From a personal response to a public display
The original interface let visitors submit a rating on a scale running from −5 to +5. Contemporary descriptions say a participant could respond once a day. A response expressed an individual judgement at a moment in time; the published index combined responses according to the project’s calculation.
It is tempting to read the displayed number as a simple average of everything ever submitted. The surviving sources do not justify that shortcut. The methodology note explains what is known about the old scale and what remains unknown about the formula.
What does a rating mean?
A positive or negative response can have different meanings for different people. It might express gratitude, frustration, religious judgement, reflection on personal fortune or a playful reaction to the premise. The number alone does not tell us which.
That is why we do not translate individual ratings into a diagnosis of wellbeing or a ranking of faith. A future study could ask participants how they interpreted the prompt, with a separate and clearly consented research design.
Can I vote now?
Not yet. The current website provides the historical record and collects newsletter signups. A newsletter subscription does not create a vote or a research participant record.
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While you wait, explore GodIndex, the world rating concept and the historical chart.
Sources & verification
Editorial review: 6 September 2026. Found an error or another archive? Please contact us.