American Religious System

This is msotly for American comments because foreign comments will msot likely be biased to a non-American/anti-American view. In America the religious system has been a stable column holding "our" system of works up. I am neither Conservative nor Liberal. I did not vote, I was in Europe doing studies. Do you belive it is right for <extremists> that wish for their to be no religion what-so-ever only to attack Christianity? Do you think if they are to attack Christianity they must be forced to also attack the other thousands of religions supported in the United States? These are questions by me. I have no view pro or con for it. I jsut think of the "banning" of the Declaration of Independence from that school because of the term "God" in it. Do Christians attack your religion? If so please use in example. THis is not political. Do not bring goverment into this please. No Bush bashing or supporting. Thank you.

The American religious system is not a "stable column", it's a stiff wind towards insanity.

American "Christianity" is the only one that preaches such a harsh "anti-sex, pro-violence" standpoint. It's no wonder America is the only place in the world where Christianity is shrinking.

And yes, I'm an American.

You need to clarify the nature of the "attack" and what you mean by extremists. Being in favor of strict separation of church and state does not make one an extremist, nor is it an attack on Christianity if that's what you're getting at.

It's simple, really. ALL, that is each and every religion practiced in the U.S., should be removed from the government.

Can't we just exile all of the religious people who feel like imposing their religions upon others to some remote island, and wait for the inevitable war to solve all of our problems? We'd have a world of Buddhists, Jainists, and Amish. Wouldn't that be splendid?

Nawww... people should be allowed to believe in whatever they want. The rest of us, however, shouldn't be subjected to it through our government.

In my opinion, I'd consider attacking Christianity to be more like vandalizing churches or beating up Christians.

Seperation of church and state, it's not an attack against christianity in taking "God" out of the pledge of alliegance, it's upholding that idea that religion does not represent the whole of America and thus cant be included in the government.

And when it comes to Christians being the subject of alternate religion (or no religion) attacks, it's because they're the majority in america and hold the most power.

And when it comes to whether or not Christians have attacked me for my religion, they have. It doesnt happen often, and the ones that did I might consider extremists, I dont blame all of christianity for this, but i've been told more than once that unless I accept Jesus as my personal savior that i'll burn in eternal damnation.

I dont really care what religion you practice, as long as you dont impose it on others and tell them they're wrong for believing what they believe in. All religions believe in some sort of kindness to your fellow man really, and that's fine by me. It's just the ones that have the ever nutty idea of purging the non-believers that are problematic.

Drew - Your first point, that religion (Christianity) has been a stable column holding our systems of works up: Please explain. Historically, our founding fathers specifically drafted the constitution to form a secular state free from religious influence.

This comment also negates your comment at the end of your post which says "This is not political". Unfortunately, it is. If your permise is that religion is the stable column holding our system of works up.

What exactly constitutes an attack on Christianity?

1. The desire to be free from Christian influence in ones government?

2. The desire to be free from Christian influence in ones personal life?

3. The destruction or judicial action forbidding Christian worship? (Please point out to me specific instances where a persons freedom to worship in a church as a Christian has been revoked by anyone in the U.S.)

4. Physical attack on someone or their property specifically because they are Christian.

(I know of no instances of this because even the destruction of chruches were because the worshipers were African American not because they were Christian.)

I am not Christian, Jewish, Buddist, Hindu, or any other religion. Yet of all those religions that exist in America, it has ONLY been members the [Evangelical - Right Wing, Extremist] Christian religion that have attacked my family (physically), denied members of my family work, cheated members of my family financially and generally restricted them or persecuted them because they were NOT Christian.

Please note that there have been some Quaker, Mennoite, and other Christians I have met that have not and would never dream of hating people like this. Unfortunately, it has not been my experience or observation that they are a majority in the Christian religion or if they are, they are a silent majority and should probably start standing up against hate mongers like Jerry Farwell, Pat Robertson, Bill Thompson and Tim LaHaye.

In the New York Times Magazine, October 7. 2003:

"This [the war on terror] surely is a religious war -- but not of Islam versus Christianity and Judaism. Rather, it is a war of fundamentalism against faiths of all kinds that are at peace with freedom and modernity. This war even has far gentler echoes in America's own religious conflicts -- between newer, more virulent strands of Christian fundamentalism and mainstream Protestantism and Catholicism. These conflicts have ancient roots, but they seem to be gaining new force as modernity spreads and deepens. They are our new wars of religion..."

This opinion piece by Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times is called "God, Satan and the Media." Kristof doesn't distinguish between Evangelicals, fundamentalists, and Pentecostals, or Evangelicals and the Religious Right, but the article makes an important point. And that is that it is a war of fundamentalism against faiths of all kinds that are at peace with freedom and modernity.

My desire to be free of Christian influence is not an attack but a response to the many attacks that I or my family have suffered at the hands of extremists because I not only cannot accept and embrace their beliefs but find many of the things they believe abhorent and against nature.

ROFLMAO, just in the mood for a good argument huh?

I have no problem with anybodys beliefs as long as they dont blatantly mock my own.

I would encourage you to research the example you cite.

The Declaration of Independence wasn't banned from a school because of the term 'God".

Supplemental materials quoteing and reprinting the DoI and creating an absolute moral link were asked to be removed from one teachers curriculum. These were in essence homemade teaching materials.

Soundbytes are not your friend.

I can tell you aren't from Pennsylvania or Delaware. The Amish are, a lot of them, just more evil crooks. They condone rapes and sexual abuse of women within their communities, and any woman who tries to speak out against it is at best shunned and thrown out. They sell fake organic meat and produce and fake "Amish" quilts that they have made for them in China, they run horrific puppy mills, and a lot of the Handmade Amish furniture you see is made with power tools by Mexican and Central American immigrants who are often kept in conditions that could best be described as slavery.

Religion has absolutely no place in politics whatsoever. We must strive for a purely secular governmental system.

~Ulrika~

Ya, what Ulrika says.

Keep religion where it belongs: in your heart, in your home and in your place of worship.

So how do you feel about the Mennonites?

This was a troll, right?
You have to be either completely retarded or someone's alt to post something like that.
America does not have a religious system. America has, in theory, two key principles:
- freedom of religion
- separation of church and state

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"
-- 1st ammendment

"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries."
-- James Madison.

Sadly Eggy, the separation part isn't working all that well. There are many references to god in many aspects of our government.