Originally Posted by DizzyDee

Accordingly to this scale (quoted from "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins), what do you think the probability that there is a god falls and how does it effect your life?

1. Strong theist. 100 percent probability of the existence of God. In the words of C.G. Jung, "I do not believe, I know."

2. De facto Theist. Very high probability of God but short of 100 per cent. "I cannot know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there."

3. Technically agnostic but leaning towards theism. Higher than 50 percent probability of God, but not very high. "I am very uncertain, but I am included to believe in God."

4. Completely impartial agnostic. Believes there is a 50/50 probability that God exists. "God's existence and non-existence are exactly equiprobable.

5. Technically agnostic but leaning towards atheism.. Lower than a 50 per cent probability but not very low. "I don't know whether God exists but I'm included to be sceptical."

6. De facto atheist. Very low probability, but short of zero. "I cannot know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there."

7. Strong atheist "I know there is no God, which the same conviction as Jung "knows" there is one.

Dawkins points out that Atheists do not have faith; and reason alone could not propel one to total conviction that anything definitely does not exist. Hence category 7 is in practice rather emptier than its opposite number, category 1. Dawkins places himself in category 6, leaning towards 7 and says, "I am agnostic only to the extent that I am agnostic about fairies at the bottom of the garden."

I, myself, would probably put myself in level 5, leaning towards and possibly in the process of learning enough that I could move into category 6.

How about everyone else? Can you fit yourself into this scale somewhere?