I read two unrelated statistics about the role of religion in our country within two days of each other. It’s been weeks since I read them, but I still can’t get them out of my head. What their significance is, I don’t know.
One thing’s for sure — you can’t accuse the United States of being apathetic about its’ citizens’ faith (or lack thereof).
From the “Raw Data” section in the May 2006 issue of Playboy Magazine:
“Political Doubt: 7 state constitutions or statements of citizens’ rights limit or deny the right of atheists and agnostics to hold public office. In TX, MA, NC, SC, MD, TN and PA, you just gotta believe.”
And from the April 24, 2006 issue of TIME:
“62% Portion of college Republicans in a poll who say religion is losing its influence on American life; about 87% of them say the apparent decline is a ‘bad thing’
54% Portion of college Democrats who say religion’s influence on American life is increasing; two-thirds of them think the perceived growing sway of faith is a ‘bad thing’”
P.S. Although this post-script undermines all intentions I had of abstaining from mentioning it…I double-dog dare you to twist this blog into one that has any bearing whatsoever on the cloying and pervasive issue of the Gallaudet protests. Oh, yeah, come on, just try it.
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21 Comments
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… those white, right wing, relgious, audist scum are trying to ruin Glasses.
… those minority, left wing, godless heathen, anti-oralists are trying to ruin Glasses.
care to explain this “Glasses” stuff please?
“Glasses” means Gallaudet. It’s a reference to the sign for Gallaudet, which originally referred to Gallaudet’s glasses.
wouldn’t it be easier to just say “Gallaudet?”
I’ve read about this before. I think I remember reading that the way around this is that if you declare yourself as a member of the religious, orthodox sect of Kaftanism, you’re set.
Now Alli, sweetheart, I have a question. Why the heck are you reading Playboy and if its your hubby who’s a subscriber, why is he subscribing?! :)
hey! i read it for the articles… really….
Oh liar! You gotta admit they have excellent taste in women.. They’ve got class–something that Maxim subtly lacks….
Religion is become pointless in America because the religion do not respect the diversity!
What in the Hell is that supposed to mean?
I entirely agree with you that the “religion” is pointless (shall I say fruitless, hopeless, meaningless, or worthless?), but the Christianity is an extraordinary institution.
If your article/editoral gets published in Playboy, you are bound to get attention from top literary circles. I’m not kidding. Asides the perks that the magazine throws in for Men and Women alike, it does have a good quality of writing overall.
And back to the topic,
Religion.
People can claim all they want but you’ll never believe it until you see or know it with your eyes. Bush is not religious even though he attends church services and so on. He claims he is, but I do not believe it one bit. He plays the religion card. Look at him. He got reelected. If it was not for his religion card, he wouldn’t even be in the office at this moment.
You got your ignorance all over my monitor.
Dan, you are right on!
Oh, on the contrary, Dan — Bush is all too religious. It has been said (in Time magazine and other sources) that he replaced his alcoholism with religion. He’s a true born-again Christian that wants to destroy the
infidelterrorists, wherever he may be =)Please let not any of us question others’ faith; it’s more in how organized faith is manipulated to cater to the voting public.
Here’s a short, but illuminating article on contemporary perspectives on American religion - http://www.nd.edu/~ndmag/marsau95.html
Like Feldman said, it’s the commercialization of Christiandom that defines most of our religious values.
I used to go to church and was a Christian for many years and after I quit the “cult”, I have went to different churches. I have seen all different beliefs, different interpretations, and different ways of translating the bible. I do see there are hyprocite in Christianity. God represents himself the REALITY! see, there are diversity around the world. The world are being divided over religions and God did not cause this because he made us who we are, deaf, blind, Black, White, Chineses, and all different walk of life in the world. and Muslims are dividing the world believing they are the only Peace religion and they are not PERIOD!! so i have a sense of what is happening in the world. Most famous evanligists are involved with politics to get the state and church together. I do not believe that the state and church should be and they must be separated because there is an Amendment that speaks of freedom of religions but there are always attacks over the religions today in the world.
In my own heart, after been growing up religious and hearing all the different ways of explaining the bibles. I see that myself I DO NOT BELIEVE in it! I can only believe what is in my heart because i can do good to other by my own faith and what comes out from my eyes by seeing and believing in.
I am free from religious and I am who i am and knowing that I can follow what is in my own heart and do not need to please the preachers.
[…] And Now On An Entirely Different Subject by Allison Kaftan: Religion in America. Always a good ol’ standby topic. […]
Humm….
It takes faith to believe in afterlife, and equally, it takes faith to believe that there’s no such thing as afterlife. When you consider it, perhaps we are ALL religious in one way or another.
Now, feel free to flame away at me…
Dan N.
It appears to be an invention because if there was no God and humans tend to invent one.
Religion is a dangerous political insitution.