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Most Britons 'believe in heaven'

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    Most Britons 'believe in heaven'

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7996187.stm

    Most Britons 'believe in heaven'

    The majority of Britons believe in heaven and life after death, new research suggests.

    The survey of 2,060 people showed 55% believe in heaven, while 53% believe in life after death and 70% believe in the human soul.

    The study was carried out between October and November last year for the public theology think tank Theos.

    It also suggested that nearly four in 10 people, 39%, believe in ghosts and 27% believe in reincarnation.

    A further 22% believe in astrology or horoscopes and 15% believe in fortune telling or Tarot.

    The think tank said the findings were "especially striking" when compared to the 1950s.

    Then only 10% of the public told Gallup that they believed in ghosts and just 2% thought they had seen one.

    More sceptical

    In 1951, only 7% of people said they believed in predicting the future by cards and 6% by stars.

    But the latest research showed an increase in scepticism about certain aspects of the supernatural, the organisation said.

    In a 1998 Mori poll, 18% of the public said they believed in fortune telling or tarot, and 38% in astrology. A further 40% said they believed in ghosts, and 15% said that they had personal experience of ghosts.

    Theos director Paul Woolley said: "The enlightenment optimism in the ability of science and reason to explain everything ended decades ago.

    "The extent of belief will probably surprise people, but the finding is consistent with other research we have undertaken.

    "The results indicate that people have a very diverse and unorthodox set of beliefs. Our research may point to a slight increase in scepticism about aspects of the supernatural over the last 10 years."

    #2
    "A further 22% believe in astrology or horoscopes"

    Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? - Epicurus

    Comment


      #3
      I reckon if there is any ETI in our vicinity, it/they would consider humans very interesting objects of study, and would find it quite easy to store a complete human mind in some artificial medium, and replay it later at will, sort of bottling up souls like a biologist collecting specimens.

      If anyone is skeptical, just consider the progress we have made in all that kind of technology in only a century or so and then extrapolate for a few million years.

      Also, although many people take it for granted that advanced intelligences would be preoccupied with abstract issues beyond our understanding, and would consider humans about as interesting as woodlice, it may be there's only so much to know about fundamental laws and once they did even the smartest aliens in their search for novelty would have to fall back on studying nature's variety (such as us).

      Imagine "waking up" in a dimly lit room (in reality a VR simulator) and being told that you had died. "So there *is* life after death," you might exclaim "well I'll be damned!", to which the doctor might reply "That's what we're here to decide"...
      Work in the public sector? Read the IR35 FAQ here

      Comment


        #4
        Are there credits cards in heaven?

        Comment


          #5
          A survey of 2060 people does NOT equal "most Britons" - nonsense journalism at its best.

          Comment


            #6
            Did you know the BBC is also about to give the post of Head of Religion & Ethics to a muslim - Aaqil Ahmed.... and that there are those who say that his attitude to Christianity is rather 'aggressive'

            Seems strange that in a nation where 72% of the population describe themselves as 'Christian' the post should be given to someone from less than 2% of the population...

            Still if we ridicule those 72% and marginalise their beliefs I don't suppose anyone here will give a jot if something less benign becomes acceptable
            How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Troll View Post
              Did you know the BBC is also about to give the post of Head of Religion & Ethics to a muslim - Aaqil Ahmed.... and that there are those who say that his attitude to Christianity is rather 'aggressive'
              Does that mean Songs of Praise gets moved to Friday?

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by AtW View Post
                Are there credits cards in heaven?
                Why would one need money in heaven?

                Comment


                  #9
                  Anyway, Islam, Christianity and Judaism are pretty much abstract derivations of the same religion. Mostly we just disagree on how to kill each other.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by BrilloPad View Post
                    Why would one need money in heaven?
                    You mean everyone is poor in heaven without any money?

                    Comment

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