I have never heard of Martha and the Muffins.
Actually, I was thinking of Gordon Lightfoot, among others.
On reincarnation of God
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Actually, I was thinking of Gordon Lightfoot, among others.
I do not see NT questions there. These are the bible questions:
Spoiler Bible questions :
They seem to me very much the sort of questions people of "christian culture" but not Christian would know. Whereas all the non-christian ones are much easier, I would expect people with any sort of well rounded understanding of world religions would know. That makes it unsurprising that overall atheists and agnostics would be able to better than stereotypical bible belt Christians woud actively avoid knowing.
I think they get the definition of atheist wrong:
Is an (INSERT FIRST ITEM; ROTATE atheist and agnostic) someone who believes in God, someone who does NOT believe in God, or someone who is unsure whether God exists?
But a strong atheist is someone who believes God does not exist, which is different from someone who does not believe in God. And a strong agnostic is someone who believes the existence or otherwise of God is unknowable, not someone who is unsure.
Please tell me you see New Testament questions there.
Yeah, I do. I started my post, then found a load more questions and forgot I wrote that.
I mean, I could be wrong, but I don't believe I claimed "generally" means "all". I just said that ignorance is a uniform trait, and I've been lectured at by born-again Christians, raised Christians, atheists, and even agnostics (perhaps weirdly).
I used to study religion a lot, so obviously on the curve, I'm "educated" to a degree. But I still knew enough to know that I didn't know enough. I had theological discussions with (friendly) colleagues who I trusted to debate things with. It was good. But as time went on, my software interests just outweighed the time I had to keep up. I still have some retained knowledge, but it's nowhere near where it used to be. And I'm still young. Plenty of time to forget yet
All my experience teaches me is that I can rely on atheists to have faulty knowledge as much as religious folk. It's anecdotal, sure. But the research Narz provided (as I pointed out, and EdmundIronside followed up with) isn't really much in the way of conclusive (in terms of being informed). To be clear, I still can disagree with how people interpret their faith, how it is taught, and definitely the organised part like the Churches and so on. I just don't see much point turning it into an intelligence contest, nor is the evidence for said context compelling. Unless @Narz wants to concede that the average atheist or agnostic person is roughly as informed about religious matters as your average Mormon
I'm not convinced. Is it possible to believe that God exists but not believe in God? If not the 2 are effectively the same.
A lot of atheists in Western society have good knowledge of the Bible, having been brought up as Christians but rejected the faith.
Not quite. The a baby, or someone who has never been introduced to the idea of God, would not believe in God. It takes a certain amount of knowledge to actively believe there is no God.
At a quick glance, I knew most of the answers to that quiz posted above. One question is missing, and I admit to not knowing one of the others.
If you haven't been introduced to the concept of God then obviously you don't believe God exists. It doesn't require an active decision on your part. One reason why the belief that only through this God or that can you be saved is so unfair. God punishes you because you were born at the wrong time in the wrong place according to some believers.
If you mean the "Which Bible figure is most closely associated with" one, it says: NO ITEM b. The more I read it the less I think of Pew.
Narz
keeping it real
Anyone seriously into this stuff is gonna know more than an average atheist. Like w you eventually you're gonna devote time to stuff that puts loaves on the table.Unless @Narz wants to concede that the average atheist or agnostic person is roughly as informed about religious matters as your average Mormon
Most of my religious education comes from darkmatter2525
His job video pretty funny
Narz
keeping it real
I think a kid should be able to figure it out by around four or five, around the same time you realize Santa is fake.
I think kids realize earlier than we think that alot of what adults say is real is questionable they're just not going to be able to articulate it.
Farm Boy
they're all reactions
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Sorta happens with the general source. But don't worry. It'll be happy to speak for you!
The assumptions underlying most religions and those underlying a secular/scientific view of reality do not align very well. Those differing assumptions make it almost impossible for the higher thought out structures to ever agree. The more exclusive world (smaller in scope?) view of many secularists does not allow for many of the religious concepts that have been pushed beyond the secular boundaries. Neither group will read Job the same way; nor will they read "The Old Man and the Sea" the same. Of course the two groups can find lots of overlap (depending upon how extreme a person is), but agreement overall is difficult. Because our worldviews are so fundamental, we only give them up reluctantly or through great events.
The Truth about the universe and our place in it is out there; it does exist and is likely independent of us. One way or another most of us come to grips with the questions and cobble together an answer to get us through our days and nights. We find like-minded folks to hone our assumptions and build the scaffolding that supports our lives. That is common to us all even if the answers are not the same.
The Truth about the universe and our place in it is out there; it does exist and is likely independent of us. One way or another most of us come to grips with the questions and cobble together an answer to get us through our days and nights. We find like-minded folks to hone our assumptions and build the scaffolding that supports our lives. That is common to us all even if the answers are not the same.
It's not so far "out there" as "out there" assumes that we're either in the middle or at one end looking at a universe that is remote and separate and some other place.
I don't recall which astrophysicist who said that it's possible that the atoms that make up your left hand could have come from a different star than the atoms in your right hand (since atoms in a nebula where star formation is going on don't particularly care where gravity takes them as they begin to condense into a proto-star). Regardless of which star provided them, I'm very glad they did, or I wouldn't be able to type.
So for me the universe is not "out there." It's right here, and we are all part of it - all made of atoms created by ancient stars when they died in supernovae explosions. Any part of you that is more complex than hydrogen or helium was initially forged in a dying star just before it exploded and scattered those elements into space, to be taken up and recycled billions of years later.
Just as GoD designed.
Moff Jerjerrod
Deity
In response to the survey and who knows more I counter with....
What good is book knowledge if the heart of the topic is not understood? IOW, just because someone knows the exact book, chapter, and verse a detail is located does that mean they are saved?
Even Satan and his minions know there is a God.
What good is book knowledge if the heart of the topic is not understood? IOW, just because someone knows the exact book, chapter, and verse a detail is located does that mean they are saved?
Even Satan and his minions know there is a God.
Do you think they have better evidence for God than we do?
As an aside: theologically, I think too many Christians have too much assumption that they (themselves) are saved.
In Christian theology, you need to have faith that Jesus's sacrifice paid for your sins. Not merely the assumption, but faith. The type of faith that says "Lord, please forgive me as I've forgive others" (not 'more than I've forgiveness others, if you please).
The average Christian I know has verifiably less faith in God than a mustard seed. They don't have a mustard seed's worth of faith, but assume they have enough faith that Jesus paid for their sins?
I've often said that there's more evidence that the Bible was inspired as a way to deceive people away from God than that it's actually holy scripture. Any deceptive muse can trick someone into writing "This book is magic, yo". And then you'll get literally billions of people who think that a Global Flood happened and that a Prophet ordering the stabbing of babies is an order that 'should be followed if you want to be righteous'.
The best way to lead people astray is a series of very plausible lies with some truth sprinkled in. People believe in a Devil that can whisk Jesus to a mountain so tall that all the kingdoms are visible, but also believe that he can't trick you into worshiping evil instead of good?
As an aside: theologically, I think too many Christians have too much assumption that they (themselves) are saved.
In Christian theology, you need to have faith that Jesus's sacrifice paid for your sins. Not merely the assumption, but faith. The type of faith that says "Lord, please forgive me as I've forgive others" (not 'more than I've forgiveness others, if you please).
The average Christian I know has verifiably less faith in God than a mustard seed. They don't have a mustard seed's worth of faith, but assume they have enough faith that Jesus paid for their sins?
I've often said that there's more evidence that the Bible was inspired as a way to deceive people away from God than that it's actually holy scripture. Any deceptive muse can trick someone into writing "This book is magic, yo". And then you'll get literally billions of people who think that a Global Flood happened and that a Prophet ordering the stabbing of babies is an order that 'should be followed if you want to be righteous'.
The best way to lead people astray is a series of very plausible lies with some truth sprinkled in. People believe in a Devil that can whisk Jesus to a mountain so tall that all the kingdoms are visible, but also believe that he can't trick you into worshiping evil instead of good?
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Well Satan is a first hand witness.
Moff Jerjerrod
Deity
Yes as Aiken said above.
You hit the nail right on the head. Faith is what saves. Even if it is the size of a mustard seed if it is genuine it saves.
Not so sure that the Bible is a tool to lead people astray. I've been seeing a lot of this type of discussion lately. Jesus said of the last days to be wary of deception. (I'm paraphrasing)
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