Atheism in the USA

[Aliantha]

This is an interesting debate to me, only because so many people seem interested. I am pretty sure no one in australia (except maybe immigrants) care much what anyone else does religiously. In fact, our PM cops a truckload of shit for his religious leanings. Most Australians are very anti-religionintheworkplace type beliefs. Of course, if you want your kid to go to a catholic school, they have to be catholic and baptised etc.

[xoxoxoBruce]

In the US you have a theoretical separation of church and state - yet a large amount of policy and law gets made on the basis of religious lobbying.

This is very true and one of the reasons they hold disproportionate power is they are fighting for the status quo.

The states were usually made up of one or two religious sects who'd learned to get along, but they didn't trust the other states(sects), so resisted uniting. They liked the idea of splitting from England but saw no reason the couldn't be a small country, like in Europe.

Everyone from constitutional scholars to school children have at least a rough idea how the documents were written and rewritten to get everyone to support the idea of a United States. They had to guaranty the Federal government would not interfere with the religious practices already in place, no official religion, complete separation of church and state.

However, the Federal government was tiny and had little effect on day to day life. The state and local laws, which actually controlled life, were enacted by groups which were far from diverse. So when the law says you must attend church on Sunday and carry a gun to protect your family, nobody bats an eye. Same for a law saying you must be a God fearing man to hold public office.

In days of olde the people lived their religion, and made damn sure their neighbors did too, or they would be invited out of town. So all this theoretical blather about maintaining the lifestyle declared by the founding fathers is a bullshit diversion. That never existed except in history classes that lied. What they really want is to go back to when everybody in town was the same color/religion/education.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

This is an interesting debate to me, only because so many people seem interested. I am pretty sure no one in australia (except maybe immigrants) care much what anyone else does religiously. In fact, our PM cops a truckload of shit for his religious leanings. Most Australians are very anti-religionintheworkplace type beliefs. Of course, if you want your kid to go to a catholic school, they have to be catholic and baptised etc.

Well, we've talked before in here about the way Britain, though Church and state are intimately linked at every level, is actually pretty irreligious in the main. There is no stigma attached to atheism. far more likely to be seen as odd if you profess a strongly evangelical faith than if you profess atheism. Most Christians tend towards the tea and jam social kind of faith.

But Christianity is protected in a way atheism (or indeed most other religions) is not.

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by DanaC

... But Christianity is protected in a way atheism (or indeed most other religions) is not.

Do you think that could change during your lifetime?

DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR [By the grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith]

... Charles, Prince of Wales, the present heir apparent, expressed a preference to change the style and the spirit should he succeed to the throne as expected. He commented in 1994, "I personally would rather see [my future role] as Defender of Faith, not the Faith". ...

[henry quirk]

"real or not, I sometimes find comfort in the joy religion CAN bring"

If every one, on both (any) side, could embrace this...