See what I don't get is why one is right and one is wrong. Religion is based on loving thee neighbours and being able to live with ones self and sleep at night knowing they are moral and ethical. Religion gets in the way of some people being able to make responsible choices and then blame it on religion when it goes wrong.
I am agnostic it was the best for me I could do. I grew up in a home were you were not allowed to speak of religion or else. I grew up questioning why and what. I like to listen and hear about all kinds of religions and will always ask questions about peoples beliefs and faiths in what they believe. Not to run them down but to understand. More people need to be open minded and not so close minded and believe their ways are the only ways. This world is a multitude of people and melting pot so to say. If it is a true religion should it not teach compassion and humanity.

I like how the sheila wrote this.
Religion is the most debatable topic as both sides have many different views.
Now who's view is right and who is wrong. Neither are wrong if you are strong in your convictions. You also need to have as she put respect to agree or disagree.
Religion is not about one upping each other but teaching and sharing.

Speaking of the percentage of christians in the U.S., this is from Wiki...

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b222/godsandmen/religion/breakdown.jpg


Notice the increase in the percentage of athiests and agnostics.

Speaking of the percentage of christians in the U.S., this is from Wiki...200 million Americans can't be wrong. ;)
Notice the increase in the percentage of athiests and agnostics.I'm sure some tenuous Bible quote about heretics swarming the earth or something could explain that better than evolution can.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b222/godsandmen/religion/adherents.gif



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b222/godsandmen/religion/church_bodies-1.gif

Thank God they are on the Decrease. We might survive the Unholy Rollers after all. LOL

And one would hope that since is based on 2001 information that the decrease is ever increasing. After all there has been 5 additional years of Bush the Son to turn people away from God.

Hey Thislin, demonizing the other side of the fence seemds to be a right-wing thing also. Interesting! Seems it goes both ways.

No we have freedom from religion. www.ffrf.org

No we have freedom from religion. www.ffrf.orgThis thread has no freedom from your spamming.

Hey Blob, I started the thread I'll say anything I want! And it's not spam. I not trying to sell anything!

Hey Blob, I started the thread I'll say anything I want!

Well, maybe not anything. :)


And it's not spam. I not trying to sell anything!

Agreed.

Noone has freedom "from" religion.. they have freedom OF religion...

just because you see a church or a cross does not mean you are participating in a religion... If someone is talking to you about religion, and you don't like it, then change the convo or walk away...

In order to have the latter you must already have the former.

This is a circular argument because they are two sides of the same freedom.

The fact you have the freedom to walk away from someone who is proselytizing means you have freedom from religion.
It means you have the freedom to reject religion if you choose to.

In order to be free to choose your religion you have to be free to reject all others.

In order to have the latter you must already have the former.

This is a circular argument because they are two sides of the same freedom.

The fact you have the freedom to walk away from someone who is proselytizing means you have freedom from religion.
It means you have the freedom to reject religion if you choose to.

In order to be free to choose your religion you have to be free to reject all others.

Wouldn't that mean then, that a person with a formal structured belief system has no freedom from religion since they think that anyone who does not believe as they do, will have a bad eternity after death.

Wouldn't that mean then, that a person with a formal structured belief system has no freedom from religion since they think that anyone who does not believe as they do, will have a bad eternity after death.

???

Im sorry.
I don't understand your question. It doesn't make any sense to me.

I don't see how their beliefs about other people's afterlives affects their freedom.

???

Im sorry.
I don't understand your question. It doesn't make any sense to me.

I don't see how their beliefs about other people's afterlives affects their freedom.

Well I don't know if it does but it might. It just seems like they (Christians, Muslims etc.) are the ones most encumbered by their belief system. There is no freedom for them because they think if you do not believe as they do, you are going straight to hell. It seems they are forgiven all of their transgressions no matter how heinous and yet others who live better more peaceful and understanding and giving lives are going straight to hell, regardless of their goodness. Bush is Christian. Therefore he is forgiven for killing how many innocent lives. I am not. I am going to hell.

Thus it gives one total freedom to behave in any way one pleases if their belief system is fully embraced. If you give up that belief system and behave in a better way, well, you are screwed. So to speak. :D

Speaking of the percentage of christians in the U.S., this is from Wiki...

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b222/godsandmen/religion/breakdown.jpg


Notice the increase in the percentage of athiests and agnostics.

Good graphic.

I find it astounding that no one noticed the absolute absurdity contained within the poll that Frogger posted earlier, where it claimed that the number of people in this country **Not practicing any religion** was 1% in 1996, 0% in March 2001, AND 0% in March 2002.


Surely even the most dimwitted superstitionist/religionist alive would have to be aware that there are SOME people in this country --(between 8% and 15% according to the religious affiliation chart)-- who practice no religion.

Surely even the most dimwitted superstitionist/religionist alive would have to be aware that there are SOME people in this country --(between 8% and 15% according to the religious affiliation chart)-- who practice no religion.
Actually the 15% figure is 6 years old, and using the growth from 1990 we can speculate the percent today, though the growth rate may be higher due to greater spread of the internet since 2001.

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa193/bynarte/oppressed1.gif