Richard Dawkins' 7 Categories
1. Strong theist. 100% probability of the existence of God. In the words of C.G. Jung, "I do not believe, I know."
2. Very high probability but short of 100%. De facto theist. "I cannot know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there."
3. Higher than 50% but not very high. Technically agnostic but leaning towards theism. "I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God."
4. Exactly 50%. Completely impartial agnostic. "God's existence and non-existence are exactly equi-probable."
5. Lower than 50% but not very low. Technically agnostic but leaning towards atheism. "I don't know whether God exists but I'm inclined to be skeptical."
6. Very low probability, but short of zero. De facto atheist. "I cannot know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there."
7. Strong atheist. "I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung "knows" there is one."
Of course there are not 7 hard categories but a continuum. For simplicity's sake, which one most closely describes your views?
2. Very high probability but short of 100%. De facto theist. "I cannot know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there."
3. Higher than 50% but not very high. Technically agnostic but leaning towards theism. "I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God."
4. Exactly 50%. Completely impartial agnostic. "God's existence and non-existence are exactly equi-probable."
5. Lower than 50% but not very low. Technically agnostic but leaning towards atheism. "I don't know whether God exists but I'm inclined to be skeptical."
6. Very low probability, but short of zero. De facto atheist. "I cannot know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there."
7. Strong atheist. "I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung "knows" there is one."
Of course there are not 7 hard categories but a continuum. For simplicity's sake, which one most closely describes your views?
19 Comments
nibiyabiI'm a 6.
HaldaugI'm a 6 as well. I hope this talk post doesn't succumb into a discussion of terminology; trying to categorize atheists and agnostics often do...
nibiyabiThat's what the caveat at the end is for.
NordlichReiter6 most days.. some times I'm a 7
eric35796.98 and leaning towards 6.99.
darkrowan2, but pagan so I don't quite know if I really the person he's thinking about when he made this list.
gwiz6657. I am as sure as I am of anything. I'm am also certain that gravity will work tomorrow and that water is wet and that light is not dark.
mauz15I've gone from 2 (childhood) to 3, to 6, (teenage years) to the current:
5.7( like a 70% probability; so as to say: greater than 50% but not in the range of a 'very low probability') Along with a very abstract idea of God.
I am (or constantly try to be ) aware of my limited perception, my limited senses, and therefore, limited ideas and beliefs. And I feel that with the current knowledge, age, life experience, etc, that I have; it would be arrogant of me to decide a belief system, worldview (atheist/theist), or whatever you want to call it just by a 'leap of faith' or the other hand, assuming the lack of it.
berticus6, because 7==1
BillOreillyatheism is like alcohol-- drink enough of either, and you sound really stupid
Farhad20004.
I don't really care either way. Its not going to change anything if we are theist or atheist, people will still treat each other like shit.
gwiz665>> ^Farhad2000:
4.
I don't really care either way. Its not going to change anything if we are theist or atheist, people will still treat each other like shit.
It's not about how people treat each other, it's about the truth.
Even if there is a God or not, the effects of the perceived existence of God can certainly be felt. This is not a study into what ifs, it's a study on belief. You say you are a 4, but what you actually say is "I don't care" - that makes you a 6, because (I assume) you live as if a God did not exist.
Farhad2000That truth is meaningless and impossible to prove either way. I believe its better to just not care either way.
OrnthoronI'm a 6 by Hume's standards of knowledge, and a 7 by Popper's or Russell's.
volumptuousI go to 11
Doc_M1.5
rottenseed(-10)
I know god exists 'cause he owes me 10 bucks.
Just kidding, I'd say I am a 7 but we all have cognitive dissonance. If you don't, you've got no imagination.
Ryjkyj6
dgandhi7 -- because "god" is not a coherent concept, and therefor can not exist.
If somebody would posit a coherent, universal, "god" concept I would go to 6, but do to the mess that the pseudo-concept "god" already is, I won't hold my breath.
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