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Poll: How religious is hacker news?

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71–80 of 168 posts

Re: Poll: How religious is hacker news?

#71
The data is clearly not representative. Take a look at number one post in Show HN titled " OneBody Church Directory software I've been hacking on for 7 years". This post has 740 points | 203 comments, clearly very popular (number two has 77 points | 46 comments).

Does it mean atheists are more open responding to polls about spirituality?

Re: Poll: How religious is hacker news?

#73

Having grown up in the church, I have honestly never found a good replacement for the sense of community and support that a church offers. Its a shame that no other non-religious organizations have been able to replicate it.

The Unitarian Universalist church is non-creedal and has many atheist members. Many cities also have Ethical Culture Societies, which mostly grew out of the non-religious elements of the Jewish community.

Re: Poll: How religious is hacker news?

#74
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> These people should just suck it up and call themselves atheists. Boy, look at you telling people what and how they should believe. I'm agnostic because I don't know if there exists a God, and couldn't care less when it comes to the day to day affairs of my life.

Right, so what you're saying is you're an atheist. It's okay. There are a lot of us. I don't know if there is a teapot orbiting the Earth, but I wouldn't invent weasel words to distinguish between subtle groups of people who have varied opinions around the likely absence of said teapot. Especially not if most of the population believed strongly in the existence of said teapot. edit: Also I'm not telling anyone how to…

Teapotism doesn't have significant cultural importance. Atheism does. To a lot of people, it really does make a difference whether you actually disbelieve in the god they believe in, or if you are genuinely undecided. It is thus useful to have a word to distinguish between those two states, and perfectly honest (hardly weasely) to use them. Even if its only for social signalling, that's important!

Re: Poll: How religious is hacker news?

#76
post #45

The idea of religious engineers has always been one that fascinates me.

Even better, try biologist creationists. They exist!

I would contest that. They can be either but not both. They are either not very smart biologists or not very devout creationists. Or more likely just attention seekers.

Re: Poll: How religious is hacker news?

#77
Classifying Hinduism and Buddhism as "religions" in the Western sense of the word is imprecise and misleading at best.

You can be a Hindu atheist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charvaka

Swami Vivekananda popularized the Ramakrishna school of thought, but they themselves deny to be called Hindus.

Goa deputy Chief Minister considers himself to be a "Christian Hindu": http://www.firstpost.com/politics/india-hindu-nation-im-chri...

Hinduism in not an organized religion like Abrahamic religions. The definition of Hinduism is very fluid in practice.

Similarly one can be a Buddhist atheist as well.

PS: Also please add Sikhism and Jainism to the poll -- two other major Indian religions!

Re: Poll: How religious is hacker news?

#78
post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

False dichotomy.

How is that a false dichotomy? I guess there's the implication that there is only religious and non-religious engineers. But isn't that a binary? I'm curious as to what other options there are.

I'm objecting to the implication you are either rational or religious.

Re: Poll: How religious is hacker news?

#80
Other - I identify with [insert own name here]. Let me explain...

I dated a woman once who dated a woman just prior to dating me (I'm male). We were having beers with a mutual friend and upon hearing that fact, our mutual friend said "wow, I didn't know you were bisexual Jen" (not her real name). Jen's response..."I'm not bisexual...I'm Jen. I don't believe in labels."

I'm not Atheist, Agnostic, or Lutheran (the religion my parents chose for me). I'm Chad.

I haven't used a label for anyone's politics, religion, sexual preference, or other complicated matters since. Thank you Jen. The best part...you get to focus on getting to know someone on a personal level instead of arguing about definitions :)

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