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Author Topic:   Atheists identified as America’s most distrusted minority
subbie
Member (Idle past 1285 days)
Posts: 3509
Joined: 02-26-2006


Message 13 of 60 (299713)
03-30-2006 11:36 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by melatonin
03-30-2006 7:55 PM


Many of the study’s respondents associated atheism with an array of moral indiscretions ranging from criminal behavior to rampant materialism and cultural elitism.
Hmmmmmm, perhaps I'm criminally unfamiliar with terms of art used in sociology, but it occurs to me that the (presumably) religious people who responded to this poll vividly displayed their own "cultural elitism" by assuming that atheism is associated with an array of moral indiscretions.

Those who would sacrifice an essential liberty for a temporary security will lose both, and deserve neither. -- Benjamin Franklin

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by melatonin, posted 03-30-2006 7:55 PM melatonin has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 14 by Wounded King, posted 03-31-2006 4:41 AM subbie has not replied

  
subbie
Member (Idle past 1285 days)
Posts: 3509
Joined: 02-26-2006


Message 36 of 60 (300061)
04-01-2006 12:01 PM
Reply to: Message 35 by Silent H
04-01-2006 11:48 AM


if 2000 is enough to properly determine preferences within the US population as a whole, why don't we do away with the cost inefficient method of voting, and replace it with polling of 2000 US citizens?
Geez, there's a whole bunch of reasons why not.
Probably the most important is that we have this little thing called a Constitution. Now, granted, much of it has been effectively suspended by the current administration, but, nonetheless, we still have the right to vote. It's a sacred right in this country, and if anyone made any effort to curtail that on a nationwide basis as you suggest, most of us would start stockpiling weapons in Idaho.
Beyond that, there are practical reasons. Such a survey would be much, much easier to rig than a nationwide election. In addition, note that the margin of error is 3%. Quite a few elections are decided by percentages within that margin of error. Hence the results would be questionable. Also, deciding who is going to be running the country is a considerably more important question than what folks think of heathens, pagans and other undesirables. Given the seriousness of the question to be answered, polling just isn't an adequate method for answering the question.
I'm sure there are other reasons, but those are the ones I could come up with after about 5 minutes thought. The fact that those ideas never occurred to you suggests how long you took to really think about it before positing such an asinine question.

Those who would sacrifice an essential liberty for a temporary security will lose both, and deserve neither. -- Benjamin Franklin

This message is a reply to:
 Message 35 by Silent H, posted 04-01-2006 11:48 AM Silent H has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 40 by Silent H, posted 04-01-2006 1:48 PM subbie has replied

  
subbie
Member (Idle past 1285 days)
Posts: 3509
Joined: 02-26-2006


Message 41 of 60 (300103)
04-01-2006 3:43 PM
Reply to: Message 40 by Silent H
04-01-2006 1:48 PM


Why continue with this line?
Well, you agree that my first objection to polling for a president is it fatal to the idea, yet you wish to discuss it further. Seems even more pointless than the average forum board discussion.
As far as why I didn't address anything else you were saying, nwr seems to have it well under control.
This message has been edited by subbie, 04-01-2006 02:49 PM

Those who would sacrifice an essential liberty for a temporary security will lose both, and deserve neither. -- Benjamin Franklin

This message is a reply to:
 Message 40 by Silent H, posted 04-01-2006 1:48 PM Silent H has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 42 by Silent H, posted 04-01-2006 3:55 PM subbie has replied

  
subbie
Member (Idle past 1285 days)
Posts: 3509
Joined: 02-26-2006


Message 43 of 60 (300110)
04-01-2006 4:01 PM
Reply to: Message 42 by Silent H
04-01-2006 3:55 PM


Re: Why continue with this line?
I said you had a point, but actually it could be dealt with. That's not exactly fatal.
Nuh uh.
That makes no theoretical difference. I'm obviously dealing with a theoretical issue, and indeed would oppose such a move myself.
My emphasis.
I don't necessarily expect you to keep up with everyone else's points, but it would be nice if you at least kept up with your own.
This message has been edited by subbie, 04-01-2006 03:02 PM

Those who would sacrifice an essential liberty for a temporary security will lose both, and deserve neither. -- Benjamin Franklin

This message is a reply to:
 Message 42 by Silent H, posted 04-01-2006 3:55 PM Silent H has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 44 by Silent H, posted 04-01-2006 5:19 PM subbie has not replied

  
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