You believe what you want, I'll believe what I want

[rodereve]

While I'd like to think I am all for freedom of speech or right to practice whatever religion you'd like, is it really true that every man is his own island? The common ending argument I've received after a religious discussion is: "We can agree to disagree, I'll believe what I want and you can too, we're not harming anyone." But is that really true?

Why is it that the large majority of congress are christian in the United States, these are the people passing laws and deciding how you should live your lives. These people that are deciding how the country should be run, what should be taught in schools, and how our programs should be funded, are some which believe and will defend Creationism and how the world is 6000 years old. Your religious affiliation is almost important as any other aims of your political platform, and that is because they want the large "christian vote". I mean, we pass judgment on some arabic nations as fundamental islamic countries, but hasn't the US become as religiously polarized as well.

So is this really the case, that we should all leave each other alone and let each other believe in whatever they want. We might be individual islands, but throwing a pebble from one side of the shore can lead to a tsunami at the other end.

 

[Jan Ardena]

While I'd like to think I am all for freedom of speech or right to practice whatever religion you'd like, is it really true that every man is his own island? The common ending argument I've received after a religious discussion is: "We can agree to disagree, I'll believe what I want and you can too, we're not harming anyone." But is that really true?

Why is it that the large majority of congress are christian in the United States, these are the people passing laws and deciding how you should live your lives. These people that are deciding how the country should be run, what should be taught in schools, and how our programs should be funded, are some which believe and will defend Creationism and how the world is 6000 years old. Your religious affiliation is almost important as any other aims of your political platform, and that is because they want the large "christian vote". I mean, we pass judgment on some arabic nations as fundamental islamic countries, but hasn't the US become as religiously polarized as well.

So is this really the case, that we should all leave each other alone and let each other believe in whatever they want. We might be individual islands, but throwing a pebble from one side of the shore can lead to a tsunami at the other end.

Are a large majority of congress really followers of Jesus Christ, and the Christ teachings? Evidence?
Does congress really pass laws and decide how Americans live their lives?

jan.

 

[arauca]

Are a large majority of congress really followers of Jesus Christ, and the Christ teachings? Evidence?
Does congress really pass laws and decide how Americans live their lives?

jan.

Majority of congress are a bunch sf selfish bastards , they care to be elected over and over , they represent the party line , and stretch their hands to get some kick back from PAK

 

[scheherazade]

I did a quick search on what percentage of the American population identifies itself as religious and selected the following as a decent 'executive summary' for this thread.

Nearly 80 percent of Americans are Christian
Jan 05, 2012

As the year 2012 unfolds, more than three-quarters of Americans identify themselves as Christian, Gallup reports. Its pollsters found that in more than 325,000 interviews it conducted in the first 11 months of last year, 78 percent of U.S. adults identify with Christianity.

Overall, more than 82 percent of Americans have a religious identity, with this breakdown:

Protestant/other Christian: 52.5 percent
Catholic: 23.6 percent
Mormon: 1.9 percent
Jewish: 1.6 percent
Muslim: 0.5 percent
Other non-Christian religions: 2.4 percent
None/atheist/agnostic: 15 percent
No response: 2.5 percent

The findings fit the trend of an increasing percentage of Americans not embracing a formal religious identity (15 percent). In 1951, only 1 percent did not have a religious identity.

Gallup found in 2011 that 92 percent of Americans said they believe in God, which suggests that a lack of religious identity is not necessarily linked to atheism. —RNS

http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-01/nearly-80-percent-americans-are-christian

As I reside in Canada, I cannot claim to have a thorough knowledge of how policy is determined and passed in the U.S.A. for our democracies are somewhat different in their mechanisms of function. In my country, most new acts are brought forward by the political party in power, debated in the house (sometimes with broader public opinion solicited by various means) and eventually put to the vote in the House Of Commons. Once passed, this must still be approved by the Senate and given assent by the Governor General before it becomes legislation.

Where the party in power has a strong majority in both the House Of Commons and the Senate, they can utilize political tools to severely limit the length of debate and force the vote. Historically, a majority of politicians vote the position of their party, regardless of their personal views.

Laws, once passed, apply to the available options by which we live our lives. Not all laws apply with equal effect to all persons and because there is also regional politics as well as national, many persons are more aware of local politics as they are perceived to have a more direct and immediate impact on daily life.

 

[kx000]

Faith is universal. I believe, and so do you.

Before you opened your eyes as a baby, fire!

 

[Jan Ardena]

Majority of congress are a bunch sf selfish bastards , they care to be elected over and over , they represent the party line , and stretch their hands to get some kick back from PAK

Do you think they would be prepared to say anything, or pretend to be something in a bid to keep their position, and/or to obtain a more powerful one?

jan.

 

[Rhaedas]

Do you think they would be prepared to say anything, or pretend to be something in a bid to keep their position, and/or to obtain a more powerful one?

jan.

Do you think they don't?

There's a few, or rather there's some that will from time to time do the right thing. But often going against the grain can mean political suicide, so unless it's pays off in some way, why would they rock the boat and lose their job? It's not right, but it's the way it works.

 

[rodereve]

I did a quick search on what percentage of the American population identifies itself as religious and selected the following as a decent 'executive summary' for this thread.



Protestant/other Christian: 52.5 percent
Catholic: 23.6 percent
Mormon: 1.9 percent
Jewish: 1.6 percent
Muslim: 0.5 percent
Other non-Christian religions: 2.4 percent
None/atheist/agnostic: 15 percent
No response: 2.5 percent

Nice catch.

@jan: it doesn't matter if they pretend to be Christian, they have to continue the act to continue to stay elected for their region/state. So they'll have to pass laws in accordance with their "beliefs" or their supporter's religious beliefs to continue to garner their support/votes. If it looks like a ball, acts like a ball, moves like a ball and feels like a ball, I don't care if it actually IS a ball, it'll still respond LIKE a ball.

 

[Jan Ardena]

Nice catch.

@jan:

1. it doesn't matter if they pretend to be Christian, they have to continue the act to continue to stay elected for their region/state.

2. So they'll have to pass laws in accordance with their "beliefs" or their supporter's religious beliefs to continue to garner their support/votes.

3. If it looks like a ball, acts like a ball, moves like a ball and feels like a ball, I don't care if it actually IS a ball, it'll still respond LIKE a ball.

1. Maybe in the world of superficiality, or polls it doesn't matter, but in reality everything matters as reality is..... well....real.
But thanks for admitting what others will not admit, and that is, you're not interested in truth or reality, especially if it doesn't agree with your current perspective.

2. There beliefs are atheistic, or materialist, in that they are concerned purely with the body. They don't, or more importantly, cannot understand Christ teachings, I can buss some scriptures
if you like, to really demonstrate this point if you like. But I have a feeling you won't.

3. In this case the ball resembles nothing like a ball. In this case they don't know what a ball is.

jan.

 

[rodereve]

1. Maybe in the world of superficiality, or polls it doesn't matter, but in reality everything matters as reality is..... well....real.
But thanks for admitting what others will not admit, and that is, you're not interested in truth or reality, especially if it doesn't agree with your current perspective.

2. There beliefs are atheistic, or materialist, in that they are concerned purely with the body. They don't, or more importantly, cannot understand Christ teachings, I can buss some scriptures
if you like, to really demonstrate this point if you like. But I have a feeling you won't.

3. In this case the ball resembles nothing like a ball. In this case they don't know what a ball is.

jan.

I don't think you understand the overall theme of this discussion, now you're talking nonsense lol The idea is that religion/ideas are not contained to oneself, it affects others. This is shown by way of people elected as law-making representatives because they are Christian (or profess to be christian) since they gain the popular "christian" vote.

If they are elected because they support Christianity and promote christian values, then all the laws they support should be in alignment with this. If not - then they won't be re-elected by the christian vote. that's the argument I'm putting forth- so it really doesn't matter to them if they actually believe in Christianity or not, they will support it because thats how they'll get re-elected.

How does the ball resemble nothing like a ball if it looks,acts,moves and feels like a ball lol

 

[Syne]

It is called majority rule, and the only recourse is to advocate oligarchy. Fundamental Islamic countries do not seem to attempt any separation of church and state. You might think that ours is ineffective, but that is only because you may be an idealist who cannot see the impracticality of expecting people not to vote based on their beliefs, ala 1984.