLAM? I just know it's going to continue on for a while more.