Today's Gather Poll Regarding Religion

You are not alone, Jennifer. It is terribly frustrating to be polled by people with an agenda.

Gather's are some of the poorest worded polls I have ever seen.

Agreed. (I wanted to say "amen!" but figured you might not appreciate the humor in that right now.)

Gather's "polls" are almost always geared toward some sort of presumed outcome, and for all we know they play into marketing schemes. What we can be sure of is that they aren't sincere fact-finding efforts.

Unfortunately, people too often confuse faith with religion. You are right that religion is a man-organized activity. I subscribe that faith is God-driven.

Religion is bullshit, as George Carlin once said. All I can say is someone a long time ago came up with the best marketing scheme known to man. What other business can you have where people will just hand you money, and it's all tax free?

I do believe you have a point. I'm not positive of this fact but will research it. Religion is only mentioned in the Bible three times. Faith is the key not religion. However, I believe the intent is not evil and the folks who do the poll don't have an agenda. This is a hot topic right now, and some people are too easily offended. I think Dannielle says it best.

I don't care for organized religion at all. OTOH, I don't have a spiritual bone in my body. As far as I can tell the two are totally unrelated.

It is extremly mis-leading to equate "belief in the existance of god' and a "belief in a universal spirit" as having anything in common. While i have a definate and deep seated belief in a "higher power" I reject without qualification "the god of abraham".

To somehow try to put me in the same category with bible believing christians or suggest that we have anything in common theologically is just wrong.

and it's all tax free?

Something we really need to change.

What fool flagged this for profanity? I'll bet that person thinks dirty words all day and giggles.

True, the poll is ridiculous, but I wonder if all spirituality doesn't have some sort of religious face. Religion is, after all the communal reflection of spirituality, and a spirituality that is not concerned with community doesn't have much going for it.

I try to stay away from polls. Like you said, they are being run by people with agendas

As usual, this poll offers no shades of gray. It asks how important religion is in one's life, with three degrees of 'importance' to choose from, the assumption being that religion is a positive force by tacitly equating 'importance' with 'good, better, best'. How about allowing for those of us who think religion is important in its negative impact on society? If I were to check 'very important' on the poll, it would automatically put me in a pro-religion category, which is as far from the truth as is possible. It is, in my opinion, of great importance in its role in destroying humanity, but I can't make that known by checking any of the poll answers. Another empty, feeble attempt to make gather appear 'interested' and 'with it'. *Yawn*

I've always found that polls questions never really apply to me, either.

I call religion "religiosity" .. it is all man made. I do go to church when I want to and I do believe in God, but I am more spiritual. I just don't go into the dogma of what people that spout religion tell me I should believe or what I should or should not be doing.

Religion is nothing to me.. but God is like the center of my being. I feel at one with what makes me spiritual if that makes sense... and I could give a flip about religion.

The Existence and the infinite nature of GOD is something that has never occured to me to doubt. However, I see nothing in any religions that I believe would warrant GOD's approval. The appearance of piety may fool some of the neighbors, but we can't really fool our own hearts, and we won't fool GOD.

p.s. the person who flagged this sure as hell doesn't represent the community!

Yeah, what's up with that flagging? AND the downrating? Some itchy-nosed fundamentalist snooping around got offended and decided to be childish and throw the Gather version of a temper tantrum. I guess in their eyes not believing in their version of god is profanity. Pure childishness! The biggest argument against organized religion is just this sort of behavior by its adherents.

You're right, Jennifer; there's a vast difference between religion and spirituality. As an eclectic, solitary, sorta neo-pagan, that poll ignores me and my beliefs completely. Hey! Maybe we can sue Gather for discrimination!

Just for fun, we could all design a poll for Gather. I'll start and see if anyone else wants to play.

When would you like to see us do away with the community flag?

1) Tomorrow
2) The day after tomorrow
3) Two days from now
4) Sooner than I can type another word

What would you like to see us do with the immature people who flag for profanity?

1) Return them to the kindergarten class from which they escaped
2) Return them to the mental ward from which they escaped
3) Return them to the prison from which they escaped
4) Return their computer to the person from whom they stole it

Why do you think people flag articles for profanity?

1) The author is correct
2) They envy the author's intelligence
3) They have no control over their mouse fingers
4) They are idiots

I love my church and I attend church. I'm not going to defend religion because, like everything else it can be both good and bad.

However, I don't flag posts for profanity except my own. I don't claim to be perfect, because we all have our flaws.

With the new Gather set up, I generally read people I am connected to first and then branch off into other stuff. If someone's posts annoy me enough - I just don't read them. My advice is that if you see someone whose profanity annoys you - cut them off your friends list and don't read their stuff.

AS for down rating. I think that comes from both the religious and the non religious crowds.

Jennifer excellent point.

I was wondering along those lines too.

What Sandy said about the flagging.

When you see profanity, what do you do?

1) Think dirty thoughts and blame others
2) Flag it immediately and come back often to read it again
3) Wish I had thought of that word first
4) Say the word aloud

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I almost posted an article on the same subject. I do believe in spirituality and God but I do not believe in organized religion religion. There was no way for me to answer the poll.

Jennifer, I completely understand your frustration and sense of alienation. As a person of deep faith and spirit, I feel saddened when spiritual boundaries and lines are drawn to separate us. Sadly, it has always been so. We who strive to stay interconnected face a tough road however it is a worthy calling to speak for peace and connection.

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With me around, Jennifer, you don't need to post to that annoying group.

The flagging, I believe, is for when Ron J. quoted Carlin. The BS word. I wonder though how someone would find it so quickly.

I had the same problem as the Dame. I answered anyway, because I think it's a good idea to see what percent of us is "not religious", whatever the details are.

I wonder though how someone would find it so quickly. On no. Think that Kerry guy is back?

No sense wasting a trip.

What do you think the average IQ of chronic flaggits might be?
1) 2
2) 5
3) 9
4) 14

I've noticed that sometimes the polls do have something a reason to be there. I'll see an odd poll and a few weeks later notice a new ad that ties directly with the poll. Maybe they're going to start advertising Billy Graham t-shirts or something.

Sandy, the word "bot" was indeed passing through my mind....

Which religion do you select your beliefs a la carte from:

1. Christian
2. Baptist
3. Catholic
4. I'm going to Hell

Now THAT would be a poll!

It's akin to the Republican pollsters who call me. Sample questions:

1 - How much do you love John McCain on a scale of 1-5? (1=very much, 5=madly)
2 - How much do you hate Barack Obama on a scale of 1-5?
3 - Which would you choose, if given a choice in November - John McCain for president or Armaggedon?
4 - Which better describes your views: 1) I am anti-abortion; or, 2) I like to torture kittens?
etc. etc. etc.

Thanks, Sheryl.

Glad to see the flag removed.

Which one best describes your views on same-sex marriage:

1. I believe that children deserve love and and that the family is the basic unit of society and needs to be protected by a constitutional amendment.

2. I want civilization to collapse, apple pie to be banned, and children to be abused by pedophiles.

it is just a poll what matter is how you feel

Thank God I have a lot to do lately with coming up exhibitions , also because I enjoy the continual process of evolution which I would not like to interrupt. So, I did not even notice that such or else tests are around.
I agree completely with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never fit into the 'religion' polls either. And for that I am thankful!

Wow, I posted a pretty hot topic here and then got busy with my life, ONCE AGAIN. Flaggers can flag away at my content if they wish. I am sure it was some fundamentalist Christian who flagged it. It certainly would not be a Muslim who flagged this, or a Protestant or a Jew or a Unitarian Universalist and especially not a Buddhist or Taoist.

As far as I am concerned, anybody who is spiritually inclined is going to have concern for community and mankind in general. Except for the fundamentalist Christians and other named groups with a money-making agenda.

I have been fascinated with cults since I was a little girl watching the news about the Jones cult. Since then I have researched endlessly about cults, what sets them apart from other religions that are NOT cults.

Last year I was surprised to discover that Deepak Chopra falls into the category of practicing cult-like behavior because of the great demands he requires for MONEY. And those who practice transcendental meditation (TM) are also considered, by certain criteria, to be a cult group because they live together in communities apart from mainstream society.

As a general rule, I find that religion is dangerous; much like politics, it means we are defining ourselves as apart from the rest of mankind. There are characteristics that followers (believers) must abide by to be considered part of the "group".

I never said I was a conformist!

I thank all of you for commenting on this!

I think you are correct on that.