(Untitled)

[revolution_grrl]

I got this email this morning from the uni. I am struck by the fact that there's an "Other" option, but not a "None" option. I could email back, all innocence, and give my information as MA, with or without the explanation that it stands for Militant Atheist. (Douglas Adams noted that if you tell people you're an atheist, they ask, "But, so, do

Comments

[baralier]

Though technically Atheism isn't a "religious affiliation" it's an adamant opposition to one surely.

I remember reading an article some years ago written by an atheist on America's problem that give people freedom OF religion but not freedom FROM religion. I wondered who would be more likely to get elected President: a black christian woman or a white atheist male?

I'll see if I still have the article.

[baralier]

After reading a few of the other responses I'd consider writing a response back to them asking if there was any particular reason Roman Catholics classify as "Other" and see how fast they'll send out a replacement. :-)

You could also suggest they put in a box for "none" as well.

[revolution_grrl]

I wondered who would be more likely to get elected President: a black christian woman or a white atheist male

Oh, the former. It will be a black female Republican as soon as they can find one they can get elected.

[thunderbox]

Sitting here in a town with a substantial Sikh community, what's most astonishing is the list of religious affiliations they've lumped under 'other': Buddhism, Sikhism, Bahá'í, Jainism, Shintoism etc.

This while separating out all kinds of Christian sects, but missing out Roman Catholics.

Atheists aren't listed, of course, because there's been a mix up in the timing. This is the form that's to be used after all the atheists have been rounded up into internment camps as a threat to America.

[revolution_grrl]

I wondered about some of the odd choices of specific Xtian sects, too. The absence of Catholics is just weird. I guess the reason they have things like Mennonite and Seventh Day Adventist, etc, must be that for some reason there are substantial numbers of those at G-town. Not sure. It's weird, though... Seventh-Day Adventists?? I mean, okay, yeah, there are a lot of them in the US, but in this short list it's very very strange what they chose to put in, and, as you note, what major things they leave out.

baralier is right (mostly) to point out that atheism, even militant atheism, is a non-affiliation, but shouldn't there be an option for "No religious affiliation," which could cover so much ground??

[thunderbox]

Having established that the list is complete bollocks, any further analysis is well into the realm of "yes but are they oblate or prolate?"…

[ambiance_zebra]

There's a study that was just released by baylor regarding Americans' affiliations. Their results had more or less the same kind of wacky divisions: Evangelical protestant, Mainline Protestant, Black Protestant, Jewish, Catholic, Unaffiliated, and "Other" (where "other" explicitly included "non-Christian and smaller Chistianm groups that do not fit the other categories, including ... Christian Science, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Unitarian Universalist, and Jehovah's Witnesses."

According to that same study, only about 3% of people are completely atheistic/agnostic, so we don't count at all.

[spride]

Why confine the label 'Fucking Insane' just to the Morons? Surely it has much wider scope.

[revolution_grrl]

Ah, I grew up in Mesa, Arizona, the second largest Mormon capital in the world, after Salt Lake City. I have a very special fear and loathing of Mormonism as a result.

Religion is generally not cool to me, ranging from silly to scary. But Mormonism makes my hair frankly stand on end. (No small thing, as my hair is a couple of feet long!)

[lexaprick]

LOL SOUTH PARK!!!!!

[wundershonedame]

That is strange about the lacking of catholic. Maybe they already secretly know the catholics since it's a catholic school. Also, is orthodox greek or russian?
very poorly written survey.

[springheel_jack]

They always leave off the black churches.

[springheel_jack]

Oh, and, uh, the Baptists. What's up with that? There are a lot of Baptists.

[revolution_grrl]

Yes, the absence of Baptists really took me aback, but then I wondered if my experience was coloured by the decade I just spent in North Carolina. Still, when I was in East Lansing, the place was crawling with Calvinist Baptists...