In December, our middle school class surveyed the coffee hour crowd, asking people to mark three statements that best match their personal beliefs. The class matched each statement to a range of theologies and graphed the results.
The group used these definitions from their curriculum Compass Points:
Agnostic (A=negative; Gnostic=knowledge) Someone who says we have no way of knowing whether or not there is a God
Atheist (A=negative; Theo=God) Someone who denies the existence of God
Christian Someone (often a theist) who believes that Jesus was divine or that the teachings of Jesus were uniquely important.
Deist (Deus= Latin for God) Someone who believes that a creator made the universe, then left it to run itself
Humanist Someone who rejects all supernaturalism (that which lacks all scientific explanation) and relies primarily upon reason (using the mind), science, and the power of humanity to great things in the world
Pagan Someone who finds god in nature or mother nature
Pantheist (Pan=all; Theo=God) Someone who believes God is in all things
Theist (Theo=Greek for God) Someone who believes in a God, often a God with whom they feel they have a spiritual or personal relationship
| Idea | Theology | Tally |
| There are probably as many ideas about God as there are people. | Humanist | 22 |
| God cares for us and listens to our prayers. | Theist | 3 |
| God and the Universe are the same-God is in everything and everyone. | Pantheist | 21 |
| There’s no way we can know whether or not there is a God. | Agnostic | 19 |
| God created the universe and then left it to run itself. | Deist | 2 |
| There’s no such thing as God, and even the word is meaningless. | Atheist | 6 |
| God is my conscience calling me to make the world a better place. | Theist | 14 |
| God is present in the relationships among people. | Theist, Pantheist | 15 |
| Creation is on-going, and we are co-creators with God. | Pantheist | 10 |
| There’s a spark of divinity in each of us. | Pantheist | 25 |
| We can use science and reason to understand our Universe. | Humanist, Atheist | 40 |
| I find God in nature. | Pantheist, Pagan | 22 |
| God is like a loving mother who sustains us and all life. | Pantheist, Pagan | 3 |
| My beliefs about Jesus make me feel closer to God. | Christian, Theist | 3 |
This isn’t the first time a middle school class has surveyed the congregation – check out the rankings from 2015.
