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Do you believe in God

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 8:37 pm
by Nick Thomas
I got to thinking that maybe chess players might not be typical in this regard. Does anyone have a theory on whether chess players are predominantly deists/theists/atheists/other? Is it possible to do a secret poll?

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 8:53 pm
by PeterTurland
Nick Thomas wrote:I got to thinking that maybe chess players might not be typical in this regard. Does anyone have a theory on whether chess players are predominantly deists/theists/atheists/other? Is it possible to do a secret poll?
I am a pantheist, check out Spinoza.

I don't believe in belief - I believe in evidence, I resist the temptation to go baa.

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 9:46 pm
by Nick Thomas
Yes I am aware of Spinoza. Dawkins described pantheism as a sexy form of atheism I believe.

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 10:47 pm
by Niall Doran
No.

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 10:50 pm
by PeterTurland
Niall Doran wrote:No.
So you only believe in details, top down thinking in terms of us blundering bipeds, is meaningless for you?

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 10:52 pm
by Alex Holowczak
PeterTurland wrote:
Niall Doran wrote:No.
So you only believe in details, top down thinking in terms of us blundering bipeds is meaningless for you?
I believe the question set in the topic wasn't one that invited a general criticism of whatever beliefs people happened to hold. :wink:

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 11:00 pm
by PeterTurland
Perhaps we need to separate concept from context - if it is at all possible?

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 11:18 pm
by Robert Dale
I am an evangelical Christian. Our local club includes one Anglican churchwarden, one lapsed Baptist, one devout Muslim; the rest, to my knowledge, have no religious views. That probably makes us an average cross section of the population. One famous theologian who played chess was the Bohemian Reformer, John Hus. He regretted later that he had wasted so much time on it and "was unfortunate enough to provoke myself and others to anger!"

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 11:19 pm
by IM Jack Rudd
I like to call myself an agnostic atheist. That is to say, while I recognise the possibility that some god or gods may exist, I shall believe that they do not unless given convincing evidence to the contrary.

(I am sure that an omniscient, omnipotent deity, as the Abrahamic God is claimed to be, would be able to give convincing evidence to the contrary if he wished.)

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 11:44 pm
by Arshad Ali
But demons exist.

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 12:17 am
by Chris J Greatorix
I shall assume those that are agnostic or athiests do not celebrate Christmas, it does seem contradictory to do so otherwise.

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 12:28 am
by Rob Thompson
I don't believe in the God hypothesis because there is no evidence to support it. Simple as that

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 12:39 am
by IM Jack Rudd
Chris J Greatorix wrote:I shall assume those that are agnostic or athiests do not celebrate Christmas, it does seem contradictory to do so otherwise.
Why? It's a festival that has many contributing factors to its origin; the elements relating to Christianity are just part of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

(Now Easter, on the other hand, I'll give you, and I do not celebrate that except insofar as to play in chess tournaments during it.)

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 2:10 am
by AustinElliott
Chris J Greatorix wrote:I shall assume those that are agnostic or athiests do not celebrate Christmas, it does seem contradictory to do so otherwise.
Err... what Jack said. Winter Festivals, especially around the shortest day of the year, are common to many cultures and religions, and were undoubtedly widespread in pre-Christian times. It's a pretty sure bet that early Christianity "adopted" existing times of celebration.

Anyway, we just enjoy the holiday, family time etc. No religious add-ons for us, though the daughter gets the normal nativity/Christmas story stuff at school.

Re: Do you believe in God

Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:27 am
by Nick Thomas
IM Jack Rudd wrote:I like to call myself an agnostic atheist. That is to say, while I recognise the possibility that some god or gods may exist, I shall believe that they do not unless given convincing evidence to the contrary.

(I am sure that an omniscient, omnipotent deity, as the Abrahamic God is claimed to be, would be able to give convincing evidence to the contrary if he wished.)
Atheists tend to have an open mind about the possibility of being wrong. It is after all simply a "non belief" usually caused (in so far as a passive non belief can be said to be "caused") by lack of evidence. I'm not sure I therefore see the need for the agnostic bit. I consider an agnostic someone who has some evidence but only enough to consider the odds around 50/50.