milquetoast1 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 I have no religion and have just taken the test on the page linked to...I got 75%..maybe you are right... ? Ah, I got 100%! Just had to guess the last question. It's here if anybody else wants to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchresearch Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 I fail to understand what you mean by "nothing exceptional"? Sure you might have got 32 out of 32, but this was a study involving averages. Atheist/agnostics came out top in the study of religious knowledge, and 31% ahead of average. Yes, they might have come out "top", but they scored 20.9. The next score, the Jews, was very close at 20.5. Now if there had been a clear gap between atheists and the others then the results might have been more conclusive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryedo40 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 ...The real surprise for me in that survey is that one religious group, Jews, know more about different religions overall than members of other religions do. Jews have, almost traditionally, been pitted against Muslims and Christians. So maybe those extra pressures have led them to study the opposition a little more. Atheists, on the other hand, have only really had to deal with Christianity (although that's now changing). So maybe that's why there is a slight gap in knowledge. ---------- Post added 09-10-2013 at 16:01 ---------- Yes, they might have come out "top", but they scored 20.9. The next score, the Jews, was very close at 20.5. Now if there had been a clear gap between atheists and the others then the results might have been more conclusive. The results are very conclusive: generally, atheists are more knowledgeable about religion than those who are affiliated with religion. Although Jews and Mormons had similar results, those results don't negate that fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milquetoast1 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Yes, they might have come out "top", but they scored 20.9. The next score, the Jews, was very close at 20.5. Now if there had been a clear gap between atheists and the others then the results might have been more conclusive. My bold. There was a clear gap between atheists/agnostics and the "others". Atheists/agnostics managed an average of 20.9, and the "others" managed an average of less than 16*. A rather "conclusive" 31% difference I think. You can't compare the average of the top scoring group and compare it to the average of the next highest scoring group and declare it insignificant, that's statistical nonsense. The "others" as you call them include Jews and Hispanic Catholics, and atheists will include people who used to follow the follow the Jewish and Catholic faiths. Possibly some Jewish atheists scored 32 out of 32, who knows, but what we can say is that the average atheist/agnostic scored 31% better than the average "others". * The average overall is stated as 16/32, but this will have been bolstered by the inclusion of atheists/agnostics, so the average for the "others" will be somewhat less than 16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gluedtopc Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Sorry Mel, but this is turning into one of the most tedious threads on the whole Forum. IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angos Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 I didn't say there was. The original question was... ...to which I answered yes. As a religion on the whole, there is no claim that any gods currently do exist, as Buddhism is more concerned with Earthly existence and how we live our lives. None of the Buddhists I have known claim that any gods exist. That site, like the BBC (and much of the Western world), is translating the word "Deva" as "deity" and "gods". It's my understanding (from Buddhists themselves) that Devas were/are not gods but mortal (although supernatural) beings, which some Buddhists literally believe but many more view as metaphorical and mythological. Regardless of whether Deva means gods, my answer to the original question is yes, there are religions who do not claim that gods exist This is why my first post answering this question said "it depends on the definition of God and religion being used". Definition God a superhuman being or spirit worshiped as having power over nature or human fortunes; Deva a divine being or god in Hinduism and Buddhism Definition Religion the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods: So by definition any organsiation that doesn't belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power isn't a religion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avidcameron Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 If you say "F***, it's rather cold outside" - it doesn't mean you think there is a being called F*** - or that you are actually protesting against a being called F***. The same goes when the word God is used as an expletive or exclamation. Is that so?Personally I do not a swear so I have never considered your hypothesis. ---------- Post added 09-10-2013 at 16:37 ---------- Sorry Mel, but this is turning into one of the most tedious threads on the whole Forum. IMHO. There are some real pedants in operation with little or no sense of humour,irony or proportion.You are spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryedo40 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 There are some real pedants in operation with little or no sense of humour,irony or proportion.You are spot on. Sorry if I come across that way sometimes, but I try to be as clear as possible when I write. I guess I just got the impression you were being a bit of a hole with some of your comments. Apologies if I was wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avidcameron Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 Sorry if I come across that way sometimes, but I try to be as clear as possible when I write. I guess I just got the impression you were being a bit of a hole with some of your comments. Apologies if I was wrong. I am often in a hole but have never been called one-I never take any comments(good or bad) made on this forum at their face value given the source of those remarks.you should feel any need to apologise but it is noble of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchresearch Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 My bold. There was a clear gap between atheists/agnostics and the "others". Atheists/agnostics managed an average of 20.9, and the "others" managed an average of less than 16*. A rather "conclusive" 31% difference I think. You can't compare the average of the top scoring group and compare it to the average of the next highest scoring group and declare it insignificant, that's statistical nonsense. You can when you're on a thread trying to prove that schools are failing in RE - schools which are centred around one particular faith. And UK schools at that. Isn't your poll based on US citizens? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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