I personally think that Americans are mass delusional when it comes to aspects of religion.
For a DEVELOPED country to be so.....simple in their belief system is just degrading for the nation itself. Religion wise America equals countries in Africa and/or Iran/Iraq.
Not saying America doesn't have their share of intelligent INDIVIDUALS but when combined as a group they always disappoint me.

Sometimes it's fun though when this crazed religious attitude is tackled through comedy:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZmHC75FDqQ <--on the hypocrisy of some church leaders
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ36S3d1CaU <-- hypocrisy of the "virginity pledge"
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMDF3bGyFmo <--- A documentary on religion
And possibly many more...

@Robespierre: I had the same problem in the netherlands for year 5 of high school when I was 14 when I held a speech for the subject "Nederlands" on the topic of "Religious dogma and other fairytale quack".
Although Netherlands is more liberal on the topic it was a catholic high school and they probably didn't like me saying things such as:
- "Looking at the morality of the old testament the SS guys would only seem as naughty schoolboys doing some pranks"
- (with regards to the "sacrifice of Jesus) "So what is god ?? Is he just a theatrical arrogant prick or is he into sadomasochism in that he couldn't just forgive humanity without all the ado"
- (on the topic that Christianity does a lot of good to society as a whole)"Doing good out of a religious belief is selfish. You're not doing it because you're inherently good but because you belief you can thus buy your way into heaven. In the medieval times this was actually not even metaphorical.
It was oke if you buggered children (priest still do though) or killed someone else (bonus points if it was a heathen) - if you paid enough god would still forgive you.
Seemingly they only want money or couldn't care less about the rest!

I ended up being suspended for 2 weeks from high school when I refused to show remorse for my comments.

this is purely meant to be funny, nothing else:
though shalt not kill
now go on some crusades
sex is bad!
now go forth and multiply
xD

I miss Christopher Hitchens. He was a crusader for people like me and a beacon of reason.

I am an athiest and I believe in myself. I rely on logic, reasoning and the knowledge that science and mathematics brings us to make sensible decisions in life.

I can tolerate people who believe in some religion but I expect them to keep it to themselves and not call their beliefs knowledge and especially science. I do think children should not be indocterinated by relgion but instead they are given time to develop their minds so that may make a sensible choice.

Religion should not mix with science and could be taught as side issue to history.

Rp Wordsworth do you like Richard Dawkins by any chance?

You all give me faith in humanity. <3

I would be amused to see how the decline of religion would go if scare tactics weren't used to indoctrinate the youth from the time that they're born. If children were taught to question everything from the beginning, and then were told about religion around age 13. Somehow I think a huge majority would not be as swayed by the concept of "Believe this or you shall endure eternal suffering".

I'm quite enjoying this discussion, guys. c:

^omg! christianity = blackmail :O
in medieval churches they'd have stained glass of a monster eating the bad people to scare the people who didn't know how to read or speak latin :P

Part of my biggest problem with Christianity is the Bible. (And this is why most preachers hate me right here...) How can we garuntee that during the Medieval Ages with the Church being the strongest figure throughout all of Europe, that it wasn't tampered with or changed? And I really don't understand how people can follow a hypocritical book that only references itself xD.

I'm a semi-product of the freethinking teen you're describing Robespierre. My parents have never tried to shove words down my throat (but my grandparents have... just imagine how big of a disappointment I am to them.. I don't cook, I don't clean, marriage isn't the top priority on my list, and I most certainly don't parade around in a dress the entire day looking for a man to do all the 'heavy work' :l).

Another portion for the decline of religion is that the family structure is falling apart, and so more and more children are seeing at a younger age the evils that fill the world, and are finding that faith isn't always the answer. Such as, I knew a guy when he was Mormon. Then he started getting beat up on an almost daily basis for his religion. And when no one came to help (God didn't need calling if he can see everything), he turned Agnostic. A few years later and the boy is a total atheist who despises anything and everything to do with religion.


^ my more non-religious side <3

Which lacks respect, tolerance, humanity, and sympathy most? Aranka's rebellious high school speech? Or Bible Belt communities that impose their views on others? I think they are equally narrow-minded.

I'm fot the church of Satan, 666 yo bro.

With regards to my "rebelious" high school peace I need to clarify some stuff.

I intetionally did it on the subject of dogmatism in all it's aspects - nationalism,right/left wing,deep grounded beliefs in sorority/fraternities and such.
When I then also talked about religion this was flat out refused to me by the teacher....and if there was one thing little Aranka didn't like was the fact that she wasn't allowed to do something which she actually thought was right........soooooooo

I believe that Aranka's speech was better because she just expressed her opinion and didn't force it onto others.

Born and raised Catholic, but 'left' the church years ago. Still Christian, but my wife and I got sick of their social views (preaching bigotry). Don't want to get much more into it because religion is a very touchy subject to discuss on the internet.

I can respect that Chris. Most people just blindly follow their leaders without really thinking about what they are doing.

That is true. That is also true if you don't even factor in religion. Most voters in this country are simply ignorant and vote against many of their own ideals without even knowing it. Americans overall put very little effort into becoming informed once they get out of school (and many while in school). Learning should not stop when you leave school.

I live in the Midwest, and I would say that my community is pretty religiously homogeneous. Most people are Christian, and almost all of those people are Catholic or Lutheran with a few Baptists in town, too. I've never felt like religion was forced on me, and nobody makes a very big deal about it either. I've always felt like my high school did a great job of keeping education and religion separated during my time there.

I, personally, am Christian. I happen to find the general idea of it rather comforting, but I use common sense to dictate my morals and general ideas about life. I never force my ideas on others, especially since the internet is no place for a religious conversion or revelation. I think religion is all about exposure. With too much exposure as a child, religion will have a negative connotation and you will be more likely to turn away from it as an adult. Too little exposure, and you won't really know what it is, and may never care to find out. In general, I would say being introduced to it at a young age is fine, but only in moderation. In-depth studies on religious topics are better when you are old enough to understand what they mean. Anyways, that's my opinion on the topic.

You are completely spot on. Its pathetic to see the Tea Party Republicans complain about "big" government when many of them use food stamps, Medicare, and Medicaid. Its also pathetic to see Democrats complain about the invasions in Iraq and Afghanistan when Obama is using many of the same tactics.

Yeah, I've never understood the religious right pushing the bible, while at the same time completely abandoning the poor.

Yes I follow Dawkins but I prefered the showmanship of Hitchens. He did entertain and he ran cirles around his opponents.

Other great athiests include Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie (Dr House for those new to him), Ben Elton, Ian McKellen, Iain Banks and so on the list goes on.

I think you will find a vast number of great thinkers, smart comedians, intellectual writers, serious actors and credible scientists have chosen reason and atheism.

the north is much different than the bible belt. In the north it all depends on who you are around. There are very strong christians and there are aethiests. From the people that i'm around the majority are christian. most adults practice because thats the way they were brought up and most kids dont give a shit. most dont. im a teen that lives in the north so i have first hand experience. almost everyone i meet or anything is tolerant to things like gay people and what not. there are hard-asses and stuff but there is no overhwelming majority like that bible belt states. most people are not aethist i know a handful at best. its really just people who say they are christian but are non practicing is what the majority of people are. ask me any questions of religion in the northeast.

I have to agree with the previous comment. I am a somewhat Christian person living in a very Jewish area of the world (North Shore 'burbs of Chicago) I go to church every other week or so, and while I agree that the teachings of, say, the Presbytarian Church (where I go) and the Methodist Church in my town really vary only a little bit. I have taken multiple trips to the deep south and, not to insult anyone, but it is far more religious, also in that Christianity punctures the daily lives of almost everyone. Anyone in my school that would make a Biblical reference would be, not frowned upon, but certainly looked on a bit strangely.

People that say that all Christianity in America is the same are rather ignorant, as it really depends on what region you are in. I believe that many people elsewhere in the world don't see the true variety of culture that exists only within the borders of the US. For example, I have often found walking through a restaurant in Arkansas or Mississippi that I simply cannot understand some people's speech, even though they technically speak the same language as I do.