What are the ramifications of 82% of Americans believing in Jesus?

Question

Recently a Vandemeer scholar and a pious laureate both came on here declaring that 82% of Americans believe in Jesus; and 82% cannot be wrong, they concluded.

These 82% believe not only rose he from the dead, but also he rose into the sky, and hovered there a while in thought; then departed unto Heaven.
Presumably 82% of Americans believe these things, and others; and also pray to Jesus.

And so I resolved to investigate, and here is what I found: There is critical mass of believers, whereat and beyond which an idiotic belief is actually transformed into fact.

It's called the Believers' Critical Mass.

I have not yet determined what that threshold is, but surely 82% exceeds it splendidly.

Question: Based on these findings, would you athiestic people out there be willing to reconsider your preconceived ideas concerning Jesus?

Answer 1

No. I hope you're not serious, because that's the stupidest piece of sophistry I've ever read...lol.

Seriously though. People seem to get the idea, after bedevilling themselves with such an unwholesome topic as theology, that "belief" is completely arbitrary, a "matter of taste," as Bernard Shaw put it. Well, only among people who are so intellectually inferior that they have never taught themselves how to think. Credulity is entirely a matter of education. You can explain a given proposition to a man of science and qualify your explanation logically as he demands; and he will believe or disbelieve you based on the consonance of your explanation with the sum of his knowledge. Antecedently incredible propositions such as the Ascension of Jesus are repugnant to common sense in the first place, and worthless to science in the second since they cannot be demonstrated. The "religious" person, meanwhile, simply believes whatever he wants, usually based on whether it gives him a warm feeling. But his belief doesn't alter the fabric of the universe simply because it's echoed by a million idiots just like him - save insofar as they all act on their beliefs.

On that tack, wasn't it Kant, or Hume or somebody who said that we ought to act so as to make actual our ideals? But that's another thing entirely from saying that belief in the Ascension can rewrite history!

Answer 2

This is scandalous. This is an outrage. Where did you get the Believers' Critical Mass?
And how can "an idiotic belief be transformed into fact" (your own words)?
I've a notion to report you to Yahoo.

By the same rationale that means the whole Bible is correct. Two million idiotic beliefs transformed into facts. You, Saint Nearly, are a fraud and a leprechaun, and no doubt a scourge upon academia.

Answer 3

You are saying that "an idiotic belief can be transformed into fact"? Or a whole group of idiotic beliefs can be transformed into facts. Surely you jest.

And when did this transfomation take place?

The percentage of Americans believing in Jesus was probably in the 90's back when people were even less educated than they are now. So exactly when were their idiotic beliefs transformed into facts??

Answer 4

I have evolved a Critical Mass formula myself. It's called:

The Critical Mass of Morons and Idiots. Several factors must be in play in order for this formula to work.

They are:

1) A forum in which to expose their moronic idiocy - Fortunately
we have Yahoo Q&A

2) A group of morons and idiots to participate - Fortunately,
Yahoo Q&A has an abundance of these.

3) Stupid, moronic, idiotic pointless questions, badly spelled and poorly worded, with little thought as to their content. Again, fortunately, Yahoo Q&A has no problem allowing the morons and idiots to post these questions.

I to, have not as yet determined what the threshold is, but I am certain Yahoo Q&A has vastly exceeded the required percentage. Your question is but the latest example.

Answer 5

Just because 82% of Americans choose to cling to irrational beliefs, primitive superstitions, and/or religious dogma, that in no way makes them right...nor does it make their beliefs real or true.

The majority of Germans prior to WWII believed in Adolf Hitler...but that certainly didn't make them right nor did it validate any of the Nazi's ideology.

If the so-called "Believers' Critical Mass" proves anything, it proves that cult tragedies, such as Jonestown or Heavensgate, can happen again because so many people would rather die for their beliefs than accept the reality that contradicts their irrationality.

Answer 6

Accepting that Jesus is who He claims to be is accepting God's truths over mans truths. The difference in this is that whether you believe God or not it is still the truth and it is consistently true. Man's truths change based on new knowledge, social acceptance or political agenda. That the majority of the world wants to deny God and pursue their own way versus God's way does not make them correct. Although your heart may be in the right place your arguement is weak and is trying to use the weak claims to truth that the world uses to justify themself and their rebellion against God.

If you are really interested in presenting truth to the lost and captives of this world, pursue the truth claims of God that are in the bible. Our faith is activated when we stand on and stand up for what we really believe to be the truth. This takes place in our mind and our choices are the result. When we choose to stand on the truth's of God that are presented in the Holy Bible, then our belief is transformed into faith.

Faith is the bridge from the intangible into the tangible, from the spiritual to the physical. It is when we stand on and stand up for what we believe that the idea, the concept, our belief system is transformed into a substance, a thing, a tangible reality. The evidence, the proof of what we cannot yet see is our faith. When we walk out what we believe to be true then our faith is the bridge that makes our beliefs become a reality. The truths of God are never proven as true up front they are always proven on the back end. This is why we need to exercise faith, standing on and up for what we really believe to be really true.

The more we read the Holy Bible and put into practice the truths and wisdom of God in our daily life the more clarity we will have on "what we really believe " to be the truth. The more we understand the knowledge and wisdom of God's truths the stronger our faith becomes. Our faith becomes stronger when we realize that we can trust God and God's word completely. When we know that the truths of God are provable and livable today in our ordinary life, because we have personally proven them, they are no longer an intangable, untouchable reality. They are now real, tangible and a fact in our life. It is the truth's of God that set you free and allow you to experience all that God has for you in this life with His perfect love.

In the 82% figure there are some dynamics you may not be aware of. Of these 82% how many actually believe the God that they say they believe in? Would you believe that only 4% say they really do? How can you know if you really believe what you say you believe? The 82% have faith in Jesus, but what is it that they have faith in? That they have been forgiven for their sins, that they are a sinner? That they were held captive by sin and now through the Lordship of Jesus they have been set truly free? How many have accepted the free gift of grace and then turned around and invited sin to be their master again?

I hope this is of help to you and stand with you as a brother in the family of God and as a seeker of truth, God's truths. God bless you as you pursue with your whole heart the One who loves you with His perfect love and accepts you completely as you are.

Answer 7

The Barna Report states that:

Beliefs

Compared to 63% of all adults, 86% of born again Christians believe "the Bible is totally accurate in all of its teachings." (2005)

77% of born again Christians believe they "personally have a responsibility to tell other people their religious beliefs" compared to 51% of all adults. (2005)

Nearly all born again Christians (98%) say their religious faith is very important in their life, compared to 52% of all adults. (2004)

Half of born again Christians (46%) agree that Satan is "not a living being but is a symbol of evil." (2005)

About one-third of born agains (33%) believe that if a person is good enough they can earn a place in Heaven. (2005)

28% of born agains agree that "while he lived on earth, Jesus committed sins, like other people," compared to 42% of all adults. (2005)

Born again Christians are more likely than non-born again individuals to accept moral absolutes. Specifically, 32% of born agains said they believe in moral absolutes, compared to just half as many (15%) among non-born agains. (2002)

From this data you can determine the 82% figure might be correct in belief in Jesus but not necessarily 'follow Jesus'. Even less believe he was God. These figures are only for 'Born Again Believers' not the entire poplulation.

You can research the details of this at the site listed below.

Personally I believe He is God.

Answer 8

i believe in jesus, but i don't think he was the son of god or was raised from the dead.

i would also point out to you that there was a time when nearly 100% of the people in the world believed that it was flat.

i don't think that means that the world was flat just because everyone believed it.

just because everyone believes something (which, by the way, i very much doubt) does not make it true, just or accurate.

just imagine what 100% of fox news viewers 'believe...'

Answer 9

70% of Americans thought going to war with Iraq was a good idea at its start too. Just because it's majority belief does not equate to it being right.

BTW overcome going along with the crowd. Evolution is waiting....

Answer 10

Means there's 18% rational and 82% delusional in America