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Member Polls and Surveys.
Augustin's Religion poll.
Subj: [K-list] Religion Thingy Poll: temporary results until they are officially declared as definitiveDate: 9/18/00 11:09:29 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: gugus@pavo.seed.net.tw
To: Kundalini-Gateway@egroups.com
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1- Thank you
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First of all, thank you to all the respondents to the "Religion Thingy Poll". Please check that your name and email address, written below, are correct so as to make sure that you receive your free voucher, as a thank you for participating, that will be especially delivered to you by email by Pop.up.Windows@Spam.com.
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Table of Contents
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This post is quite long and full of blah-blah and other non-sense.
Use this table of content to go straight to where you want to go ;-)
1- Thank you
2- Introduction
3- Disclaimer
4- Origin of the poll
5- Survey sample
5.1- Size and representativity of the sample
5.2- Name and addresses of the respondents
6- Religion Thingy Poll results
6.1- How to read the table
6.2- Main results
6.3- Other statistical observations
7- Comments
8- How to enter the poll
9- Confidentiality clause
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2- Introduction
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This is a partial result that is guaranteed to remain definitive if I don't receive any more answers. If I do, an update will be posted latter on.
Before we go on with the results, statistics and other comments, let me remind you that this Poll was mainly for fun. There was no intention to prove nor find out anything. It differs a lot from the format usually adopted by Hillary, whose Polls, famous in the realm of the Kundalini Gateway List, are more instructive because based on qualitative comments from members.
This Poll on the other hand is based on statistical figures, accuracy and significance of which can be debated.
I hesitated for a long time about sending a mini, Kundalini related survey to the respondents and link the results to the original scores to see what we can find out. Also I wanted to introduce some qualitative aspect to the Poll, in order to make it more interesting. I got very much identified with the whole idea and couldn't stop my mind, to the point that, one evening, I couldn't find sleep. Not being able to stand it anymore, I got up at three o'clery in the morning and opened my computer. I downloaded my mail and I found one message in the K-lost folder: that of Hillary announcing her religion Poll! It was quite synchronistic. All of the sudden, I didn't need anymore to add anything to the original plan. Thank you, Hillary, you spared me a lot of work!
Anyway, the sample was too small to make what I was thinking about worth doing.
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3- IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS:
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a- In case of earthquake, biblical flood, meteors crashing on the Earth or any other kind of apocalypse, I shall in no way be held responsible.
b- Remember that past performance of any religion on the stock market is not a guaranty for future performance.
c- Invest your soul wisely and build up a wide portfolio; in other words, do not put your two eggs in the same basket (is it how we say it in English?).
d- Always follow the prescription from your confessor.
e- Whichever is the religion that is performing them, miracles are not reimbursed by the social security.
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4- Origin of the poll
******************
The following link about a religion test was posted on the list and it caught the interest of a few members:
http://www.speakout.com/ActivismTools/selectors/religion/
For the test, one has to answer some questions about basic religious beliefs. The answers are computed and will tell to which out of 26 religions are one's beliefs the closest to.
I offered to compile the results of all the members who wished to participate so as to have an average figure for the list's members.
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5- Survey sample
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5.1- Size and representativity of the sample
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The replies to the poll arrived at the steady pace of 1 or 2 a day, the last one being received this morning. The results below are based on the replies from 14 respondents. The number of respondents could have been higher if the Poll had been started earlier, before that some of the members got weary of it. But it is enough for our modest purposes. We do not pretend to do anything scientific.
As of today, there are 430 members of this list. 14 respondents merely represents 3.26% of the membership. That is actually not so bad as far as Polls are concerned but we have no way of knowing how representative of the whole membership are the respondents.
It is a Kundalini related list but we don't even know how many on the list actually consider themselves K-awakened and how many are just interested in learning about K. That kind of information was not collected either for this Poll.
We shall define an active member of a list as someone who has posted on more than one occasion in the past and will post again on more than one occasion in the future. Out of the 430 members, we may guesstimate that at most 10% (i.e. 43 people or less) are active members. Out of the 14 respondents, I have recognized at least 8 whom I can qualify as an active member. Out of the remaining 6, there may be more active members but I just did not recognize them as such. In any case the proportion of active members responding to this Poll is way over 60-70%. That is obviously not representative of the whole membership. In a way, it is a shame because it is an easy Poll to take part in and that had no precondition to it, such as having some form of K-related experience. It was a good opportunity for the lurkers (i.e. anyone who is not defined as an active member) to be heard on this list. If they wish to enter the poll now, they still can.
All this means that we still know nothing about the 400+ lurkers out there. We don't even know whether they are reading any single mail or even whether they are receiving them.
So, the first certitude of this survey is that
a- it is certainly not representative of the world population
b- it is not representative either of the k-awakened community
c- it is not even representative of the membership of this list.
The only thing it can be representative of is the active members. If we estimate that 10 of them replied out of a total of 40, it means that we have a sample of 25% which is of course a lot.
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5.2- Name and addresses of the respondents
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Here is the full list of email addresses of the 14 respondents.
Master@Zen.jp
Johann.Paulus.II@Vatican.pope
merchant.of.the.temple$Jerusalem.com
Adolf@third.reich.de
Sai.mystress.baba@kundalini-gateway.org (what makes you think
is has anything to do with someone you know?)
God.the.father@above.hv (hv=heaven)
tony.prana.is@O'Kundalini.not
Mohammed=prophet@Allah=god
Ida&Pingala@Kundalini.fire
Om.Mani@Padme.Um
One-guru.true@Other-guru.fake (as in: "Me Tarzan, You Jane")
All.that.is@undivisible.one
gugus@pavo.seed.net.tw
Karl.Marx&Kali.Shiva@Marxist.Leninist&Jehovah.Witnesses.United.Front
Now, pick the odd one out.
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6- Religion Thingy Poll results
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6.1- How to read the table
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There are 26 religions included in the test.
They are here ranked from the lowest score to the highest.
For each religion, I have given the following set of numbers:
A= x% is the Average score for the 14 respondents
0=x is the number of respondents who have scored 0%
L=x % is the Lowest score among the 14 respondents
H=x % is the Highest score among the 14 respondents
100=x is the number of respondents who have scored 100% .
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6.2- Main results
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26 Jehovah's Witness A= 12% ; 0=7 ; L=0 % ; H= 40% ; 100=0 .
25 Eastern Orthodox A= 18% ; 0=4 ; L= 0% ; H= 59% ; 100=0 .
24 Roman Catholic A= 19% ; 0=4 ; L=0 % ; H= 59% ; 100=0 .
23 Islam A= 20% ; 0=5 ; L= 0% ; H= 54% ; 100=0 .
22 Seventh Day Adventist A= 21% ; 0=4 ; L= 0% ; H= 69% ; 100=0 .
21 Latter Day Saints A= 26% ; 0=3 ; L= 0% ; H= 54% ; 100=0 .
20 Mainl. to Conserv. Protestant A= 26% ; 0=3 ; L= 0% ; H= 67% ; 100=0 .
19 Orthodox Judaism A= 29% ; 0=1 ; L= 0% ; H= 65% ; 100=0 .
18 Atheist/Agnostic A= 31% ; 0=1 ; L= 0% ; H= 50% ; 100=0 .
17 Jainism A= 38% ; 0=0 ; L= 21% ; H= 66% ; 100=0 .
16 Bah? A= 44% ; 0=2 ; L= 0% ; H= 93% ; 100=0 .
15 Humanist A= 45% ; 0=1 ; L= 0% ; H= 87% ; 100=0 .
14 Reform Judaism A= 46% ; 0=1 ; L= 0% ; H= 84% ; 100=0 .
13 Orthodox Quaker A=47% ; 0=3 ; L= 0% ; H= 93% ; 100=0 .
12 Christian Science A= 54% ; 0=0 ; L= 21% ; H= 92% ; 100=0 .
11 Sikhism A= 55% ; 0=1 ; L= 0% ; H= 93% ; 100=0 .
10 Mainl. to Liberal Protestant A= 55% ; 0=0 ; L= 13% ; H= 100% ; 100=1.
9 New Thought A= 60% ; 0=0 ; L= 40% ; H= 88% ; 100=0 .
8 Scientology A= 60% ; 0=0 ; L= 27% ; H= 92% ; 100=0 .
7 Hindu A= 63% ; 0=0 ; L= 32% ; H= 100% ; 100=1 .
6 Liberal Quaker A= 66% ; 0=0 ; L= 13% ; H= 100% ; 100=2 .
5 Theravada Buddhist A= 68% ; 0=0 ; L= 42% ; H= 100% ; 100=1 .
4 Unitarian Universalist A= 79% ; 0=0 ; L= 52% ; H= 100% ; 100=1 .
3 New Age A= 83% ; 0=0 ; L= 60% ; H= 100% ; 100=2 .
2 Mahayana Buddhist A= 84% ; 0=0 ; L= 65% ; H= 100% ; 100=4 .
1 Neo-Pagan A= 91% ; 0=0 ; L= 60% ; H= 100% ; 100=5 .
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6.3- Other statistical observations
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* On any single religion, there is a variety of opinions. The gap between the lowest and the highest score is for each quite important: from 35% (Mahayana Buddhist) to 93% (Bahai and Orthodox Quaker)
* The religions which had the most respondents scoring 0% are: Jehovah Witnesses (7 times 0%, that is half of the respondents) and Islam (5 times 0%). Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Seventh Day Adventist each have 4 times 0%. There is a total of 40 times 0% shared between 14 religions.
* The religions which had the most respondents scoring 100% are: Neo Pagan (5 times 100%), Mahayana Buddhist (4 times 100%). There is a total of 10 times 100% shared between 10 religions.
* The average score for all the religions is 48%, that is a religion that scores above 48% is above average.
* If we add all the points that one respondent scores on all the religions, we get a sum ranging from 720 points to 1749 points, that is the first respondent has low scores on most religions (28% in average for each religion, with 11 times 0%! and Neo Pagan at 100%) and the second has high scores on most religions (68% in average, with no religion at 0% and only Mahayana Buddhism at 100%). The average for each religion is 48% overall, that is a total of 1237 points for the 26 religions.
* One respondent did everything in quarters! He scored:
3 times 100%
3 times 75%
5 times 25%
11 times 0%!
The other scores were: 87, 87, 68 and 56%. Total: 948 points.
* Every single respondent has at least one religion they agree with at 100% (according to the test).
Actually most respondents (11) had only one religion where they scored 100%, 2 respondents have 2 religions and only one respondent has three religions with a 100% score.
* I tried to see the results without changing anything in the original test, and I scored 0% everywhere!
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7- Comments
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Nobody evaluated the accuracy of the test which is at the origin of this Poll. The sample is small and not representative of anything. So the raw data is at best worth nothing and at worse worth even less. The comments will be even more subjective. Therefore, each one can comment for him/herself or on the list.
Despite all the evident flaws (including those I haven't mentioned, like the country of origin and the cultural and religious background of the respondents that is not representative of the world's religions) we can still recognize some trends. I comment here on some of them.
* Kundalini knows no religion, that's what came out of the qualitative comments on the list. This Poll seems to confirm that (or is it?): there is a large disparity of answers and a wide gap between the highest and the lowest for each religion.
* A religion is nothing but a set of beliefs. Can we use that to explain the fact that some respondents have a high total score (sum of all 26 scores) and some a low one? The first ones have strong beliefs (or is it direct experience?) about many things and the latter ones just do not know, they have less beliefs? That's an open question. (Is there anyone who actually understands what I mean?)
* Among the low scoring religions, we have first of all Islam. At the face of it, it sounds normal as the respondents do not come from an Islamic background (that is Islamic countries). The low score for the Eastern Orthodox can be explained in the same way. I am less sure about the Roman Catholic. How many are they in America or in Canada? How many respondents come from a catholic background? I, for one, was raised as a Catholic, with practicing parents (I even went to see the Pope to cheer him, when he came, once!), but I scored 0%!
* Is there any Jehovah Witness on the list?
* The respondents background is certainly more Christian or protestant, yet Adventists, Protestants, orthodox Quakers, Latter Day Saints all score below average.
* Among the hottest religions, the trend is more clear. Below are comments on the top four.
* Third runner up: Unitarian Universalist. I have no idea what it is yet I scored 72%.
More information at:
http://www.selectsmart.com/RELIGION/UU.html
* Second runner up: New Age. That's not a surprise, certainly not to me. Is it to anyone on the list?
More information at:
http://www.selectsmart.com/RELIGION/NA.html
* Runner up: Mahayana Buddhist. That may actually be the biggest surprise. Anyone on the list with such a background or it just happened like that? It got four times 100% and has the lowest gap between the highest score (100%) and the lowest (65%). There does seem to be a consensus here. More information at:
http://www.selectsmart.com/RELIGION/MB.html
* Gold medallist: Neo Pagan. Now, I am quite sure that none of the respondent has been raised as a neo pagan. It seems that the list should follow a crash course on it for those among us who never realized they were pagans! 5 out of 14 respondents scored 100% and the lowest score is as much as 60%.
The information at:
http://www.selectsmart.com/RELIGION/NP.html
says:
"""
Neo-Pagan A community of faiths bringing ancient pagan and magickal traditions to the modern age -- including mostly Wicca but also Druidism, Asatru, Shamanism, neo-Native American, etc. Neo-Pagan is an umbrella term for various and diverse beliefs with many elements in common. (See Pagan Path Selector below) Some Neo-Pagans find no incongruence practicing Neo-Paganism along with adherence to another faith, such as Christianity or Judaism.
Belief in Deity: Some believe in a Supreme Being. Many believe in God and Goddess - a duality. Many believe there are countless spirit beings, gods and goddesses, in the cosmos and within all of nature - God is all and within all; all are one God. The Great Mother Earth, or Mother Nature, is highly worshipped. Divinity is immanent and may become manifest within anyone at any time through various methods.
Incarnations: No human incarnations are worshipped in particular, as all of nature and the universe are considered embodiments of God and Goddess, or of gods and goddesses, worthy of respect, reverence or worship.
Origin of universe/life: Generally there is no conflict between observations revealed through science and Neo-Pagan beliefs on origins of the physical universe and of man. Many believe in a supreme intelligence that created a duality of God/Goddess who then created a spirit world of gods and goddesses as well as all of the universe and nature.
After death: Many believe in reincarnation, after some rest and recovery in the “Otherworld.” There is generally no concept of hell as a place of punishment, but some believe wrongdoing can trap the soul in state of suffering after death. Some (Wicca) believe the soul joins their dead ancestors who watch over and protect their family. Some believe that life energy continues in some, if unknown, form. Some believe in various spiritual resting places. Many say we don’t or can’t know what happens after death.
Why evil? “Evil” is imbalance. Most believe there is no evil but rather that people sometimes make mistakes.Wrongdoing results when we forget we are one with the universal spirit.
Salvation: The concept of “salvation” is essentially irrelevant; rather the belief that people can attain spiritual balance and harmony with each other and Nature. The path includes group ceremonies, dances, songs/chants, prayers, meditation, trance, altered states of consciousness, the metaphysical, magic, invoking or evoking deities or spirits, Tantric practices. Intercessors are commonly used: psychics, seers, shamans, tarot, Oui-Ja Board.
Ethical choices are influenced by belief in rebirth and karma - that one is rewarded or punished within this or after this lifetime for one’s choices, and an ethical code to do no harm.
Undeserved suffering: Most do not believe in Satan or any spirit Being as the cause of suffering. Some believe in karma, that choosing to live a life of wrongdoing and pain will naturally result in suffering in this or later lifetimes. Many view suffering as a result of spiritual imbalance in one’s life or on the planet or in the universe. The focus is generally on healing suffering rather than answering definitively why it exists.
Issues: Abortion choice is supported by many, but beliefs about abortion range from “pro-life” to “pro-choice.” Views on divorce, homosexuality, and gender equality are generally very supportive of human differences, equality, and personal choice. Many believe that involvement in community action, especially regarding environmental concerns, is integral to the belief in human interdependence and worship of the Earth Mother. Many promote strict nonviolence to humans and animals.
Books on Religion & Spirituality from Amazon.com
Recommended Website: Pagan Path Selector
Recommended Website: Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Recommended Website: neopagan.net -- Isaac Bonewits' Homepage
Recommended Website: LunaSea's Neo-Pagan Pages
Recommended Websites: More"
"""
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8- How to enter the poll
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It is not too late to enter the poll. I will update the results for as long as I receive replies or as long as I don't get bored with it, whichever comes sooner.
Here is a reminder on how to enter the poll:
For the poll to be meaningful, I need to have the complete results, i.e. how much you scored for each one of the 26 religions. The reason why it is interesting to do this Poll is that we will not all have the same results and one may score low on a religion where someone else scored high. This Poll is different from the usual Polls organized here in that it is a quantitative Poll (the important thing is numbers) and not a qualitative Poll (where respondents can comment freely on each question). So, in order for the statistics to have value, please follow carefully the instructions below:
1- Go to: http://www.speakout.com/ActivismTools/selectors/religion/
2- complete the test (I hope it will not be the second or third time you do so because of this Poll!)
3- write down your email in the space at the bottom of the page.
4- tick off the pre-checked box if you don't want to receive other emails.
5- forward the complete email to me, Not to the list. (individual answers will be kept strictly confidential). That is, I will deal with the quantitative aspect of the poll.
6- You may want to comment on your most important score on the list. That is you may send to the list the qualitative comments about your results.
I hope that clarifies the procedures for this Poll.
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9- Confidentiality clause
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All the answers have been treated anonymously.
I tabulated the answers using Excel but I entered neither name nor email address on the table. What I have done is assign a number to each respondent. I wrote the name and/or address on a piece of paper and wrote a number beside it. This way I could make sure that each respondent was entered only once (some sent me twice the mail with the results). I have only entered the number on the computer.
I use Outlook Express and since I have emailed a few of the respondents (to ask for more details as those provided were not sufficient to enter the Poll) the software automatically memorized the email addresses. As there may be some safety risk (e.g. a virus duplicating itself and sending itself to all the addresses on the address book), I have gone into the address book and removed manually all those addresses, which is easily done as I keep the addresses of my friends and family in a different folder.
This way, the only place on my computer where I have the email addresses and/or name of the respondents is within the original messages send to me.
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I hope you enjoyed it all.
I shall now have a rest.
Just the time to say good night to all those who are now getting up and I am off myself to bed.
blessings,
Augustin.
http://www.onelist.com/community/Kundalini-Gateway
http://www.kundalini-gateway.org
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