Do you believe in God?

[Blahr 0]

The options seem quite straightforward to me. I see no judgemental options here. Please explain.

[Muenkel 0]

Absolutely, positively yes. In fact I am betting my eternal soul on it.

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Chris

[Shotgun 1]

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How about "I don't know if a God (or Gods) exists?"

That's different from being undecided in my belief. I have a belief, my belief is that I don't know.

I see your point... Your wording would have probably made more sense than mine, but that's basically what I meant... It's hard to come up with the right wording for these options - guess I could have gotten opinions before posting the poll.

[pds 0]

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Absolutely, positively yes. In fact I am betting my eternal soul on it.

here's mine, bro. what kinda odds can ya get me?

namaste, motherfucker.

[Muenkel 0]

About a hundred to one.

_________________________________________
Chris

[Zenister 0]

define "traditional" -whos traditions? so if i follow religious traditions thousands of years older than christian am i still considered 'traditional"

"One almighty?" -if you mean christian God say christian god as is this option applies to several faiths.


your far better off using the word "Divinity" or "deity" in nearly every case..although you'll run into issues with those religions that dont personify them still..Shinto being one, or better yet stick with the actual names for each religion..Yahweh, Jehovah, Buddha, Vishnu etc..

"many gods" leaves out quite a bit, too for example Hindu, and various Amer-Indian religions could be classified this way however at their core they are all aspects of the same ideal...with differing 'realms of responsibility'

now where do you fit beliefs that are completely unpersonified?? ie Tao and Zen??

the word "god" means far to many things to categorize it in the manner you did.
Mind you I dont think it was intentional at all the way you phrased your question illustrates an obvious cultural bias hence 'judgmental'.


when you break it down in this manner its pretty obvious that a majority of the population believes in "god" in one form or another with the only holds being agnostics and atheists.

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[BikerBabe 0]

Interesting poll, however, I don't think "skydivers" as a group are a good statistical sample of the general population in regards to this issue.

Just from personal experience, most of the atheists/agnostics that I know are skydivers, while very few of my non-skydiving friends are atheist/agnostic.

I think it would be a very interesting sociological study to look at why the percentage of atheists/agnostics (I use those for lack of better terms) is so much higher in skydivers (and possibly other "adrenaline" sports) than in the general population. Especially considering that conventional wisdom says that someone involved in a high-risk activity might tend to rely on a higher power moreso than others who are not (the "no atheists in foxholes" hypothesis).

For the record, I do believe in God, but I was an atheist for a loooong time, so both perspectives are not unknown to me.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[Zenister 0]

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Absolutely, positively yes. In fact I am betting my eternal soul on it.

here's mine, bro. what kinda odds can ya get me?

the Russian artists Komar & Melamid once set up a concession to buy and sell souls (long before the ebay bit) unfortunately they discovered their were so many people willing to sell theirs that it was completely a buyers market.. (Andy Warhol's soul was purchased for a dollar with the assumption that there was already a lein on it )

I guaranteeyou can still pick up souls cheaply pretty much everywhere, so i doubt your soul will be worth much on the craps table...

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[livendive 8]

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Absolutely, positively yes. In fact I am betting my eternal soul on it.

Actually, you're betting portions of your life here on earth. It's those of us who don't believe in god who are betting eternity on it. :-)
Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[Shotgun 1]

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define "traditional" -whos traditions? so if i follow religious traditions thousands of years older than christian am i still considered 'traditional"

I meant any of the older religions... It's a somewhat vague word, but I think most people understand what I mean. (It's impossible to word any of the options perfectly I think - just trying to get a general idea...)

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"One almighty?" -if you mean christian God say christian god as is this option applies to several faiths.

I mean god in the dictionary sense, which I believe could include Tao and Zen:

"1. God a. A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheistic religions. b. The force, effect, or a manifestation or aspect of this being.
2. A being of supernatural powers or attributes, believed in and worshiped by a people, especially a male deity thought to control some part of nature or reality.
3. An image of a supernatural being; an idol."

(many gods would be the plural version of this definition)

Sorry if your answer doesn't fit any of the options I listed (with so many possible answers, I knew I'd leave someone out!)

[Shotgun 1]

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Interesting poll, however, I don't think "skydivers" as a group are a good statistical sample of the general population in regards to this issue.

Yeah, I agree with that... but the poll is to find out what dz.commers believe, not the general population.

[Zenister 0]

thats why i questioned.

they way you defined "god" is much more broad than most do, so you'll end up getting overlap in catagories that would have fit in one. Hence the reason to avoid the word as its been 'coopted' by the primary monotheistic religions..

actually Tao and Zen dont fit into that definition either, nor do any of the religions that dont personify divinity.

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[kmcguffee 0]

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thats why i questioned.

they way you defined "god" is much more broad than most do, so you'll end up getting overlap in catagories that would have fit in one. Hence the reason to avoid the word as its been 'coopted' by the primary monotheistic religions..

actually Tao and Zen dont fit into that definition either, nor do any of the religions that dont personify divinity.

She said she is not looking for a debate. Just vote and move on. It is a very simple question.

"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

[robskydiv 0]

I believe in God. I don't condemn anyone who doesn't.

[Zenister 0]

no its not. anyone who thinks so has a simplistic veiw of the universe and religion in general.

and if you dont divide your catagories very well you get misleading answers. Someone who assumes she means the christian 'God' in the "almighty" catagory will perhaps put their vote into the "non traditional" one.

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[pds 0]

ahhhhhhh, fuckyouverymuch zen, i was hoping for at least a dollar

namaste, motherfucker.

[kai2k1 0]

i do believe in GOD,

There's no truer sense of flying than sky diving," Scott Cowan

[Shotgun 1]

Ok, I get your point... the options I listed are not perfect - too late to change them now. As I said before, sorry if I don't have one that fits for you...

[Zenister 0]

no worries, thats why i just posted

yes.

but i was wondering what you were asking so i wanted clarification..

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[Zennie 0]

Hey no worries. Problem is I'm a techie so I take everything literally (and it drives my non-techie friends nuts). I'll place a vote in your uncertain category.

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[Zenister 0]

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ahhhhhhh, fuckyouverymuch zen, i was hoping for at least a dollar

i know a few places that still have penny crap tables

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[Zennie 0]

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I think it would be a very interesting sociological study to look at why the percentage of atheists/agnostics (I use those for lack of better terms) is so much higher in skydivers (and possibly other "adrenaline" sports) than in the general population

I think because a lot of us tend to be fatalistic. I think we also like to believe that we are in control of our own destiny... the only outside intervention being those pesky wind rotors.

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[pds 0]

havent i posted enough? i think this is where i actually show my ass and annoy everyone who might have, up to this point, found it in thier heart to tolerate me......

honest answer to the question at hand is: I think we can all come to even a compromised consensus of what is topically meant as 'GOD', and that being said i say No, i have never had a question regarding the existence of any diety or omiscient entity, but.... even i can accept that i could be wrong, hey it could happen so let me also say that i feel pretty secure in my opinion that IF there is a "GOD" and after the way it/he/she has treated me and mine, it/he/she doesnt deserve my beliefe and can kiss my ass all the way to the express elevator down.

another thought that lets me sleep pretty easily with my beliefs is that if i am wrong and there is a classic type of god, none of this religion/entrance requirements bullshit will mean a thing. everyone goes to heaven. the idea that there is a superior caretaker that would make arbitrary choices regarding something like eternal salvation or damnation is ludicrous. zoinks.

i think that was $.03, sorry.

namaste, motherfucker.

[quade 4]

Don't ya just love it?

Forgive an old man, but I'm gonna ramble here a bit.

I'm having a crisis of sorts myself recently over the issue of just how much to care about stuff. How much can I "help" somebody if that's not really what they're after to begin with. And is that really what -I'm- trying to do by "helping" them?

We had this thread going on in another forum just today wherein a couple of folks were talking about needing some help in one way or another. Ya try to chip in with some experienced and maybe even helpful insight into their little problem and they don't listen and they don't really seem want your help anyway. I'm not really sure WFT they want, but "help" doesn't really seem to be "it".

So, in the last few weeks (months?) I've come to the conclusion that if you look around the dz (or dz.com) we're all pretty much screwed up in one way or another and that we're all looking for -something-; attention, ego stroking, reassurance we've made the correct choices in life -- whatever.

So, what does this have to do with "God" or this poll?

Think about it.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Shotgun 1]

NO NO NO! You're luring people in for a debate! Don't do it!

Please...