Do you have any religious friends?
In my experience, when religious people hear "utilitarianism" they:
Unpopular utilitarian beliefs:
Do you have any religious friends?
A few, but the "religious" here in France are milder than what you'd get in the states. The most religious people I know are Muslim.
If they're educated they'll point to examples of people who justified atrocities with "the ends justifies the means." (ex, Mao's Great Leap Forward)
That's a very reasonable answer! "The end justifies the means" is a common rationalization for terrible behavior (though probably not as much as it is in fiction).
...
- A) Someone with a high earning job should don
At Reason Rally a couple of months ago, we noticed that a lot of atheists there seemed to be there for mutual support - because their own communities rejected atheists, because they felt outnumbered and threatened by their peers; the rally was a way for them to feel part of an in-group. Reason Rally is definitely an event that selects for people who feel excluded by their communities most of the time. But there may be a different concentration of people who have had this sort of experience on LessWrong, and we wondered what that concentration was.
Hence, this survey: LessWrong Members and their Local Communities.
If I get a decent sample size, I will post the data for all to enjoy.
EDIT: I added two questions about current and previous religious views to the poll. If you took it before 11:30PM EST 5/2, I'd appreciate it very much if you would take the time to retake it. :)