Is Christianity in Decline in America?

Originally posted by Omega Vision
You two clearly haven't been keeping up with what's going on in Russia.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulcoyer/2015/05/21/unholy-alliance-vladimir-putin-and-the-russian-orthodox-church/

The strong mainstream push against homosexual rights in Russia is a result of a large and deeply conservative religious sector of Russian society.

Now here's a caveat: while Russia is still not an incredibly religious nation as a whole, the Russian Orthodox Church wields outsized influence over Russia's political landscape.

Originally posted by Ayelewis
Oh really. He says: "Substitute "religion" for "political ideology" and you have the same thing."

Political ideology=/= atheism.

Especially if religion goes against a particular political ideology, then you get religious persecution.

Again, political ideology =/= atheism. Also, how do you account for the times religion has persecuted another religion?

Persecution is persecution, no matter who is on the business end of it and whose dishing it out. However, there has been no such act done in the name of atheism. By atheists yes, but not to spread the cause of atheism.

So how is he not wrong.

PS. Since the coward could not come up a rebuttal, I replied to you.

Abstinence makes the church grow fondlers.

^lol

Originally posted by Trocity
Abstinence makes the church grow fondlers.

Even I aint that drunk....but pretty damn close....

Originally posted by Star428
It's hilarious how atheists have to go way back to things that happened 800 or 900 years ago to support their ridiculous claims that religion is responsible for more pain and suffering than atheism. They also love to ignore the fact that the Crusades were started because of Muslim aggression against and persecution of Christians.The Crusades started off as defensive in nature. Only later did they go on the offensive and decide to take back Jerusalem from the muslims who were wrong to take it in the first place. I'm sorry that I don't view the Crusades as an evil campaign like most of the morons in this thread seem to think they were. I mean, sure, there were a lot of atrocious things done in the name of religion during the Crusades but there will always be those who act out on their own in cruel ways. Happens in every war but that doesn't mean those that did so had the approval of the Church to do it.

http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/controversy/the-crusades/the-real-history-of-the-crusades.html

I just find it amusing that atheists have to bring up the Crusades when they argue the morality of the religious vs that of atheists. Only an idiot would think atheists are known for being more moral than Christians. If our country was still as Christian today as it was when it was founded or even just a generation ago you would not be seeing all these acts of mass murder that we are seeing in country nowadays. Back then people had actual values, cared about their fellow man, and you could count on them to keep their word. That's not the case anymore.

It's no more hilarious then the silly ass notion of "this person was an atheist and thus EVERY SINGLE BAD THING THEY HAVE DONE was due to their belief that there is no God".

Actually it's far far less hilarious then the thing I just described.

If we play the game of "if you are an atheist and you do something bad it is due to atheism" then..religion has without question caused more suffering, massively more suffering.

Originally posted by psmith81992
Oh I'm definitely keeping up with it, it's just this movement isn't committing mass murder like the secular leadership. That's a nice attempt though..

How many homosexuals lynched would start to qualify as mass murder?

Originally posted by Bentley
How many homosexuals lynched would start to qualify as mass murder?

Not as many that has died under the banner of communism. Putin isn't religious, neither is his cabinet. Hating homosexuals isn't a religious trait.

Originally posted by psmith81992
Not as many that has died under the banner of communism. Putin isn't religious, neither is his cabinet. Hating homosexuals isn't a religious trait.

First, you dodged the question, nice reflexes.

Second, you claimed that a movement wasn't commiting mass murder, it doesn't have to be sponsored by the government to be a mass murder, and you don't need to have a barometer of the faith of each member to consider the movement religious.

Third, claiming someone is better than Stalin isn't much of a moral standard.

Either way, I already pointed out in earlier posts that playing the numbers game is empty on each side and I do believe some posts here are too overly concerned with semantics to make much sense.

First, you dodged the question, nice reflexes.

Second, you claimed that a movement wasn't commiting mass murder, it doesn't have to be sponsored by the government to be a mass murder, and you don't need to have a barometer of the faith of each member to consider the movement religious.

Third, claiming someone is better than Stalin isn't much of a moral standard.

You know what, this is stupid, I don't even know what's the point of this discussion.

Deaths aren't supposed to be counted towards "religious" or "non-religious", it makes no sense and going into detail about stupid agendas and their origins isn't going to help us to understand each other better.

Originally posted by Bentley
You know what, this is stupid, I don't even know what's the point of this discussion.

Deaths aren't supposed to be counted towards "religious" or "non-religious", it makes no sense and going into detail about stupid agendas and their origins isn't going to help us to understand each other better.

Is that what we need Bentley? To help understand each other better so we can reach some sort of mythical utopia? Do you really want me to get into the whole "humans are stupid and cruel by nature" speech? This is how this discussion has played out unfortunately and it began with an attack on religion.

Originally posted by psmith81992
Is that what we need Bentley? To help understand each other better so we can reach some sort of mythical utopia? Do you really want me to get into the whole "humans are stupid and cruel by nature" speech? This is how this discussion has played out unfortunately and it began with an attack on religion.

This discussion is a good example as of the why I don't like to discuss and argue about propaganda. My own goals when coming to an argument are irrelevant here, I have no interest in advancing the agenda of some hatemonger and I don't see why anyone else here should follow that path.

Originally posted by Bentley
This discussion is a good example as of the why I don't like to discuss and argue about propaganda. My own goals when coming to an argument are irrelevant here, I have no interest in advancing the agenda of some hatemonger and I don't see why anyone else here should follow that path.

You don't see why anyone else would try and advance their own agenda? Like 99% of people?

Originally posted by psmith81992
You don't see why anyone else would try and advance their own agenda? Like 99% of people?

I don't intend to stray into more generalization for the sake of following your line of thought, if you need any extra clarification or if my English is faulty and you consider I'm not being clear enough, send me a personal message and we can gloss over my reasoning with all the time in the world.

Have an excellent day!

People realize that religion is unimportant and focus on real life.

Problem? I think not.

Originally posted by MVC-Solos
People realize that religion is unimportant and focus on real life.

Problem? I think not.

Except that "Real Life" seems to be getting made into a more REALITY TV type reality.

Originally posted by psmith81992
This is how this discussion has played out unfortunately and it began with an attack on religion.

The problem is you seem to think that any criticism of religion is either an attack on religion or if someone is talking about bad things religion has done you assume that to mean those people are saying only religious people commit atrocities.

Given this topic is about religion..of course people are going to focus on that. I will also once again point out that someone who is not religious doing some awful does not mean they did those awful things in the name of not having a religion.

The problem is you seem to think that any criticism of religion is either an attack on religion or if someone is talking about bad things religion has done you assume that to mean those people are saying only religious people commit atrocities.

But when has anyone said that religious people commit things that non-religious people do not?