I'm not altogether happy with the discriptors for each category. Here is a revised version but I have no doubt they could be improved more.
Category 1: Strong theist “I know God exists 100% and so should you." Fervent belief. Makes little or no distinction between objective and subjective certainty.
Category 2: God exists but recognizes that faith or grace (or some such subjective component) is required for others to adopt the same belief.
Category 3: Probability higher than 50% but not very high. Little certainty but leans toward a belief in god(s).
Category 4: Probability exactly 50%. Completely impartial agnostic. Makes little or no distinction between objective and subjective certainty. Denies subjective certainty without objective support.
Category 5: Probability lower that 50% but not very low. Little certainty but leans toward disbelief in god(s).
Category 6: Does not believe in god(s) but recognizes that there is a subjective component required for disbelief which no objective argument can overcome.
Category 7: Strong atheist “I know there is no God and so should you”. Fervent disbelief. Makes little or no distinction between objective and subjective certainty.
Being a 6 doesn't mean that I'm any less certain than a 7 that gods do not exist. It is only in evaluating the beliefs of others that a 7 differs from a 6, or a 1 differs from a 2. All four of these categories describe people with virtual certainty, but a 2 or a 6 recognize the futility and unreasonableness of insisting that others believe as we do.
Category 1: Strong theist “I know God exists 100% and so should you." Fervent belief. Makes little or no distinction between objective and subjective certainty.
Category 2: God exists but recognizes that faith or grace (or some such subjective component) is required for others to adopt the same belief.
Category 3: Probability higher than 50% but not very high. Little certainty but leans toward a belief in god(s).
Category 4: Probability exactly 50%. Completely impartial agnostic. Makes little or no distinction between objective and subjective certainty. Denies subjective certainty without objective support.
Category 5: Probability lower that 50% but not very low. Little certainty but leans toward disbelief in god(s).
Category 6: Does not believe in god(s) but recognizes that there is a subjective component required for disbelief which no objective argument can overcome.
Category 7: Strong atheist “I know there is no God and so should you”. Fervent disbelief. Makes little or no distinction between objective and subjective certainty.
Being a 6 doesn't mean that I'm any less certain than a 7 that gods do not exist. It is only in evaluating the beliefs of others that a 7 differs from a 6, or a 1 differs from a 2. All four of these categories describe people with virtual certainty, but a 2 or a 6 recognize the futility and unreasonableness of insisting that others believe as we do.
