"Religion Is Not Done With You" is also the title of an excellent book by Religion Profs Megan Goodwin (former), Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst (current) who did the podcast "Keeping it 101" as a religion basics outside of the "World Religions" structure. Pew's framing of Heaven and Hell questions as reward/punishment is very informed by the religious traditions that are most prominent in country where they are surveying. https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/aaa43538-7261-4a53-907d-b1137ea8c5a2
"a soul or spirit in addition to their physical bodies" makes me think of the Pete Holmes "GOD IS NO-THING" bit where he talks about his concept of God is just a way to refer to a bunch of metaphysical experiences that we don't understand which he jokes that that same set of experiences leads some people to say that there is no God. I think about a human soul the same way: it's a way to put a label on a bunch of things that we don't understand. For that reason, I would say that we don't have a soul; Pete might have the same information and say that we do.
I wonder how the numbers would change if there was a "maybe" option on these. Or a 4-point scale: "Definitely Not," "Probably Not," "Yes, Probably," and "Yes, Definitely."
re: LDS and No belief in Hell being high. LDS believe in 3 degrees of glory (heaven) where all but the "sons of perdition", a very few will end up--in outer darkness. It was the attempt to straddle between the Universalists of the day and the rest.
I think most people instinctively know they are not just physical bodies. Bare materialism does not satisfy them intellectually nor emotionally. There is a reason for that. :)
33% of atheists believing they have a soul is wild.
I'd be curious too to get their take on the whole mind vs brain paradigm.
Yes, I think it's like Sam Harris, noted atheist but understands the spiritual part of the mind via psychedelics/meditation/religious experiences.
Compelling Ryan. Thanks for this one.
"Religion Is Not Done With You" is also the title of an excellent book by Religion Profs Megan Goodwin (former), Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst (current) who did the podcast "Keeping it 101" as a religion basics outside of the "World Religions" structure. Pew's framing of Heaven and Hell questions as reward/punishment is very informed by the religious traditions that are most prominent in country where they are surveying. https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/aaa43538-7261-4a53-907d-b1137ea8c5a2
"a soul or spirit in addition to their physical bodies" makes me think of the Pete Holmes "GOD IS NO-THING" bit where he talks about his concept of God is just a way to refer to a bunch of metaphysical experiences that we don't understand which he jokes that that same set of experiences leads some people to say that there is no God. I think about a human soul the same way: it's a way to put a label on a bunch of things that we don't understand. For that reason, I would say that we don't have a soul; Pete might have the same information and say that we do.
https://youtu.be/RfZOqer5iVA?si=fjygkT7M6IlR3tFL
I wonder how the numbers would change if there was a "maybe" option on these. Or a 4-point scale: "Definitely Not," "Probably Not," "Yes, Probably," and "Yes, Definitely."
re: LDS and No belief in Hell being high. LDS believe in 3 degrees of glory (heaven) where all but the "sons of perdition", a very few will end up--in outer darkness. It was the attempt to straddle between the Universalists of the day and the rest.
What percentage believe in a bodily resurrection?
Interesting analysis as always.
I think most people instinctively know they are not just physical bodies. Bare materialism does not satisfy them intellectually nor emotionally. There is a reason for that. :)
Is there a God?
Few have a logical answer to this question. So what would anyone expect about beliefs in heaven and hell when the answer is also based on emotions?
Aside: there is a very rational/logical answer to the initial question.