washingtonpost.com — The percentage of Americans who call themselves Christians has dropped dramatically over the past two decades, and those who do are increasingly identifying themselves without traditional denomination labels, according to a major study of U.S. religion being released today.
Mar 9, 2009 View in Crawl 4
alheithinnMar 9, 2009
If we're speaking of modern organized religion as opposed to ancient public religion, a religion without hierarchy, doctrine, and dogma, then I agree. For me, as a polytheist, religion is simply "proper devotion to the gods" and most ancient Norse religion, which is defined by cultic acts as opposed to belief, were conducted not in public forums but in the home, overseen by the husband and/or wife.
joeparanoidMar 9, 2009
That's a rather misleading title: just because you have a non-traditional religious affiliation does not mean you "have no religion." Only self-identifying atheists can claim that title.
Closed AccountMar 9, 2009
...and the other 85% only follow their religion when they feel like it.
rhapsodisiacMar 10, 2009
It takes a lot more than adamance for a position to be rightly considered religious.
earthforce1Mar 10, 2009
People who listen to voices in their head are scary. That is what keeps me awake at night, the thought of the US president talking to the invisible man inside his head about whether or not he should fly the nukes. People "need" your god like they need Santa Claus or the tooth fairy, except belief in the latter two is much less dangerous.Have you actually read that horridl book? You think it is a source of moral guidance?"As you approach a town to attack it, first offer its people terms for peace. If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. When the LORD your God hands it over to you, kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the spoils of your enemies that the LORD your God has given you. -- Deuteronomy 20:10-14"We also took many unwalled villages at the same time. We completely destroyed the kingdom of Bashan, just as we had destroyed King Sihon of Heshbon. We destroyed all the people in every town we conquered – men, women, and children alike. But we kept all the livestock for ourselves and took plunder from all the towns." (Deuteronomy 3:1-7 NLT) Joshua then turned back and captured Hazor and killed its king. (Hazor had at one time been the capital of the federation of all these kingdoms.) The Israelites completely destroyed every living thing in the city. Not a single person was spared. And then Joshua burned the city. Joshua slaughtered all the other kings and their people, completely destroying them, just as Moses, the servant of the LORD, had commanded. However, Joshua did not burn any of the cities built on mounds except Hazor. And the Israelites took all the captured goods and cattle of the ravaged cities for themselves, but they killed all the people. As the LORD had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. And Joshua did as he was told, carefully obeying all of the LORD's instructions to Moses. (Joshua 11:7-15 NLT)They attacked Midian just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed all the men. All five of the Midianite kings – Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba – died in the battle. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. Then the Israelite army captured the Midianite women and children and seized their cattle and flocks and all their wealth as plunder. They burned all the towns and villages where the Midianites had lived. After they had gathered the plunder and captives, both people and animals, they brought them all to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the whole community of Israel, which was camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the people went to meet them outside the camp. But Moses was furious with all the military commanders who had returned from the battle. "Why have you let all the women live?" he demanded. "These are the very ones who followed Balaam's advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the LORD at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the LORD's people. Now kill all the boys and all the women who have slept with a man. Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves. Numbers 31:7-18from www.evilbible.com - there are plenty more. The bible is a great source of moral guidance for war criminals and mass murderers, as long as the voices in their head gives them permission.
Closed AccountMar 11, 2009
"I haven't seen any evidence of him being an atheist."If you could read you would know I never claimed that. Why not take this time to learn what agnostic really means?"You say you COULD quote me statements that would make him a Muslim or a Buddhist."I'm not reading through hundreds of pages of some book just to feed some stupid internet troll. Although this sums up Hitlers religious belief better than anything you've said:"We do not want any other god than Germany itself. It is essential to have fanatical faith and hope and love in and for Germany."
khaavrenMar 12, 2009
"Tolerance is the highest form of education" - Citation needed....
lugal317Mar 12, 2009
You obviously don't understand God and how he works. Maybe you should read his book before you pretend to know him?
skurtMar 15, 2009
And you're obviously brainwashed... This marvelous book of which you speak, was made over 100 years after the whole christ thing, by mere mortals who didn't even live at that time. So when HE writes a book, you let me know...So many translations, so many versions. The Chinese have had their God(s) 3000 years before the Bible showed up. Who's to say they are not right?anything created by man is of man.Is God is willing to prevent evil, but is not able?Then he is not omnipotent.Is he able, but not willing?The he is Malevolent. (an assh**e)Is he both able and willing?Then why is there evil?Is he neither able or willing?Then why call him God?And how about all those wonderful people with spinal injury who pray and pray for strength and to be made well again? Not good enough for God?How about you check out;<a class="user" href="http://whydoesgodhateamputees.com/" rel="nofollow">http://whydoesgodhateamputees.com/</a>Is God real, or is he imaginary? It is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself.If God is real and if God inspired the Bible, then we should worship God as the Bible demands. We should certainly post the Ten Commandments in our courthouses and shopping centers, put "In God We Trust" on the money and pray in our schools. We should focus our society on God and his infallible Word because our everlasting souls hang in the balance.On the other hand, if God is imaginary, then religion is a complete illusion. Christianity, Judaism and Islam are pointless. Belief in God is nothing but a silly superstition, and this superstition leads a significant portion of the population to be delusional.But how can we decide, conclusively, whether God is real or imaginary?Since we are intelligent human beings living in the 21st century, we should take the time to look at some data. That is what we are doing when we ask, "Why won't God heal amputees?"
greedonvrfiredMar 18, 2009
Han Shot First is a quote used by some guy who saw my t-shirt design "Greedo Never Fired" and said "damn i wish I had thought of that." He was left with Han Shot First. A silly expression at best. When one shot is fired there is no first.<a class="user" href="<a class="user" href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6841250&quot;" rel="nofollow">http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6841250&quot;</a> rel="nofollow"><a class="user" href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6841250&lt;/a&gt;" rel="nofollow">http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6841250&lt;/a ...</a>
Closed AccountJul 9, 2009
So let's see: 15% of Americans are Atheists, but 95% of Diggers are douchebags who CLAIM to be Atheists. So much for the idea that social media sites represent a cross-sample of America.
lanziusJul 30, 2009
<a class="user" href="http://www.rethinkyourreligion.com/">http://www.rethinkyourreligion.com/</a>