Research Survey on Religiousness and Non-Religiousness

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I am undertaking a research project to better understand the various religious and non-religious positions and beliefs people have, as well as how these beliefs influence:

how people interact with others;
how people believe States should be governed in relationship to religion;
what people believe the relationship between religion and education should be;
what legal rights members of the TBLG community (transgendered, bisexual, lesbian, gay and queer) should be; and,
is the religious indoctrination of children a form of child abuse.

In order to accumulate as much information as possible with respect to people’s beliefs and opinions, I have created the following survey.

I would very much appreciate it if you would take the time to complete it, and if you would encourage as many people to take the survey as possible.

Thanks sincerely!

Privacy Statement

Privacy Statement: Please indicate if you understand that the information you provide in the survey below will be used as data in a forthcoming book and that you permit its use for this purpose without expectation of a fee or financial compensation in return.(required)
Permission to Contact You: Aside from the automated response, I will only contact you for follow up information if you consent to my doing so by selecting "yes".(required)

Personal Information

Your Name(required)
Sex(required)
Please Select Your Age Group.(required)
Race(required)
Country(required)
Province, Territory, State, Region
Level of Education(required)
Email(valid email required)

Religious or Non-Religious Position

Would you describe yourself as being religious or non-religious?(required)
How would you classify your religiousness or non-religiousness? (Ex. Christian, Buddhist, Agnostic, Atheist, etc.)(required)
Please specify which particular branch or sect of this religion or non-religion you belong to or identify with. (Ex. Catholic, Reformed Jew, etc.) If same as above, write SAB.(required)

Defining Your Position

Please describe how you understand the official position of the particular religious or non-religious sect you identify with.(required)
Now, please describe how you personally understand your own religious or non-religious position.(required)
Why do you believe this?(required)

Interaction With Others

According to your specific religious or non-religious position, would you say that you are encouraged to proselytize?(required)
Do you adhere to this requirement?(required)
If you do not comply with this requirement, please explain why you do not. Otherwise, type "NA".(required)

The Bible

Regardless of your belief, do you believe the Bible is the word of a god?(required)
If you answered yes, do you believe the Bible should be understood literally?(required)
Please describe why you do or do not believe in biblical literalism. If you answered NA, please type NA.(required)

Belief and Society

Do you believe in the separation of church and State?(required)
Do you believe the State should support one religion or sect over another?(required)
Do you believe religious groups should receive tax exemptions?(required)
Should religious laws, ex. Sharia Law or Canon Law, be allowed to override or co-exist with State laws?(required)
Should religious concepts, like creationism, be taught in science classes?(required)
Should children be exposed do the various religious belief systems via courses like World Religions?(required)
Should members of the TBLG community be legally allowed to marry, including all the rights that come with this?(required)
Should TBLG couples be legally permitted to adopt and foster children?(required)

Religion and Children

Should parents be allowed to expose their children to religious dogma as truth?(required)
Do you believe that this is unethical?(required)
Do you believe this constitutes child abuse?(required)

Other

If this survey did not capture your own beliefs, please explain here.

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Thank you again, sincerely, for taking the time to complete this survey.

7 responses to Research Survey on Religiousness and Non-Religiousness

Jack said on October 18, 2011

I had to answer some of those questions in order to submit the survey even though for many of them there is no correct answer because the question itself is invalid.

As an agorist I believe that both religion and government are both equally irrational so I don’t think that either one is legitimate.

Reply
- bbridson said on October 18, 2011
  
  Thanks for pointing this out. I have added an extra question at the bottom that I think should allow others such as yourself to answer honestly.
  
  Reply
Barry Fensom said on October 10, 2011

I feel that some of the yes/no questions should be on a scale from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”. Some things are not black and white.

Reply
Fil Salustri said on October 10, 2011

I don’t know much about survey design, but one thing I have learned is that it is considered better to have pulldowns show a neutral option as default rather than one of the acceptable answers. It’s supposed to remove a source of bias. I can tell you that this doesn’t affect me, but apparently it can affect some people.

Reply
- bbridson said on October 10, 2011
  
  Thanks Fil; I have taken care of that,
  
  Reply
Rosa Rubicondior said on October 9, 2011

I agree that parents teaching religious dogma to their children is a form of child abuse but prohibiting it would be neither practicable nor desirable.

However, it should be taught in schools that religions are NOT factual but superstitions based on ancient mythology, so countering the propaganda of parents.

Reply
- bbridson said on October 9, 2011
  
  As do I. I personally believe that education should be teaching children to think critically; informing them of what constitutes valid and invalid beliefs. State-funded education should not be used to make children and students less capable of thinking for themselves.
  
  Reply