Comment

Comment by Grinning Cat on January 9, 2013 at 12:01am

On question 6: a study whose participants attempted to assess God's will through prayer found that although the participants had conflicting prior beliefs about the issue being prayed about, many felt that God had confirmed those beliefs, and not one person thought God disagreed with them!

http://www.religioustolerance.org/god_pray.htm

Comment by Grinning Cat on January 8, 2013 at 11:51pm

For people like me who hate sitting through video lectures, here's a transcript of the text in the video.

 

Calculate Your God Delusion Index
by Edward Current
(source: YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCX0JJ16dFM )

1. Do you believe that there exists (or may exist) a higher consciousness or a great intelligence that is somehow associated with the entirety of the universe?
   (Yes: +5)
   
   
2. Do you believe that a higher consciousness or intelligence may have been involved in the origin of the universe?
   (Yes: +10)
   
   
3. Do you believe that an intelligent being may have created the universe with intent, actually knew what it was doing, and had a plan to carry out creation?
   (Yes: +25)
   
   
4. Do you believe that an intelligent being continues to "watch over" the universe today, and has the ability to alter the course of any set of events at will?
   (Yes: +50)
   
   
5. Do you believe that a deeply contemplative act such as prayer or meditation can result in knowledge or understanding not attainable through ordinary thought?
   (Yes: +5)
   
   
6. Do you believe that personal insights from prayer or a similarly contemplative act originate from an intelligent being that also created the universe?
   (Yes: +100)
   
   
7. Do you believe that sometimes you can influence events otherwise totally beyond your control, by addressing the creator of the universe in prayer or thought?
   (Yes: +600)
   
   
8. Do you believe that if a person lives their life within the guidelines of a spiritual faith, the person is more likely to experience happiness after death?
   (Yes: +200)
   
   
9. Do you believe that people with no particular spiritual views, or spiritual views different from yours, will suffer negative consequences for this after they die?
   (Yes: +400)
   
   
10. Do you believe that most or all evil originates from a single being or source, despite the existence of an omnipotent being generally interested in promoting good?
    (Yes: +600)
    
    
11. Do you believe that the diversity of life on earth did not come about by evolution, but that all life was placed upon this planet within the last 1,000,000 years?
    (Yes: +8,000)
    
    
12. Do you believe that it is the creator of the universe's plan for all human life on earth to be extinguished within your lifetime, and that afterward, only people who share your spiritual views will go on to enjoy a happy existence?
    (Yes: +100,000,000)

 

To Calculate Your God Delusion Index:
add up all of points

0 - 45
NORMAL
- see world as is
- may search for higher meanings
- no particular 'God Delusions'

50 - 95
MILDLY DELUDED
- seek comfort from benevolent being
- harmless
- may make life simpler, easier

100 - 495
MODERATELY DELUDED
- build relationship with creator
- may seek eternal life
- defense against reality of death

500 - 1,995
HIGHLY DELUDED
- primitive, superstitious
- satisfying deity will result in favors
- selective attribution of successes [but not failures to deity]

2,000 - 9,995
PROFOUNDLY DELUDED
- reject scientific method [and thus...]
- unfit to teach young
- beliefs ridiculous, scorn-worthy

10,000 +
BATSHIT CRAZY
- want human race destroyed
- threat to civilization
- unworthy of any respect, tolerance

with appreciation to Richard Dawkins

© 2008 Edward Current
myspace.com/eddiecurrent
ejc@pisspoor.com

Comment by Pockets on March 10, 2009 at 11:51am

yeah i got 5 points, the "may exist" leaves it up to the possibility. there "might" be but I am not going to waste any sleep over it.