help me with a poll

[TCapp]

Howdy, ya'll. This is a bit of an odd request, I realize that, but I'd like your help with the wording on the poll I want to make. The idea has been bouncing in my head for a few months.

I want to make the wording of the poll as fair as possible. In this thread, I merely want to discuss how to word the poll and not really go into depth on the topic itself. When that poll is finally posted, this specific thread can be deleted or closed, so as not to have two threads about it at once.

It mostly involves a theory (I'll let you in on it). My desire, I suppose, was just to poll the locals folks and see if the theory holds any water at all, at least with us. My motivation is mostly curiosity.

(Okay, TCapp, you've got us wondering.. what's this all about?)

A few years ago, this fellow named Paul Vitz wrote a book called "Faith of the Fatherless." (No, I haven't read it.) The theory is that your relationship (or lack thereof) with your father has tends to influence your faith (or lack thereof).

Vitz conducted a biographical survey of influential atheists of the past four centuries to show that the source of their intense atheism was the absence of a good father. In contrast, a survey of leading intellectual defenders of Christianity over the same period finds few defective fathers. Vitz draws on 51 prominent thinkers from both camps to underscore his observations.

Now, I think he realized this isn't ironclad. It is not a blanket statement, nor can it apply to everyone. Each person makes their own choices. But I'm just curious to see if there might be a connection or a trend.

So this idea, whether true or false, is rather intriguing. And I wanted to base my poll on this. This is where I need your input. I want to have four questions along these lines. The wording will be crude (that's why I need your help), but hopefully I can convey the idea of what I'm looking for.

1. I have/had a good father and I believe in God.

2. I have/had a lousy/dead/absent father, but I believe in God.

3. I have/had a good father, but I do not believe in God.

4. I have/had a lousy/dead/absent father and I do not believe in God.


For me, that wording leaves a bit much to be desired. I'm trying to ask fair questions, un-baited, unbiased if possible. Changing of words, changing of the order of the questions... that sort of thing. But the premise should hopefully be untouched. And if you think it's okay as is, please let me know that too.

Thank you.

 

[Mephster]

Tcapp:

You need not be so hesitant and worried. You come across as intelligent and creative, and therefore any reasonable person will not simply "bash" or "attack" you. It is a pleasure to read you on the forums.

As far your poll:

Feminist Theology (etc.) may suggest that the poll you have created places all the emphasis on masculine relationship. I'm not much for feminist anything, to be honest. (I'm a conservative Medievalist, for crying out loud ). However, you may want to just consider writing 'parent.'

Further: I'd also check the results of/or post a poll on whether atheists that take this poll are from religious families or if their family is also agnostic/atheist.

Lastly, fathers sometimes come in the shape of fathers. Some good, some bad, but some fathers are really neither. It is possible that someone may not be able to say for certain that their father was bad or good. Following this, a son/daughter may view their father in a certain way - e.g. Susie thinks Daddy is a bad father, but in reality Daddy may be a really good father. So there is some "perspective" issue in such a poll. While it IS a poll which touches on an attempt to show how one views ones human father is relative to how one views God...... there should be some statements made wherein the results can be misleading. i.e. knee-jerk responses to the results are to be avoided.

Good luck with your poll.

 

[TCapp]

I guess I would prefer to leave it as "father", as that seems to be the crux of the hypothesis. It might also have something to do with the fact that God describes Himself as a "heavenly Father". The idea is you view your "heavenly Father" as you view your "earthly father."

If folks think that their mother had more influence do with their beliefs, they can write that down in a post or something.

And yes, they can also write whether or not the father's (or parent's) faith had any bearing on their own. My own dad, I don't know if I'd call him a Christian or an atheist... he wasn't the one who introduced me to God personally. They didn't go to church or anything like that.

But his actions and his relationship with me had more of an impact. It might be the same with others, and they can clarify that in a post if need be.

I could reword it a bit and ask if the father, while not perfect, was there for them, and provided for them and had some sort of relationship with them.