Metapoll: What options should a religion poll have?

[Erik Mesoy]

Since we have regular polls of this nature and someone always complains about the options and there are usually a number of "splitters" and "lumpers" pointing out (probably unintentional) double standards, let's try to get some order in the options early.

Here are my suggestions for 10 major ones, based on my impression of this forum's community:

Strong Atheist - God cannot exist (for the commonly accepted value of "God")
Weak Atheist - God is probably false (ditto)
Strong Agnostic - I consider it impossible to become certain regarding God
Weak Agnostic - I am seeking (increased) certainty regarding God
Catholic Christian
Other Christian (Protestant, Orthodox, unaffiliated)
Non-Christian Abrahamic (Jewish, Muslim, Bahai)
Buddhist
Hinduist
Deist
(And an 'other' option, of course, but that doesn't really count.)
If I had to add another, I'd probably split "Other Christian".

Since this is a metapoll, there will be no poll.

Does anyone want to make a case for a multiple choice poll, or are too few religions non-exclusive for this to be useful?

 

[musekick]

I would like to see some other options for Christianity besides "Catholic" and "other", which seems to be a norm.

 

[Moss]

I agree, there are as many versions of Christianity out there as there are flavors of soda.

 

[Mowque]

Naw, non-Catholic = Protestant. Keep it simple...

 

[eastsidebagel]

Naw, non-Catholic = Protestant. Keep it simple...

I'm with mowque here, after all it's just a simple, de facto anonymous answer you have to hand over here, and there is always the "other"-option right beneath it.

 

[Gustave5436]

Agnosticism is not a faith.

For religion, you have:

"None"
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Maybe Sikhism, Baha'i
Confucianism/Taoism are also possibilities though their dual religion/philosophy nature is an issue
"Other"

For a separate poll on faith in god:

non-agnostic atheism
agnostic atheism
agnostic theism
non-agnostic theism

 

[Joecoolyo]

 

[Mirc]

Naw, non-Catholic = Protestant. Keep it simple...

Orthodox Christianity has some hundreds of millions of followers and they are definitely NOT Protestant.

 

[Miles Teg]

Way to few options. We've got 25 options, let's work with it. Let's keep in mind the vast majority of the posters are atheist, agnostic or Christian. The following list doesn't use all of them for two reasons. While we might get a Sikh on the forum, we probably aren't going to get a semi-literate follower of some traditional African cult on here. Second, if you put Scientology or Rastafarianism on here, you'd just get allot of joke answers.

Spoiler :

Agnostic; "Strong"
Atheist; "Strong"
Atheist, "Weak"
Bahá'í
Buddhist
Christian; Catholic
Christian; Mormon
Christian; Prostetant
Christian; Other
Deist
Hindu
Jew
Muslim
Neo-Paganist
Shintoist
Sikh
Unitarian Universalist
Other

 

[mitsho]

Something's missing... Yes, I know it, it's Ignosticism, meaning the

I DON'T CARE ABOUT GOD!

(it's certainly separate from atheism - no god - and agnosticism - we cannot know -, but it's probably the most common. But as ignosticists don't care, they don't participate in such polls).

Btw. are the 4 distinctions of agnosticism and atheism really needed?

 

[eastsidebagel]

Orthodox Christianity has some hundreds of millions of followers and they are definitely NOT Protestant.

I would put them all in the Catholic's section then! in b4 you're an ignorant jerk, I know that this isn't 100% correct, but I won't mind overlooking the differences between the both of these groups, even in RL.

Moderator Action: Keep it polite and civil.

 

[Integral]

Btw. are the 4 distinctions of agnosticism and atheism really needed?

Yes, The 'atheism' and 'agnosticism' categories tend to bring in 50% or more of all respondents. There's ample room to split those groups and get more information-bearing options out of them.

I'm undecided as to what to do with Christianity. Catholic/Protestant/Orthodox/Other Christian is a lot of options for one religion, but given the religious distribution of CFC it might be appropriate.

 

[GinandTonic]

I would put them all in the Catholic's section then! in b4 you're an ignorant jerk, I know that this isn't 100% correct, but I won't mind overlooking the differences between the both of these groups, even in RL.

Moderator Action: Keep it polite and civil.

Orthodox and Prodistant are more different from each other than either is from Catholics.

Either the christians as one entity or three. There is no logical basis for two.

 

[Shekwan]

I would like to see some other options for Christianity besides "Catholic" and "other", which seems to be a norm.

I agree, there are as many versions of Christianity out there as there are flavors of soda.

Well when it comes to christianity, theres the one true faith and then all the other pretenders. Makes sense to have Catholicism and then "other". Theres too many sects of those heretics to make each one an option.

 

[tycoonist]

Strong Atheist - God cannot exist (for the commonly accepted value of "God")
Weak Atheist - God is probably false (ditto)

i prefer to classify atheism simply as the absence of belief in God or Gods rather than as one of these statements. this is the more logical position.

 

[tycoonist]

Well when it comes to christianity, theres the one true faith and then all the other pretenders. Makes sense to have Catholicism and then "other". Theres too many sects of those heretics to make each one an option.

this has set up a perfect oppurtunity for this joke:

Spoiler :

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"

He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Me, too!"

Northern Conservative†Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.

 

[eastsidebagel]

Well when it comes to christianity, theres the one true faith and then all the other pretenders. Makes sense to have Catholicism and then "other". Theres too many sects of those heretics to make each one an option.

Replace "Catholism" with any other Christian denomination and count me in!
And I agree, just make an all-Christian-option and everybody could make the right choice that way.

 

[jessiecat]

A metapoll? You want to make a list about what to have in a poll you're not going to have?
What is it with you people and lists anyway? Another pointless thread.

 

[Integral]

A metapoll? You want to make a list about what to have in a poll you're not going to have?
What is it with you people and lists anyway? Another pointless thread.

Religion polls are Serious Business.

 

[eastsidebagel]

What is it with you people and lists anyway? Another pointless thread.

Bah, at least it lets me forget for a couple o' minutes that I have no life besides this forum!