Poll: Do your beliefs match those of your peers?

[fr0d0]

From the reasoning for belief thread, this poll is in response to Tim Keller's observation that most people adopt the beliefs of those people that surround them.. their peer group, groups they aspire to belong to.

What are the overriding beliefs of your peer group, and does that match your own belief position?

Hopefully what this may show is that our rationalised position may be related to the influence of our peers own rationalisations.

My peers are non religious and I'm non religious
My peers are non religious and I'm religious
My peers are religious and I'm non religious
My peers are religious and I'm religious

Thanks

[Kyuuketsuki]

To me it matters ... my friendships tend to be built on respect, I'm incapable of respecting religious beliefs therefore all of my friends are, at least, "not cares" but typically atheist.

I wouldn't disown them or anything but I admit it would be a serious disappointment for me if one of my children turned out to be religious. My mother is a believer and, while I love her, it definitely causes problems between us. I say these things purely because it gives y'all an idea of how much I care about religion (and I don't mean love).

Kyu

[Edwardo Piet]

Yeah Kyu...well said.

(*cough* FUCK Religion *cough*).

EvF

[etogre]

By peers what do you mean? I go to a university with people of all faiths who could be considered my peers.

However, by and large I tend to associate myself with people whom I consider to be intellectuals. These people, my friends, are for the most part all agnostic atheists. I do hang out with a few deists though, which I guess is considered religion.

[LukeMC]

Most of the people I've ever come across in Doncaster are non religious. There are a few exceptions such as my friend Abby who believes in the christian god. I always make a note to mock her when I can, but she isn't sensetive about it so it's all good. I'd rather she saw things my way but it's not something that comes up in conversation often. We get along perfectly fine in general and agree on a lot of other areas such as politics, education and so on.

It's not that I choose to have non religious friends, it's that nobody around me is religious anyway

[fr0d0]

By peers what do you mean? I go to a university with people of all faiths who could be considered my peers.

However, by and large I tend to associate myself with people whom I consider to be intellectuals. These people, my friends, are for the most part all agnostic atheists. I do hang out with a few deists though, which I guess is considered religion.

I mean more people you want to be with rather than the general group your forced into. Although family would have to count as a huge influence, not necessarily.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

My mother,who is 83 today, is the only member of my immediate family who is religious. Mum is what I call "a pragmatic Catholic". Devout,but tends to ignore the pope and his minions whenever they say anything especially stupid, such as say forbiding condoms to prevent AIDS.

Everyone else with whom I mix is either atheist or simply indifferent. I live in Australia not the US. Here religion is not something usually discussed in polite company. Many Australians are distrustful of people who wear their religion on their sleeves and generally loathe proselytizers.

Overall, I think it's fair to say,that generally speaking, Aussies have a healthy contempt for certain members of the criminal classes; EG politicians, clergy, TV journalists, car and real estate sales people,child molestors etc.

We have had several non religious/ atheist Prime Ministers, and currently many in federal parliament.So far no militant atheists. .

[Demonaura]

My circle is comprised mostly of atheists and agnostics but, there is one christian.

Of the six of us three of us live in a religious household, only one of those three is religious. All three are christian households.

Two of the others had not considered their stance on religion until they met me but, ultimately never held a beleif in a personal god.

The final person is myself, never held a beleif in a god and am a militant atheist.


In other words:

1 christian family, christian beleifs.
2 christian family, atheist.
3 christian family, atheist.
4 atheist, had not thought of religion until this person met me.
5 atheist, had not thought of religion until this person met me.
6 militant atheist.

There are others I socialise with, mostly atheists or agnostics but, these are my inner circle. The only other christian I know to any real degree I hardly ever see and isn't comfortable with the topic. I have had friends with other faiths but, none that I ever spoke about religion too, I keep the topic mostly to closer friends that won't freak out and stop answering phone calls because I'm an atheist.

[leo-rcc]

I'm missing the "I don't know, the topic doesn't come up with my peers" option.

Of my "peers" at work (odd choice of words) I know of 2 Christians, 1 Muslim, 1 atheist, and 3 I don't know (That's the Dutch office, home base if you like).

Of my friends, a few I know of they are atheist, some I know they still go to a Roman Catholic church, but from the most I don't know what they believe or don't believe. It just never comes up.

[moodydaniel]

I'm lucky enought to know atheists, agnostics, Catholics, lapsed Catholics, Evangelicals, Muslems, Hidus, lapsed Muslems, Greek Orthodox, Humanists, Pagans and a few more besides.

They are all good people, although some have some evil beliefs (they will tell their friends they're immoral and going to hell before buying them a pint).

If you hang around with people who mirror your philosophy too much, you end up re-enforcing the crazy in you too... it's worth having a mix of friends and viewpoints.