95% of Irish people believe in god

markopantelic

how many people in ireland do ya reckon are proper religous?

OK-Cancel-Apply

In 50 years, I bet religion will be gone completely

bou

OK-Cancel-Apply wrote: »

In 50 years, I bet religion will be gone completely

In the next 50 years, society as we know it has a better chance of disintegrating into chaos than religion dying out.

shqipshume

why the hell do people care who believes what :rolleyes:

shqipshume

markopantelic wrote: »

how many people in ireland do ya reckon are proper religous?

When it comes down to 98% of Irish people believe in it ;)even when they say they dont.

Galvasean

shqipshume wrote: »

why the hell do people care who believes what :rolleyes:

Because people tend to lobby the Government based on their beliefs, effecting us all.

Húrin

Mark Hamill wrote: »

Wouldn't you feel threatened if a survey came out that said 95% of people believed in Santa Claus?

I would feel that my chances of getting presents would be threatened.

stevejazzx wrote: »

I really hate this argument. It is such a poor argument.

You may hate it, but I think that the way I see people is supported by history.

Even if you were right what's the point in giving them religion in the first place as a means of rationalising their madness.

Who are you talking about? I don't care about prescribing religion. I just am pointing out that atheism is no magic wand. The existence of religion is just the way things are, so we must start from there.

People may have to actually think about stuff instead filling in the automatic answers that religion offers.

Plenty of both religious and atheists think about stuff, and plenty in both groups subscribe to whatever fashions or memes are around them.

And if henious crimes are committed there is no place to hide.

Unless you're a determinist (i.e. disagree with freedom of the will), like many if not most atheist naturalists are.

It is stomach churning to know that there are people out there who think that the death of millions would be ok if it advanced the prospect of their religion gaining a dominant place in the world.

Yes. It is. It is equally stomach churning to know that there are people out there who think that the death of millions would be ok if it advanced the prospect of their ideology (say, democracy, capitalism, communism, or rationalism) gaining a dominant place in the world.

I think diversity is a great idea but only groups who do not believe in completely unsubstaniated myths should be acknowledged.

That's no diversity at all. Freedom of belief if a cornerstone of diversity. Who gets to set the yardstick as to what 'myths' are unsubstantiated.

Becasue we might harm ourselves anyway is not in anyway a reason for ignoring the systems of power that currently preside.

I agree entirely. I oppose oppressive religious institutions, but I see them as a consequence of the human tendency to oppress when in power over other humans. It is not a consequence of anything special about religious beliefs. There are plenty of secular examples of oppressive institutions, and plenty of religious communities that do not oppress anyone.

It's like saying that one should leave a child alone with a knife becasue even if the knife was removed it is possible the child might find a blade.

I see what you mean, but I think that another 'blade' will almost certainly be found unless we're a little bit more clever about it than just blaming 'irrational beliefs' for all the problems of the world.

Húrin

Galvasean wrote: »

Because people tend to lobby the Government based on their beliefs, effecting us all.

It seems that in recent years there has been a tendency to stereotype all Christians as right-wing, overly politicised, evolution-hating fundamentalists. This stereotype is imported from the US media, not based on reality here. Much like the stereotype of all Muslims as violent maniacs, etc.

Galvasean

Húrin wrote: »

It seems that in recent years there has been a tendency to stereotype all Christians as right-wing, overly politicised, evolution-hating fundamentalists. This stereotype is imported from the US media, not based on reality here. Much like the stereotype of all Muslims as violent maniacs, etc.

I'm not trying to stereotype anyone. But as we know the fundamentalists tend to be the ones who do most of the lobbying (side note: same is true for atheism in addition to religion).

Húrin

Galvasean wrote: »

I'm not trying to stereotype anyone. But as we know the fundamentalists tend to be the ones who do most of the lobbying (side note: same is true for atheism in addition to religion).

But you implied that the beliefs of all religious people mattered because they all lobby government to affect the rest of the population. That is simply not true. The majority of people who do the religion thing don't go for loud proclamation or lobbying.

Zombrex

Húrin wrote: »

But you implied that the beliefs of all religious people mattered because they all lobby government to affect the rest of the population. That is simply not true. The majority of people who do the religion thing don't go for loud proclamation or lobbying.

Do they vote?

Galvasean

Húrin wrote: »

But you implied that the beliefs of all religious people mattered because they all lobby government to affect the rest of the population. That is simply not true. The majority of people who do the religion thing don't go for loud proclamation or lobbying.

Where did I say they all do it? I said 'people tend to lobby the Government based on their beliefs, effecting us all.'
Stop looking for things to argue about.

Húrin

Wicknight wrote: »

Do they vote?

I would assume, lacking any evidence otherwise, that religious turnout at polls is similar to that of the population at large.

Zamboni

I couldn't care if it was 1% or 99%.
Still doesn't make it true

dvpower

Húrin wrote: »

But you implied that the beliefs of all religious people mattered because they all lobby government to affect the rest of the population. That is simply not true. The majority of people who do the religion thing don't go for loud proclamation or lobbying.

Until one suggests that schools or hospitals shouldn't have a religous ethos or that we should seperate church and state or that references to religion shouldn't exist in constitutional law.

Guill

95% belive in god(i.e. Christian) or any GOD?

Húrin

dvpower wrote: »

Until one suggests that schools or hospitals shouldn't have a religous ethos or that we should seperate church and state or that references to religion shouldn't exist in constitutional law.

In which case hardly anyone cares enough to change the status quo. It doesn't mean that people are fervently behind the Catholicism of most hospitals and schools.

I am a theist and I think that these places should be secularised too. So try not to stereotype people.

Abaddon

I think Hurin makes a valid point. You can't assume that because You might be passionate about atheism and a secular agenda that those who believe in a deity should be equally passionate about a religious agenda. I'm sure we all know many who never set foot in a church, or pay their religious superiors any heed, yet will insist their children are baptized and receive the various sacraments. I think this may be true for a great many believers in Ireland, especially Roman Catholics and Anglicans...

jimbling

Believing in God and being religious are two completely different things.

A survey like that is going to throw anyone that is not an atheist into the %. It's pretty easy to believe that the population is only about 5% Atheist.

I would imagine that there is a much higher % that are agnostic though. And Agnostics shouldn't really be down as believing in God, but you can be sure that they are.

Húrin

jimbling wrote: »

Believing in God and been religious are two completely different things.

A survey like that is going to throw anyone that is not an atheist into the %. It's pretty easy to believe that the population is only about 5% Atheist.

I would imagine that there is a much higher % that are agnostic though. And Agnostics shouldn't really be down as believing in God, but you can be sure that they are.

I would speculate that Ireland is at least 50% agnostic.

coffee_cake

jimbling wrote: »

Believing in God and been religious are two completely different things.

Been religious in past tense?


Yes, that mistake REALLY annoys me. It's a different TENSE.

Zillah

bluewolf wrote: »

Been religious in past tense?


Yes, that mistake REALLY annoys me. It's a different TENSE.

How does grammatical pettiness rank on the cosmic scale according to Buddha? To me it's rather important but I'd imagine that the enlightened master may have intended other things to occupy your thoughts

coffee_cake

Zillah wrote: »

How does grammatical pettiness rank on the cosmic scale according to Buddha? To me it's rather important but I'd imagine that the enlightened master may have intended other things to occupy your thoughts

I'm sure it falls under Right Speech

Zillah

Right Action: Thanking post.

dvpower

Húrin wrote: »

In which case hardly anyone cares enough to change the status quo. It doesn't mean that people are fervently behind the Catholicism of most hospitals and schools.

Its not the case that hardly anyone cares. For example, in a RedC poll last year 72% of parents said that they want primary schools to be managed by the state, with equal opportunity afforded to all religions.

There is a lack of political will, but recent (and upcoming) reports may change that; there was a debate in the Seanad yesterday that included the subject of church control of schools and any support for the status quo was based around the financial cost of changing it.

I am a theist and I think that these places should be secularised too. So try not to stereotype people.

That wasn't my intention.