‘Social believers’ among our survey respondents
‘Social believers’ among our survey respondents Social believers While researching and writing about atheists a decade ago, I began using the term ‘social believer.’ Those people in the pew next to you who don’t believe in god but come to church only conform to family and community expectations? Those are social believers. In the vernacular of ex-Adventists, these individuals are commonly referred to as PIMO or ‘physically in, mentally out.’ It was sociologist Judith Butler that popularized the idea that gender is performative. I will posit that perhaps, for example, sexuality is as well. There are many social heterosexuals among us who live a heterosexual lifestyle, getting married and even having children, all while doing so only for social reasons, in their authentic self being attracted to those of the same sex. Sexuality is performative. So, is religiosity performative and if so to what extent? Here are the current results…
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FollowWhat do our survey respondents look like?
What do our survey respondents look like so far? Thank you First, a big thank you to those 600+ of you who have taken the time to complete our survey. Yes, so far a remarkable 100% of those who started the survey completed it, spending an average of 35 minutes offering their thoughts and words. That everyone who has started the survey forged on to the very end is virtually unheard of in online survey research, especially with a long survey like ours which had 62 questions and encouraged written comments on most. Again, thank you to all the respondents for engaging our questions. So, what do our survey respondents look like? They are dedicated, persevering, patient, and, based on the copious written responses, both thoughtful and generous. As a research team we remain committed to hearing and reporting on your voices to the best of our ability. A snapshot…
Read MoreThe cult question
“The SDA cult needs to be comprehensively exposed to as wide an audience of SDAs and non-SDAs as possible, and then be roundly and formally denounced by as many people and institutions as possible. E.G. White was likely a psychopathic con artist who may someday be viewed as one of the most impacting con artists in recorded history.” -male Millennial survey respondent The cult question Strong words of accusation Reading through the comments has been difficult and fascinating. As a sociologist I find most of the comments inherently interesting, of course, but reading some offerings has been difficult knowing that a real person spent time thinking about and writing those words. This comment from a Millennial male from the United States was particularly striking in its passion and deep conviction. In response to Q27 “In as few or as many words as you like, please tell us about your process…
Read MoreSome preliminary data
“Thanks for doing this survey for us ex SDA. It is a rarity, never done anything like it, so specific, before.” -male, Millennial, Ex-Adventist Some preliminary data ‘Data teasers’ We opened the survey nearly two weeks ago on March 1 and are both pleased and thankful that so many ex-SDA folks have responded. Our research team was recently interviewed by Santiago, host of Haystacks & Hell, and we had the opportunity to provide some deep background behind our survey. We are happy that our modest efforts have generated some interest among ex-SDA people and that the survey is providing a cathartic experience for many. Below are some ‘data teasers’, very preliminary results and comment on same. Enjoy! Remarkable response rate As of this writing (3-12-23) we have 336 responses to our survey with a remarkably high 100% completion rate. That means every person who started the survey made it all…
Read MoreOne size does not fit all
One size does not fit all [Updated 4-21-23] Group positionality statement As an elaboration on how we describe ourselves on The Research Team page, here is our collective positionality statement. All three researchers are middle class, straight, cis, white, and able males from and living in the United States. One of us is middle aged and the other two are older. Hence we all experience many privileges based on these ascribed statuses and even more due to our individual achieved statuses. All three of us are professionals, working in fields that thankfully hold a respected place in our culture. We are demonstratively not perfect in any way, but especially in terms of being fully aware of the many biases we hold. With grace, we strive both in our personal and professional lives to embrace the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. That said, our current work, this survey, is…
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