Survey

Age: 66, 09MAR41

Sex: Male

Your religion: Buddhist, Soto

Do you feel that there is a "right" religion? Tricky question. I believe that Buddhism is a better and surer way to achieve the goal of mitigating suffering than any of the Abrahamic religions. That does not mean that there is no value to the Abrahamic religions, or that a follower of any of those religions can not find Nirvana. It isn't a zero-sum game. There are many roads that lead up the mountain, some are just more rutted, pitted, and risky than others. There is a danger whenever a religion, or religious pilgrim begins to believe that they alone have the only key that will fit into the lock.

Do you believe that some people are morally inferior because they have different religious beliefs? No

Did you establish your own religious views or were you raised in a family with those views? I was raised in a Christian family. They ranged from bible thumping Southern Baptists, to Catholic, to LDS. I was an LDS priest when I finally abandoned the Abrahamic religions as a dead-end.

Do you think that the government should maintain the separation of church and state? Or do you feel that it would be better for the country to abolish it? The State should be secular, and neutral towards all religions practiced by its citizens.

Is your religion a more social or personal aspect of your life? Buddhism is entirely personal to me.

Do you believe that homosexuality is wrong? Is this because of your religious beliefs? No, I believe that like most mammals we are predominantly bi-sexual.

Do you feel that all religious groups should get government funding? No, I don't believe that any religious group should received any government funding, or special treatment.

Do you find it ironic that Harry Potter is being banned but The Chronicles of Narnia is highly praised when they both have essentially the same characters? I have no opinion, both are fantasy fiction and have little to do with religion.

BTW, who has banned Harry Potter? If some religious sect takes it into their bonnets to advise against their members reading any book, I'd say that only shows how narrow-minded that sect is. However, folks are and should be free to follow any sort of nonsense they believe in unless it is a clear and present danger to others. Much more at issue is the question of whether the community has a right to provide medical assistance to a minor at mortal risk even if the child's parents don't believe in the use of modern medical science. How far does a parent's rights to impose a religious doctrine on a minor below the age of consent go? Is it alright to give a blood transfusion to a three year old to save the child's life against the parents wishes? What if in the same situation, the child is 17 years old? Can a teenager adopt a religious doctrine to refuse medical treatment, and still be treated if the parents insist upon the treatment?

Do you know what the Religious Right is? It is a stereotype label that assumes that conservative politics and values and traditional Abrahamic values and religious dogma are virtually the same thing. Most often used to demean charismatic, or fundamentalist Christian sects.
Do you agree with all that they're doing? I don't know what "they" are doing. One presumes that religious people tend to politically support those whose public values mirror their own. I see nothing wrong with that. Is it wrong for radical liberals antithetical to religion to support political candidates holding Socialist values? This whole business of stigmatizing the opposition is effective I suppose, but hardly the most political highroad.

Do you think that it's right for politicians to use their religious views to gain votes? For example: A church in Bellwood, Pennsylvania, ran an ad in the local newspaper announcing it would provide transportation to the polls for voters - but only if they agreed to vote for President George W. Bush. Whether its "right" or not is beside the point. It isn't illegal, though neither is it something that anyone should be proud of. We've come along way from Tammany Hall, and the purchase of votes at the polling house door with free beverages, but humans still have quite a way to go before becoming perfect. Human behavior seldom is so pure that it can be reported without a blush.

BTW, your question and example aren't the same thing. The example, to be relevant should have pictured a political candidate saying directly, or by inference, "vote for me because of my religion", or "don't vote for candidate X because of his religion".

Does it surprise you that sex education classes headed by religious officials are teaching teenagers things that are not true in order for them to maintain sexual abstinence?

I don't know how many sex education classes are taught by religious officials, or what is being taught in their classrooms. How many teenagers attend church schools where sex education is taught? How many religious officials are teaching sex education in the public schools? How many variants of a sex education curriculum are there? Are home schooled teenagers included in the cohort "studied"?

I doubt that anyone really knows. There is no way to determine if the Washington Post article has any validity at all. The Post is not reporting what actually is happening in sex education classes headed by religious leaders, it is reporting that some Congressman's staff has "found". What Congressman's staff did the analysis, and what did they analyze? Did they run a survey? If so how can we know if the questions and sampling were neutral, and yet solicited valid responses? For us as thinking adults to leap to any conclusion on the basis of this single report is not justified.

This sounds a bit as if the researcher would like to dictate what is taught in high school classrooms. How is that any different than fundamentalist insistence that Creationism be taught as a valid alternative to Evolution? Teachers should be free to teach their courses without undue interference from either Church or State. That would mean that some schools will teach the most errant nonsense, and others will provide a quality education. Which is which will depend upon the viewer's prejudices and politics.

Age: 28. 29 in two approx 2 months.

Sex: Male

Your religion:
No specific religion, though interested in spiritual growth and the preservation of humane values.

Do you feel that there is a "right" religion?:
No religion is more "right" than any other. But there are applications of it that are more and less beneficial. I think religion should be a personal matter, and that it is wrong to force one's religion upon someone else.

Do you believe that some people are morally inferior because they have different religious beliefs?:
No.

Did you establish your own religious views or were you raised in a family with those views?
Established my own religious views with the aim to enhance the quality of my life and my peace of mind. I guess the religion closest to my heart is Buddhism.

Do you think that the government should maintain the separation of church and state? Or do you feel that it would be better for the country to abolish it?:
As Asherman, I think the state should be secular and neutral towards religion.

Is your religion a more social or personal aspect of your life?:
Yes, that is all it is, and I think that it is all it sould be.

Do you believe that homosexuality is wrong? Is this because of your religious beliefs?:
No. My religious views do not go against homosexuality, even though my personal preference is heterosexual. I try to practice tolerance towards views and practices I do not understand or agree with. Although I will not tolerate such practices and views if they are opressing or intolerant towards others. People are entitled to explore their own experience, and that goes for everyone.


Do you feel that all religious groups should get government funding?:
No. I agree with Asherman again. No religious groups should recieve any government funding or special treatment.

Do you find it ironic that Harry Potter is being banned but The Chronicles of Narnia is highly praised when they both have essentially the same characters?:
I find it ironic that some would use their religions as justification to ban anything at all.

Do you know what the Religious Right is?:
No

Do you agree with all that they're doing?:
I think it's wrong to debate religion publicly with the aim to make decisions affecting everyone based on this debate, if that's what you mean.

Do you think that it's right for politicians to use their religious views to gain votes?:
No. I think it that when this happens it is no longer religion.

Does it surprise you that sex education classes headed by religious officials are teaching teenagers things that are not true in order for them to maintain sexual abstinence?:
No. It doesn't surprise me. It is but another case of people trying to force their views on others.



I also would like to add that I think it is wrong to raise a child in one specific religion. A four year old child is not christian or muslim or any religion. Children should be educated and taught about all religions, so that they could chose among in their own good time if they wanted.

''''

Government funding? In the form of tax breaks like non profit organizations?

I hope that your survey is not part of a sociology section with some statistical sampling sought. I find that youre questions are quite "loaded" to derive a specific answer. Not really a valid sampling anyway.

Re: Survey
Age: 24

Sex: Male

Your religion: "Deist" or "Secular Humanist" depending on who you ask.

Do you feel that there is a "right" religion? No.

Do you believe that some people are morally inferior because they have different religious beliefs? No.

Did you establish your own religious views or were you raised in a family with those views? My views are independant of that of my family. That is also to say that I came from a family witha a very diverse religous background.

Do you think that the government should maintain the separation of church and state? Or do you feel that it would be better for the country to abolish it? I support the separation of church and state.

Is your religion a more social or personal aspect of your life? Personal.

Do you believe that homosexuality is wrong? Is this because of your religoius beliefs? No, I do not find homosexuallity to be wrong. My opinion is independant of my spiritual beliefs.

Do you feel that all religious groups should get government funding? I see no need for the government to offer any funding to any religion.

Do you find it ironic that Harry Potter is being banned but The Chronicles of Narnia is highly praised when they both have essentially the same characters? Not ironic. C.S. Lewis was a vocal christian and the story was an alegory to the new testiment in many ways. It is usually promoted in this way. *note: This is an odd question, and oddly phrased.

Do you know what the Religous Right is? Do you agree with all that they're doing? Yes, I know who they are. No, I do not approve.

Do you think that it's right for politicans to use their religious views to gain votes?
For example: A church in Bellwood, Pennsylvania, ran an ad in the local newspaper announcing it would provide transportation to the polls for voters - but only if they agreed to vote for President George W. Bush.

No I don't. However, I feel it is impossible to disconnect an individual's life philosophy from their campaign. *note: The example given is asking about the actions of a curch and not about the actions of the politicians.No, I am not surprized that children are miseducated on the topic of sexual education by any individual be it religious or secular. For the motive of keeping children abstainant and hetrosexual, I am not surprized. For the genuine motive of wanting children to have all the correct information but the information not being avalible or administrative restriction creating a situation where children get incorrect or out of date information also does not surprize me. *note: I am a former wellness educator of several years.

Re: Survey
Age: 24

Sex: Male.

Your religion: None (in other words, atheism).

Do you feel that there is a "right" religion? No

Do you believe that some people are morally inferior because they have different religious beliefs? No. People are only morally inferior, if no empathy is involved in their understanding of why they should follow their moral code.

Did you establish your own religious views or were you raised in a family with those views? Established my own.

Do you think that the government should maintain the separation of church and state? Or do you feel that it would be better for the country to abolish it? Seeing as you didn't state that only people of a certain country could respond to your survey, I responded. Our government doesn't have an official separation of church and state. In fact, the Church of England's General Synod can have its Measures approved (but not amended) by Parliament, after which it receives Royal Assent and can become part of English law.

There isn't any Measure of Synod that has been approved (that I'm aware of) that directly affects my life in a major way or in a way I disagree with. As such, I am indifferent to the matter.

Is your religion a more social or personal aspect of your life? As technically I have none, it cannot be a social or personal aspect of my life.

Do you believe that homosexuality is wrong? Is this because of your religoius beliefs? No and no.

Do you feel that all religious groups should get government funding? No and the Church of England does not receive government funding either. (At least, I am not aware of such a situation).

Do you find it ironic that Harry Potter is being banned but The Chronicles of Narnia is highly praised when they both have essentially the same characters? I've never really considered any irony that may be attached to the situation. It is, however, rather telling that those who wish to have Harry Potter banned feel so threatened by a piece of fiction.

Do you know what the Religous Right is? Do you agree with all that they're doing? As far as I can tell there is no Religious Right in America, only a Christian Right. And I wholly disagree with what they're doing. What I find most horrendous is that their viewpoints are being exported and some aspects are starting to enter British society.

Do you think that it's right for politicans to use their religious views to gain votes? No, not really.



The above example, however, is not the same thing. It is church endorsement of a political figure, which enters the issue of Separation of Church and State.

Does it surprise you that sex education classes headed by religious officials are teaching teenagers things that are not true in order for them to maintain sexual abstinence? Not surprising at all. It is these same religious officials who insist on Creationism or Intelligent Design being taught in science classes, despite the fact that both concepts are not science and fail to meet all scientific criteria.

i haven't answered all your questions, so i don't know if you'll be able to use the answers in your survey. i just felt like replying, that's typical of me.


Do you feel that there is a "right" religion?

sure, all of them.

Do you believe that some people are morally inferior because they have different religious beliefs?

maybe, but that's not the religion's fault. usually it's because the person leans on the religion as an excuse to hurt or hate other people. just because god tells you to do this or that doesn't mean you can't put your humanity first. that doesn't mean humanity is always a virtue worth putting first, but it's a virtue i place above crusading, for instance.

Did you establish your own religious views or were you raised in a family with those views?

i am always in the process of establishing my own views, if such a thing is possible.

Do you think that the government should maintain the separation of church and state? Or do you feel that it would be better for the country to abolish it?

separation of church and state is vital to the government's survival, to freedom, and though people often don't realize it, it is also necessary to the integrity of the religion in question.

Do you believe that homosexuality is wrong? Is this because of your religoius beliefs?

it works in several animals in the wild, possibly to control the population. if heterosexuality is natural and okay, i can't imagine why homosexuality wouldn't be. people are just afraid of it and hide their fear behind god.

Do you find it ironic that Harry Potter is being banned but The Chronicles of Narnia is highly praised when they both have essentially the same characters?

they don't have essentially the same characters. i find it ironic that people think god is on their side, but that books pose a threat to them, when they worship their favorite parts of a book even above the god they think wrote them. that's ironic.

Do you know what the Religous Right is? Do you agree with all that they're doing?

what they're doing in the long run is no better or worse than what al qaeda is doing. it's the same game, different team, different method of "winning." and nobody- ever- wins.

Do you think that it's right for politicans to use their religious views to gain votes?
For example: A church in Bellwood, Pennsylvania, ran an ad in the local newspaper announcing it would provide transportation to the polls for voters - but only if they agreed to vote for President George W. Bush.

it shows they have no respect for voters or the voting process. whether it's "wrong" may depend on how they perceive their own religious mission, but it's certainly wrong from a political standpoint.



no, that's not surprising. religious fanatics have always found it acceptable to push "little lies" on behalf of some "greater truth," even until the bottom falls out and the "greater truth" is made meaningless.

Re: Survey

I agree.

Age: Older than dirt

Sex: Not all that much

Your religion: I think it's Roman Catholic, but there are those who would disagree
Do you feel that there is a "right" religion?
Yes

Do you believe that some people are morally inferior because they have different religious beliefs?
Yes

Did you establish your own religious views or were you raised in a family with those views?
I was raised in a family with a lot of those views, but I have gone off on
several heretical tangents of my own.

Do you think that the government should maintain the separation of church and state? Or do you feel that it would be better for the country to abolish it?
When Church and State get in bed together, a litter of bastards is the
result. You can take that as a yes and a no. In that order.

Is your religion a more social or personal aspect of your life?
Social. I like chatting over coffee and doughnuts after Mass.

Do you believe that homosexuality is wrong? Is this because of your religoius beliefs?
No. Is what because of my religious beliefs?

Do you feel that all religious groups should get government funding?
Only in Quebec.

Do you find it ironic that Harry Potter is being banned but The Chronicles of Narnia is highly praised when they both have essentially the same characters?
That's the dumbest question I've heard in a very long time. You can take
that as a no. Or a yes. They are essentially the same answer.

Do you know what the Religous Right is? Do you agree with all that they're doing?
Yes, that's the hand I use to make the Sign of the Cross.
I don't even agree with with all that I'm doing.

Do you think that it's right for politicans to use their religious views to gain votes?
For example: A church in Bellwood, Pennsylvania, ran an ad in the local newspaper announcing it would provide transportation to the polls for voters - but only if they agreed to vote for President George W. Bush.
Politicians can use anything thing they want to gain votes.
Your example is bass-ackwards, by the way.It surprises me that anyone would expect a straight answer to a question
like that. (They found all these things by analyzing a congressional staff?)

A quote for the ages, George. Good work!