To ALL R&S regulars, differiniating between theists?

Question

I have a strong interest in theology and psychology and have been using Y/A as a research field, so to speak. It is obvious to me that there exists two very distinct personality types when it comes to theists on R&S. I've named each of these types "Zombies" and "Reliants". Reliants are theists who possess no strong opinion with regards their religious faith, but use God as a method of positive self-reinforcement. This is by no means a bad thing, even atheists use their own methods for increasing their self-confidence. Children create invisable friends for that same reason. Many Reliants do not even fully believe that there does exist a god but just like some atheists tell themselves that they're looking great when in fact they are not. Reliants are generally uninterested in religion, and are also the ones that revert to atheism. Zombies on the other hands are the sole reason for militant atheism. They are brainwashed from a young age and are told not to question anything.

I believe that differintiating between these groups is important, as reliants should be perfectly acceptable as far as atheists are concerned, whereas zombies can be dangerous to society and scientific progression.

There are alos those who use religion for political or financial gain but I don't think, at least I hope, that they aren't on Y/A.

Actually Spike, I was just saying that not all theists are the enemy, but if you don't like that idea we can alw2ays stick to the other alternative...

Answer 1

Interesting POV.

Myself, I'm a history buff (with interests in world theology) with Anthropology qualifications. Oh & 20+ years as a practicing spritualtiy of the indigenous europeans.

I can see your angle, but I think there needs to be more models to the equasion.

There are also people I'd call "cultural" believers. Those who do not actually practive their faith, but identify with it anyway. This includes those who might just run through the motions of diet/social requirements. (church on X-mas, Kosha meals) as well. I'd suggest they were more automaticly following the cultural norms than anythign else.

This does not include those who'd interelctually look at their fatih - & still stay or chance.

There are many many different ways people express spiritualtiy.


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Answer 2

So you profess that anyone who claims to believe in the divine is either ignorant and brainwashed or in some degree a hypocrite? I think you are oversimplifying. The problem I think you are having is that you are failing to differentiate religion and faith. A religion is an organized institution. Some people believe in one but it's fairly safe to say they will be critical of others. Faith on the other hand is ones personnel belief. It may have little too do with an organized religion. A person may be very faithful and very critical of a organized religion or even all of them. This is not hypocrisy. Many of the "reliants" you are claiming are probably quite sincere in their faith but not overly zealous in their defense of a religion.
Just pointing this out to help you arrive at accurate results.

Answer 3

I'm interested also in both fields of study. I do agree with you that there are theists who only believe in God out of self-reinforcement and not as a Supreme being. However, i disagree with the classification that you have made. First and foremost, the classifications are too limited. There are people who believe as they do because they studied on their own and found out the truth or what they perceive as truth. We can not say that they are merely holding on to their beliefs for positive self-reinforcement. Also it seems there is an implication in your statement that those who believe so strongly about their beliefs are ignorant and gullible since they are just brainwashed to believe. If that is true then perhaps your statement is also just a reflection of your own brainwashing which of course would make it prejudiced.

Answer 4

I think that you are somewhat correct, there is the part where if you once believed in something, a higher power, it isn't that you all of a sudden stop believing, maybe for some, but for me, it was just that my concept of that higher power changed, I can never be an atheist, but I am not a Christian either though I was brought up in a Christian church, I actually believe that all religions are equal and they all have a higher power, but any name you want to call your God, is the same, or Gods son, Jesus, Thor, Buddha etc...

Answer 5

i guess 'research' has changed its meaning over the years...i always thought that in order to adequately research a topic, the researcher had to begin with at least a minimal level of objectivity, and actually DO research-your biases against 'theists' is fairly obvious-which inevitably led you to some stunningly ridiculous conclusions, completely unsubstantiated by any cited evidence-or maybe it's one of those 'everybody knows' kind of things-but let's see if we can just break it down into simple terms, okay? there are only two types of 'theists'-those who have no really strong beliefs, who can be dismissed as just trying to feel good about themselves, and if they only 'see the light' that is atheism, they can be redeemed; and those who actually have strong beliefs, who only have those beliefs because they were forced upon them, and therefore are brain-dead zombies...that about cover it?
i will congratulate you on one of the most pretentious pieces of 'trolling' and 'opinionated ranting' disguised as an actual analysis i've seen in a while-but your pseudo-intellectual pretensions aside, what we're left with is 'people who believe in God suck'...you could have saved yourself a lot of time by applying enough intestinal and testicular fortitude to just say it 'straight-up'

Answer 6

You're making a point to segregate ,, You don't want us in heaven evidently , We the people ,,, Zombies and Reliants < And humans on the earth , are un happy that you don't want us in your heaven , So ... we invite you to come into ours, feel free to be yourself no one will judge you here.....

Answer 7

here is my view on theism gotohttp://frikkiebotes.homemarker.com/cgi-bin/blog

people do not need to send me money to save their soul, only their faith in humanity

Answer 8

We already have names for these people,moderates and fundummies.