Grounded in Reality
On 7/9/08, William F. Roberts of Otego had the following letter published in the Oneonta Daily Star.
“Like most actively interested voters, I have some interests that take priority. Right now, one priority matter is a wish that everyone would shut up about religion. Apparently, it was too much to hope for that, with Huckabee and Romney out of the Republican campaign race, religion would fade from sight and mind, where it belongs.
“Then came Internet clips of Pastor Jeremiah Wright, followed by “news” of McCain’s evangelical supporters. Now we read of a Pew Forum poll on religious belief that states that 92 percent of Americans believe in a “God.” As a non-believer in “God” and polls, I have to wonder just what the Pew Forum agenda is and what methods are used to arrive at the percentage published from a sampling of citizens.
“I am suspicious of the agenda of those behind the Pew Forum polls and of the timing of the published poll. But then I suspect the motives of any person or group that seems intent on muddying the political scene (surely muddy enough most times anyway) with irrelevant religious intrusions.
“One marginal note: If the Pew Poll is anywhere near to the actual state of belief in the U.S., it means only 8 percent of citizens are grounded in reality _ and some wonder why the country is falling apart!”
P.S.
Bill Roberts and I have been exchanging letters for 3 years and he has been writing letters to the editors of area newspapers, since the Vietnam War. I’ve been aware of Bill’s disdain for irrelevant religious intrusions and of polls for some time. Consequently, I laughed out loud upon reading his last paragraph.
God bless you, Bill :-)
“Like most actively interested voters, I have some interests that take priority. Right now, one priority matter is a wish that everyone would shut up about religion. Apparently, it was too much to hope for that, with Huckabee and Romney out of the Republican campaign race, religion would fade from sight and mind, where it belongs.
“Then came Internet clips of Pastor Jeremiah Wright, followed by “news” of McCain’s evangelical supporters. Now we read of a Pew Forum poll on religious belief that states that 92 percent of Americans believe in a “God.” As a non-believer in “God” and polls, I have to wonder just what the Pew Forum agenda is and what methods are used to arrive at the percentage published from a sampling of citizens.
“I am suspicious of the agenda of those behind the Pew Forum polls and of the timing of the published poll. But then I suspect the motives of any person or group that seems intent on muddying the political scene (surely muddy enough most times anyway) with irrelevant religious intrusions.
“One marginal note: If the Pew Poll is anywhere near to the actual state of belief in the U.S., it means only 8 percent of citizens are grounded in reality _ and some wonder why the country is falling apart!”
P.S.
Bill Roberts and I have been exchanging letters for 3 years and he has been writing letters to the editors of area newspapers, since the Vietnam War. I’ve been aware of Bill’s disdain for irrelevant religious intrusions and of polls for some time. Consequently, I laughed out loud upon reading his last paragraph.
God bless you, Bill :-)
posted by Jim O'Leary | 12:00 AM
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