06 June 2007

What kind of atheist are you?

Over at Die Eigenheit, Einzige posted this, so I thought I'd give it a go too.

Not surprisingly, this is how I turned out:

You scored as Agnostic, Agnostics consider the possibility that they may be wrong about God's existence, no matter which side of the fence they stand on. Always willing to objectively evaluate the most ridiculous proof, nevertheless, these guys are skeptics of the Nth degree.

Agnostic

92%

Scientific Atheist

92%

Apathetic Atheist

67%

Spiritual Atheist

58%

Militant Atheist

50%

Angry Atheist

25%

Theist

8%

What kind of atheist are you?
created with QuizFarm.com


Feel vindicated a bit by the backhanded fence reference, although I'm not sure about the willingness to evaluate the most ridiculous proof bit.

You'll notice, however as I did that there is a dead heat for first (disregarding the fact that all these add up to 392%). There was a tiebreaker question for me, so I went back and changed the result of that. This is how I'd be if I was diagnosed with a case of scientific atheism:

You scored as Scientific Atheist, These guys rule. I'm not one of them myself, although I play one online. They know the rules of debate, the Laws of Thermodynamics, and can explain evolution in fifty words or less. More concerned with how things ARE than how they should be, these are the people who will bring us into the future.

Agnostic

92%

Scientific Atheist

92%

Apathetic Atheist

67%

Spiritual Atheist

58%

Militant Atheist

50%

Angry Atheist

25%

Theist

8%

What kind of atheist are you?
created with QuizFarm.com


Happy with that, too. Although I will admit that my knowledge of the Laws of Thermodynamics are not as they should be. And I've broken more than my fair share of the rules of debate in my life.

Give it a go. And leave me a comment with your results.

11 comments:

Plonka said...

Nice one Dikkii...

I'm not so sure it's right. I like it, but don't ask me to explain what it thinks I can...:)

You scored as a Scientific Atheist. These guys rule. I'm not one of them myself, although I play one online. They know the rules of debate, the Laws of Thermodynamics, and can explain evolution in fifty words or less. More concerned with how things ARE than how they should be, these are the people who will bring us into the future.

Dikkii said...

Yeah, I liked the scientific atheist description too.

I think it would have been more interesting if they'd included weak theists, apatheists and ignostics as well.

Polytheists and animists would have been an interesting addition too.

Einzige said...

I don't understand how you could score 8% theist and I could score 33% theist when I would describe myself as a hardcore (though not dogmatic) atheist!

There is clearly some potential for an improved version of the test.

KitKat said...

Woo hoo! I'm a scientific atheist. I don't know really what that means, but I like anything that confirms I'm scientific. I also like that I'm not at all "spiritual atheist" - I don't know what that is either, but it sounds like two words I wouldn't put together in describing me. I also like being #2 Militant and #3 Angry! YAH!!!

Scientific Atheist 92%
Militant Atheist 50%
Angry Atheist 50%
Apathetic Atheist 50%
Agnostic 25%
Theist 17%
Spiritual Atheist 0%

Well, better get back to "bring(ing) us into the future"

Dikkii said...

Einzige - agree that these online surveys are usually unreliable. Although I was never really a theist, so that may account for some of our difference.

Tom Foss over at Dubito Ergo Sum thinks that the questions favouring agnosticism really favoured what he calls "Huxleyan agnosticism" which he disagrees with.

I've gotta say, I think Huxley's take on agnosticism is classic fence sitter stuff myself, and it would be rare to find such an agnostic in reality.

Kathryn - scientific atheist is how I would peg you.

What I would like to know is this. What is the difference between a "militant atheist" and an "angry atheist?"

beepbeepitsme said...

I was a scientific atheist as well.

Dikkii said...

Beep - I kinda expected that from you.

KitKat said...

What is the difference between a "militant atheist" and an "angry atheist?"

According to OED:

Militant:
Aggressively active in pursuing a political or social cause, and often favouring extreme, violent, or confrontational methods.

Angry:
Passively affected by trouble; vexed, troubled, grieved.

So, maybe militant atheists go looking for trouble, angry atheists need to get stirred up by something.

Dikkii said...

...angry atheists need to get stirred up by something.

Whilst I can't believe you went to the OED to look that one up, I thank you in a bemused fashion, Kathryn.

Those definitions work for me.

KitKat said...

...well, we have OED online.

...and it was a slow day. Saves doing real work. (Although since my work rate is solely determined by me, I guess it was a slow day because I was being slow)

Dikkii said...

Missed that one, Kathryn.

Actually, the OED online would be better than AskOxford, which is what I use.

Of course, I'd have to pay for it...