The End of Christian America

[Queequeg]

Yeah. Or I would be a Christian if they weren't so stuck up about gays (and a couple of other things, like birth control). I don't believe in cherry-picking type of religion, so since I reject some of its tenets, I don't see myself sincerely embracing the rest. I think it's a honest approach, rather than pretending some of the nasty stuff isn't there.

I like Jesus and the whole catholic drama-queenish love for pomp and circumstance, though.

Huh. I believe Kain said something along those lines and he put it pretty well: Catholics see church as a temple; Protestants (mostly, exception made for Episcopalians) see it as a country club.

I've always respected Cain more than Abel. At least he had his pride.

Anyone who gives a salad to someone who ordered filet minion deserves whatever he gets. 

[Viking]

I've always attributed that to the source of behaviour. The atheist can base his behavior of his morality because doesn't need to square his deeds with an external source of morality but only his conscience, while the believer needs to square his personal view of right and wrong with his external source of morality.

The religious believe if they don't confess, they're damned. The nonreligious believe that if they don't confess, they get away with it.

That sounds like a really great slogan... do you have any corroboration for that argument?

[Neil]

No, of course not. It's not about building ID up at this point, just tearing evolution down.

Actually, ever since Dover, that's the entirety of their strategy.  They don't have ID, they can't teach the controversy.  All they have now is the dissent from Darwin holding action until they can get the Establishment Clause overturned in the courts.

[Neil]

Anyone who gives a salad to someone who ordered filet minion deserves whatever he gets.

Did their god actually order a filet mignon?  He asked for sacrifice, and got it.  The Christian god is pure evil.  If I thought for a minute that he actually existed, I'd expend all my efforts and power to destroy him.

[The Nickname Who Was Thursday]

Anyone who gives a salad to someone who ordered filet minion deserves whatever he gets.

Did their god actually order a filet mignon?  He asked for sacrifice, and got it.  The Christian god is pure evil.  If I thought for a minute that he actually existed, I'd expend all my efforts and power to destroy him.

Well, in all fairness Cain's reaction to God's displeasure with his veggies was way more over-the-top than God's "disrespect" for his offering.

[Queequeg]

Anyone who gives a salad to someone who ordered filet minion deserves whatever he gets.

Did their god actually order a filet mignon?  He asked for sacrifice, and got it.  The Christian god is pure evil.  If I thought for a minute that he actually existed, I'd expend all my efforts and power to destroy him.

Well, in all fairness Cain's reaction to God's displeasure with his veggies was way more over-the-top than God's "disrespect" for his offering.

Who were you in The Old Country, TNWWT?

[Barrister]

Eddie Teach.

[crazy canuck]

And yet it's been increasing for what - 30-40 years?

I guess thats right.  The birth is probably the rise of the moral majority in the 80s.  Do you think it is still increasing in numbers?  I would have thought that particular market of belief became saturated by the end of the 90s.  Where is the room for growth now?

[Barrister]

And yet it's been increasing for what - 30-40 years?

I guess thats right.  The birth is probably the rise of the moral majority in the 80s.  Do you think it is still increasing in numbers?  I would have thought that particular market of belief became saturated by the end of the 90s.  Where is the room for growth now?

With respect, I think you're equating the politically religious right with the general growth of the evangelical faith.  Growth in evangelism arguably goes as far back as the 40s and 50s and Billy Graham and the like (although the movement goes back even further than that).  It was only in the 1980s that certain aspects turned to political activism, but the churches, the preaches were all there well before that,

Where is the room for growth?  Well its two-fold.  First is the developing world.  Latin America, Asia, is probably the source of most of the growth.  But beyond that most "mainstream" Christian denominations continue to see falling numbers, so there is plenty of room for growth there.

Now I tried to find hard numbers and couldn't find any, but I'll keep looking.

[Neil]

Well, in all fairness Cain's reaction to God's displeasure with his veggies was way more over-the-top than God's "disrespect" for his offering.

Why?  The Christian god wanted blood, and blood he got.  Yahweh revels in murder.

[Neil]

Where is the room for growth?  Well its two-fold.  First is the developing world.  Latin America, Asia, is probably the source of most of the growth.  But beyond that most "mainstream" Christian denominations continue to see falling numbers, so there is plenty of room for growth there.

The evangelicals can grow all they like in the third world, so long as their numbers continue to collapse in the first world.  The numbers of Southern Baptists are down a little, and that's a start.

[Barrister]

The evangelicals can grow all they like in the third world, so long as their numbers continue to collapse in the first world.  The numbers of Southern Baptists are down a little, and that's a start.

Strictly speaking southern baptists are not evangelicals, IIRC.

[Neil]

The evangelicals can grow all they like in the third world, so long as their numbers continue to collapse in the first world.  The numbers of Southern Baptists are down a little, and that's a start.

Strictly speaking southern baptists are not evangelicals, IIRC.

They're definitely protestants.

[Siege]

Man, why the hell did this thread get so many posts?

I can't read that fast!

[katmai]

Man, why the hell did this thread got so many posts?

I can't read that fast!

Do what i do and post something nonsensical and off topic!