Religion

[MOP]

If you walked into any church what are the most prominent types that you would see.

It seems like most church goers tend to be a the same types.

[silverchris9]

False assumptions. All religions contain "something for everyone," and I'm not even joking here. Christianity, at least, contains something for everyone. I wouldn't bet on it, but it's possible that you might be able to try to sort each one of the four gospels into one of the four quadras... of course, this would be very limiting and reductive to the gospels. Anyway, there's aspects of religion that work for everyone. If you want focus on internal emotional state, affecting others' internal state, bringing joy, you've got that. If you want mystical insight and focus on something nonphysical, you've got that. If you want profound need for forceful, intentional action, you've got that. If you want focus on relationships and how they are affected by action (and behavioral rules that will maximize those relationships...), you've got that. If you want a way of looking at things that focuses on the possibilities for change, you've got that. The list goes on.

Now, American religion *does* tend to pander to specific types. You'll notice that in that list, I didn't really have a space for Ti, even though in the age of the Scholastic philosophers, Christianity/the Church was the center of Ti activity. This is because most religion in America/the West doesn't focus on Ti, so Ti types will probably be out (this may have something to do with the fact that Protestantism totally throws tradition and hierarchy out of the window). Te types are better accounted for, in religious groups that focus on service, on active charity. So, fundamentally, it's more about what types you're more likely to find at specific churches (there are even Ti-focused churches, believe it or not. I had a high school teacher who was a very Ti-focused Christian, and who was almost LII).

That being said, your "typical" churchgoer is probably Fi > Fe, Ne > Ni (this is the typical American church; religion in general is, I believe, associated more with Ni than with any other function, and as Jung said, without Ni there would have been no prophets in Israel), Si > Se, and Te > Ti, in order of importance. Logical types are less likely to be there. Feeling types are more likely to be there. Intuitives are more likely to be at some churches, especially those that emphasize the mystical or spiritual aspect of religion. Si is heavily valued in many churches. In general, you won't find NTs and you will find NFs. You're probably more likely to find SFs than STs, but Te types (especially ESTjs) are often attracted by the STRONG Fi found in your stereotypical American church. Some ISTjs who have bought into religion from early youth are unlikely to leave it, and can be comforted by the simple cause-and-effect relationships assumed by many churches (take action x, go to heaven; take action y, go to hell), as well as enjoying the Fe atmosphere of many Pentecostal or Baptist (black) churches. Alpha NTs are the least likely to be there, unless dragged by an ESE, who is often a "church mother" who is a big caretaker for a large group.

[Gilly]

Religion is gay.

[717495]

Religion is gay.

This.

[Blue Moon]

If you walked into any church what are the most prominent types that you would see.
It seems like most church goers tend to be a the same types.

You are right. Most of church goers are IEIs because most of people are IEIs.

[Morcheeba]

You are right. Most of church goers are IEIs because most of people are IEIs.

That was probably the dumbest statement I've heard on this forum so far; no offense.

[Blue Moon]

That was probably the dumbest statement I've heard on this forum so far; no offense.

What is your opinion about type statistics?

[Crispy]

If alpha NTs are almost never seen in religion, how often are gamma NTs seen in comparison? Also what is the common religion/belief system of a typical INTj or INTp? (Im assuming athiest/agnostic and christian/buddhist)

[Blue Moon]

If alpha NTs are almost never seen in religion, how often are gamma NTs seen in comparison? Also what is the common religion/belief system of a typical INTj or INTp? (Im assuming athiest/agnostic and christian/buddhist)

I suppose that and are atheists mostly. and are more religious than alpha colleagues because of function.

[silverchris9]

If alpha NTs are almost never seen in religion, how often are gamma NTs seen in comparison? Also what is the common religion/belief system of a typical INTj or INTp? (Im assuming athiest/agnostic and christian/buddhist)

Yeah, if nothing else gamma NTs are less likely to be materialists/physicalists (that is, people who believe that all that exists is matter) because of Ni's focus on the immaterial, even the mystic or spiritual. I think Ni, out of all the functions, has the highest level of abstraction away from the observable world, whereas I think Se has the highest level of attachment to the observable world (i.e., sense perceptions).

Again, I don't think alpha NTs are generally associated with non-religious belief systems because and are irreligious functions (obviously not; look at LSIs and EIIs), but because many religions (esp. the Christian church in America) for a long time wasn't focusing on the specific needs of people with a strong rationalist bent. I think that's changing though.

I'd imagine gamma NTs might Fi-seek in religion, so "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" and such is likely to appeal to them, as is meditation, which I associate with . Alpha NTs might frequently question and try to find the logic in a given value system, as well as looking at it from a lot of different angle (possibilities).