1. Non-Americans: What are your views on Christianity in America and/or American Christians?

2. American Christians: Could you describe your church or how your faith may or may not influence your decisions (at work or in your personal life)?

3. Other Americans: What are your views?

I recently talked with myhand about Christianity in America and it seems he could use some enlightening, because the media he chooses to pay attention to is brainwashing him. ;)

When I don't count fundamentalists (Westboro Baptist Church, militant Islamophobes), then I am fine with it, and I could care less.

You could care less and post here? Hipocrisy! We have the first Christian commenting.

also i am no longer lost
i found god thanks to richard burnish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjMnWA_i3IQ

christians are fine, im jewish and religon doesnt interfere with anything in life, except for christmas, its so annoying, every 30 minutes some crappy ten year old singers sing songs about jesus and stuff

Who said you are lost and needed to find god? If you tell me I don't understand how homosexuals think, that doesn't mean I need to go have sex with a gay man. Oh myhand, the brainwashing you suffer from is more serious than I had initially thought! Is enlightenment even possible?

Your opinions (so far as I can tell):

1. Christianity in America is becoming more and more radicalized.
2. American Christians dislike atheists and therefore lack logical reasoning and a proper understanding of science, because only atheists understand logic and science.
3. Christians in America are a fairly homogeneous group.

My questions:

1. (a) Compared to when? The founding of religious colonies in the 1600s and 1700s? The Puritans? The Great Awakening? The Second Great Awakening? The mid 1800s when Protestantism splintered into more and more groups that focused ever increasingly on the individual's relationship with god and/interpretation of that relationship (instead of traditional interpretations of the Bible and Christian theology)? The rise of dozens of self-proclaimed prophets in the mid 1800s? The Christian element that buttressed arguments for American imperialism, colonialism, and exceptionalism in the late 1800s? The zeal of missionaries who followed the trade ships and armies to Africa, Asia, and Latin America beginning in America's early imperial/colonial days? Etc. (b) Radical compared to what? In what way?

2. Why do you think science and religion are necessarily mutually exclusive? Does that mean every science, math, and logic teacher and student in America is either not a Christian or is an atheist?

3. All Christians are the same? Really? Or only 'radical Christians' (based on however you want to interpret this group) are a homogeneous group?

You could care less and post here? Hipocrisy! We have the first Christian commenting.

What? I said that as much as those christians aren't fundamentalists and/or want to destroy the secular system then I really don't care.

Plus I am an atheist, your claim is wrong.

no, you are a cloaked christian
claiming to be atheist wont help you

I personally am an atheist, but I live in the bible belt. There are 3 churches in a square mile haha. Idk about up north, but in the south religion is pushed heavily. You cannot have any scientific discussion without god creeping into the matter. Also DON'T even consider talking about evolution or how old the earth is! Now I am not an anti-theist in any way, but it gets annoying when religion (christianity) is brought into every possible thing. I mean why can't people just keep their beliefs to themselves? I don't go out everyday and preach my ideas; why must I then listen to other people force theirs on me? Anyway I am in no way trying to offend anyone ,and I apologize if I have. This is just how it is around where I live.

Vedete, qui si sta pensando che devi chiedere scusa si potrebbe avere offeso qualcuno, quando parli la tua mente.

no, you are a cloaked christian
claiming to be atheist wont help you

Are you in all honesty trolling right now?

As a non-religious teenager in a very religious part of the US, I can say that it's not easy having a different belief than a large majority of the population. Especially in a very rural area of Georgia, where I live, many traditionalist Christian values are rammed down our throats whether we consent or not.

Before Spring Break, the top 2 students of each class are to give a 5 minute speech to the class. When the Senior valedictorian gave her speech about faith and Christianity, the auditorium erupted in applause. I then gave my speech about how the removal of evolution from our Science curricula was an example of the separation of church and state failing under pressure, I was taken off the stage and sent to the counselor's office to be reprimanded for 2 hours. I'm not sure about up north, but in the South it is nearly impossible to have a different belief and be accepted by the majority.

Just my $0.02

In many places (America, the UK etc.), I believe it is still perfectly legal to let children go to a religious school where they will not learn anything about evolution, but about creationism, as fact. I'm not looking for a fight here, but surely that should be against the law. I know it used to be (whether it still is today I have no idea) illegal in some parts of America to teach evolution at all. This is totally wrong IMO. Religion and science should be remain separate, unless they have to be connected (e.g. an experiment to see if religion exists; something impossible no doubt, just the kind of exception I mean).

Well yes, down south it quite sucks when it comes to religous fundemantalism because of the overwhelming majority, also I agree that there should be regulation put on private schools and that raligious schools should be banned.

Your opinions (so far as I can tell):

1. Christianity in America is becoming more and more radicalized.
2. American Christians dislike atheists and therefore lack logical reasoning and a proper understanding of science, because only atheists understand logic and science.


My Questions:

2. Why do you think science and religion are necessarily mutually exclusive? Does that mean every science, math, and logic teacher and student in America is either not a Christian or is an atheist?

3. All Christians are the same? Really? Or only 'radical Christians' (based on however you want to interpret this group) are a homogeneous group?

Kay.. I'm from Alaska, but I've lived in just about every state. My personal views are kinda wacky. I believe in God and Christ, I don't go to church, I've never listened to preachers without questioning them, and I personally hate ever religious person who tries to force their view on someone else.

That being said, I can agree that Chistianity is getting more radicalized because the religious parties are getting desperate. (don't believe me? check some of the arguments against gay marriage.)

I do have a bit of an issue with how #2 on the 'your opinions' is phrased. All but 2 of my friends are quite firm athiests, and I don't hate them. We do debate religion occasionally, but it's mainly for fun. I don't have grudges towards them afterwards and they don't towards me. I don't entirely believe in evolutionism, but I can agree that species evolve. (not here to argue, just stating personal views) I think this also leads into 'my questions' #2... Species evolve, but not necessarily to the entent presented by evolutionism.

And #3 I can speak to personally. One friend of mine who is Christian is Catholic, and she's not very strict on it, but she is firm in her beliefs. (made the pope = pedo joke and she laughed) But then on the other hand you have Southern Baptists. Not saything there's anything wrong with this group, but they're quite firm. My grandparents are Southern Baptist, and you can be of their religion and religious views and everything, but unless you attent their church, you're still a non-believing trator in some people's views.

And Arun's right about the religion in schools, though this mainly happens in the southeastern communities. I went to both a public school and a religious private school in North Carolina, and the only difference was that in the private school we attended church before lunch. But in the northern areas and larger states, the same can be said for evolutionsim being taught as fact and religion a bunch of crap. I've even seen it done in some of the rural Alaskan schools. Seperation of church and state is only a bunch of bs on paper-- it isn't applied anywhere.

So yeah.. me and my weird religious views. Hope that helps answer your questions Qi.

But then on the other hand you have Southern Baptists. Not saying there's anything wrong with this group, but they're quite firm.

Agreed. I would argue that Southern Baptists are the most predominant of the "militant" Christians, at least from my personal experience.

I guess I could agree, they're almost like Wahabis in Islam.

WG Robespierre I also live in Georgia; specifically in Lee County. Its in the southwest portion of the state. Also I am sad to hear what happened with your speech. That would probably happen here too :(

Northeast Georgia here, Banks County. Glad (but not really) to hear I'm not alone.

here isn't the place to explain the details, but evolution happened. period. there's no longer any argument and it's proven, please explain how breeding works for dogs and stuff if evolution doesn't exist rofl.
^i just explained the details, didn't i? :P
as long as religion doesn't force ignorance on people, especially children (personally i think that teaching something that is blatantly wrong in school is abusive, for example), or force them to do things that aren't good for them or promote discrimination of certain other groups, then there's nothing wrong with it. :)

btw robes, that's sooo ridiculous omg o.o
there's this thing in america, it's supposed to be one of the ideals of the nation. it's called freedom of opinion (and speech, but that'd be 2 things)

sorry for double post, but this summer when i visited family in america my aunt said (not knowing i was an atheist) that "you can believe whatever you want as long as you believe in something"... and i think she was trying to show how tolerant she is