Orn. said: "Of course, anything can be 'proven' when it is what is being looked for."
Please explain? stemcell On Oct 4, 2:27 pm, ornamentalmind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > My thoughts? Well, the first one that comes to mind is the clear adage > that you can tell the result of a study by who funds it. In this case, > a Theological University, Baylor. (The article is not the study > itself.) > > I've thought long and hard about going through the article line by > line and pointing out how it abuses clarity of thought and in many > cases does so in very subtle ways. Perhaps one day. > > For now, here is the 2005 > survey.http://www.isreligion.org/research/surveysofreligion/isr_wave12005_su... > > and here is the late 2007 survey upon which the current news stories > and articles are discussing. > > http://www.isreligion.org/research/surveysofreligion/isr_wave22007_su... > > Simple example of questions include question 12: > > By your best guess, how would your current place of > worship feel about each of the following? (Please mark > only one box for each item a-i.) > Forbids > �� > Strongly > discourages > �� > Somewhat > discourages > �� > Encourages > �� > Isn't > concerned > �� > Don't > know > �� > a. > Pornography > ...........................................................................-...... > b. > Gambling > ...........................................................................-............ > c. Wearing revealing > clothing ......................................................... > d. Premarital > sex > ...........................................................................-.... > e. Living together before > marriage ................................................ > f. Use of > contraception > .................................................................... > g. > Abortion > ...........................................................................-............. > h. Homosexual > behavior ................................................................. > i. Displays of > wealth.....................................................................-... > > Of course, anything can be 'proven' when it is what is being looked > for. > > About their 2005 study, the University says on their website the > following: > > "Utilizing a mixed-mode sampling design (telephone and self- > administered mailed surveys), the Baylor Religion Survey is a > nationally representative survey of 1,721 respondents and is merely > the first wave of a rich and rewarding new era of religious survey > research. Additional waves of the Baylor Religion Survey, with > rotating topical modules, will take place every other year." > > Elsewhere on their site is this: > > "WASHINGTON, D.C. - American religion is remarkably stable and quite > surprising in its diverse beliefs, practices and realities, according > to the latest findings from the Baylor Religion Survey, one of the > most extensive surveys ever conducted on American religious > attitudes." > > A cursory analysis shows that in this first paragraph of their own > press release put out by their marketing department, religion that is > 'remarkably stable' also is diverse in beliefs, practices and > realities. A truly remarkable conclusion! > > OK, enough about what caused Mollie to write her article. Within her > article, her personal bias and belief is clear to those who wish to > look. ('...have eyes to see...') > > Overall, to attempt to equate dogma and blind belief with being more > rational than exploring all areas of thought is itself so blind and > conservative as to negate any such study. > > On Oct 4, 10:19 am, Aaron <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > What do you think of this recent column in the Wall Street Journal by > > Mollie Ziegler Hemingway? She argues that traditional religious > > beliefs protect people against pseudoscience and superstition, and > > that wide-spread atheism will cause society to become even more > > irrational. > > >http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html?mod=googlenew... > > > Aaron- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
