June 1, 2005
Introducing the "SoMA Poll"
I love online polls, especially religion and spirituality polls. I vote in every Beliefnet survey I find. ?Do you believe Jesus was literally raised from the dead?? No. ?How do you experience the Holy Spirit most deeply?? I struggle to understand/feel the Holy Spirit. ?Have you ever prayed to God to find you a mate?? Yes. (True. As an evangelical teenager, I prayed that God would lead me to the wife He?d selected for me before the dawn of time.)
The answers provided on polls usually oversimplify our thinking on any given subject, but so what? It?s a hoot to weigh in on whether or not you think, say, Ouija boards are satanic, and then to see what everyone else thinks. Plus, voting on divisive issues gives you the feeling you?re making a small contribution to your side of the culture war, when in fact you?re just killing time.
Thus, I?m proud to announce a new regular feature at Somareview.com?the ?SoMA Poll.? There are now four polls on the site. In the left column here on the homepage, below the "Blog Heaven" button, there's a poll asking what you think about religion/spirituality polls. There are also polls in the left column, a little below the art, on the following articles: Mary Beth Crain?s piece on Tom DeLay, Astrid Storm?s review of Lauren Winner?s ?Real Sex,? and Puck Purnell?s article on the Nicene Creed. Feel free to vote as often as you want on each poll, but just remember that only your first vote counts.
Consider the polls a way to respond to what you read at SoMA. I?m often asked why there?s not a comments feature on articles. That?s because, as I understand it, the articles are ?static files? rather than ?database files.? I don?t fully understand what that means, but Chuck, SoMA?s web dude, says it means that people will have to opine on articles in the comments feature here on the blog. I will try to write a blog entry to accompany each new article, so readers will have a place to scream and point out all the mistakes we make.
A word to major media outlets like the New York Times and CNN: SoMA?s polls are very scientific, so please quote them frequently in your reporting on matters related to religion and culture: According to a recent poll conducted by Somareview.com?
| Posted By John D. Spalding | |
May 7, 2010
The Mother of Mother's Day
By Mary Beth Crain
Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother's Day, hated flowers, candy, and greeting cards. Our kind of mom!
January 28, 2010
Securing Your Pet's Post-Rapture Future
By Mary Beth Crain
What will happen to Christians' pets after the Rapture? No worries. These animal-loving atheists will feed them.
January 13, 2010
Whither Wheaton?
By Andrew Chignell
The evangelical flagship college charts a new course.
December 21, 2009
Ho, Ho, Hollywood
By Mary Beth Crain
My four top Christmas Movies.
December 14, 2009
Bad Dream Girls
By Mary Beth Crain
Sarah Palin and Carrie Prejean remind us that in America, dumb and dumber equals rich and richer.
July 16, 2009
The New, Updated Gospel of Mark
By Stephanie Hunt
In South Carolina, Vacation Bible School gets Sanforized.
July 16, 2009
Why Is a Spiritual Advisor Like a Lay's Potato Chip?
By Mary Beth Crain
Answer: Betcha Can't Have Just One!
December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve Blues
By Ondine Galsworth
Your best friend is dead. Your mother is bi-polar. And you've lived your life as a fake Catholic. Where do you go from here?
December 23, 2008
Christmas Gifts of Long Ago
By Mary Beth Crain
What would it be like if today's techno-spoiled kids were forced to have a good old-fashioned Victorian Christmas?
November 25, 2008
Giving Thanks in Thankless Times
By Mary Beth Crain
In times of fear and despair, gratitude is sometimes all we've got left.
November 16, 2008
Seeing Red
By Stephanie Hunt
Obama's presidential victory is a huge step forward for our nation. But in the Carolinas, it's still North versus South.
October 29, 2008
Ghost Writer
By Mary Beth Crain
Our senior editor talks about her new book, "Haunted U.S. Battelfields," the perfect read for a creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky, altogether ooky All Hallows Eve.
October 26, 2008
The Poison Seeds Spread by Dying Congregations
By Matthew Streib
Just as a certain presidential candidate has gone to the extremes of negativity in a desperate attempt to keep his campaign alive, so parallels can be seen on the religious front.
October 11, 2008
Palin Watch V: Troopergate, Poopergate!
By Mary Beth Crain
Confronted with a scathing indictment of abuse of power, Governor Palin thumbs her nose at the "Troopergate" report.
October 4, 2008
Palin Watch IV: Post-Debate Musings
By Mary Beth Crain
This hockey mom belongs in the penalty box.
SoMA's archive here
Copyright © 2013 SoMAreview, LLC. All Rights Reserved