U.S. is most religious in industrialized world. Really?

A recent survey claims the United States is the most religious nation in the industrialized world.

If this is true, religion is in deep do-do.


The Baltimore Sun


It's hard to believe we are the most religious in the industrial world judging by stories of religious persecution here in the good ole' U.S. of A.;

San Fransisco Board Anti-Catholic Diatribe

“We’re out of the closet, now Christians need to go into the closet”

Mass. 2nd-grader sent home for crucifix drawing

FBI reports hate crimes against Catholics up nearly 25 percent

The City of San Francisco is hard up for cash, so they’ve decided to steal it from the Archdiocese of San Francisco because they can – nakedly, in broad daylight, without the slightest plausible legal pretense.

The Grinch scores major victory in Philadelphia

Hostilty toward religion by our public servants is becoming more blatant day by day.

How long before it breaks out into outright persecution?

Good post and it really should be noticed by anyone who cares at all for freedom and liberty. China commonly bulldozes new Christian churches, but they wait till the church is almost completed to maximize the loss to the victims.
There are a few Christian churches in China that somehow survive this and are allowed to stay, but they have strict rules on when Chinese people can attend these churches. Anyone without a foreign passport or visa is not allowed to attend services when Americans or other foreigners are there and must go to a segregated service at other scheduled times.
I've been there 4 times and have witnessed all of this.
And over the last few years and especially this year I have seen a huge spike in flagrant hatred for Christians and other religions shown not just by so called athiests, but by people who have a vendetta against anyone who believes in Christ.
This is unpatriotic and un American.
People that are believers in Christ can especially feel what is happening.
That the End-Game is upon us.
People that don't believe can't just let other people alone and free to believe what they choose, no, they must attack them! Is that the American way? or the Canadian way? or many other countries way?
No it isn't.
But it is becoming this way more and more... I think the answer is obvious to us believers. Just sad to see so many people compromised by the dark side.
Me saying that makes those compromised folks incredibly angry because they think the believer is the bad person. I see them going around bashing Christians everywhere they go. Sad to see people with so much hatred in them...

reply to post by antideceit


The world is becoming increasingly anti-Christian.

Churches in China are controlled by the state and cannot be licenced unless they mold their teaching to be in-line with communist principals. Dissent is forbidden.

If things continue along these lines, it won't be long before we see headlines like this here in the U.S.;

AsiaNews


Attacks against christians in broad daylight with no opposition.

People that don't believe can't just let other people alone and free to believe what they choose, no, they must attack them! Is that the American way? or the Canadian way? or many other countries way?

xtians love to claim they are being persecuted

its funny how they hate being told about their religion but send missionaries all over to spread the word

quit proselytizing so much, no one wants to hear a bunch of whiny xtians talk about jesus any more than xtians want to hear that they just worship the sun under the latest greatest artificial incarnation from atheists

and next time you want to talk about being persecuted think of the atheist councilman you guys are trying to force out of office in NC, maybe try taking that advice i just heard about "letting' people alone

one last piece of advice to xtians and muslims- stop pissing off the top 10% smartest of the population because the earth is 90% overpopulated and coincidentally about 90% religious. It's like god wants you gone anyway...

Originally posted by watcher73

People that don't believe can't just let other people alone and free to believe what they choose, no, they must attack them! Is that the American way? or the Canadian way? or many other countries way?

and next time you want to talk about being persecuted think of the atheist councilman you guys are trying to force out of office in NC, maybe try taking that advice i just heard about "letting' people alone

I disagree with the Tea Party goons trying to kick out the atheist as well.

Christians whine about persecution because the govt, instead of being religion neutral, has become overtly hostile to public religious expression.

In their attempts to assure no one is offended, they have offended and oppressed a majority of the American people.

Freedom of religion is protected in the Constitution. Freedom from disconfort or from being offended are made up rights imposed on us by activist judges. They infringe upon free speech.

reply to post by watcher73


Don't hold back man, tell us how you really feel.
I ahven't been to church in ten years but I still enjoy the odd Jesus talk every once in awhile.
Great messages in that book. A lot parables that are extremely relevant even to this day.
many christians enjoy conversations with nonchristians. Hence the, ya know, mass immigration into christian european countries, as well as in north america.
Anyways, have a nice day....maybe try to get a hug from someone.

reply to post by FortAnthem


I will say that the repression of the right for everyone to express their individual religious beliefs is intolerable, everyone has the right to believe however they choose, I just have a problem with it when it is forced onto others etc.

Well firstly I would just like to say that I am a little scared that America is the most religious of all industrialized nations. I would hope we could go in the direction of Europe, but maybe it would just be a good idea to "abandon Ark" at this point, and let the religious Americans have their Palins, G.W. Bushs, and Obamas.

Secondly, I looked that the first link you provided at the bottom of your post, about the San Francisco diatribe and I am honestly frightened by the comments posted below the article. Consider this "sane" view posted on the comments below it.

"Thomas Edward Miles": The Cardinal did not say enough. Homosexual adoption is contemptible, as is active homosexual sexual activity. The Church calls out evil by its name. The Board of Supers is nothing more than the squealing demons -- "Legion" -- called out of the possessed man by Christ and permitted to inter into nearby pigs (which ran into the sea, in an act of complete self-destruction). Mark 5:1-20. Confront them at every turn and they will simply revert to their norm. If only the Church were more militant, and more full of its own true mission.

Yes, if only the Church were more militant indeed. It's not like the Crusades were enough, or the tensions in the Middle East are enough either...

Reminds me of a friend's shirt I always get a good chuckle out of when I see it "If you want a country ran by religion, move to IRAN"

NEXUS

[edit on 16-12-2009 by infolurker]

reply to post by FortAnthem


I think this could all be an equal and opposite reaction.

In the same way that our meddling in the Middle East causes Terror attacks here which only causes us to become as extreme in our rhetoric as the extremists.

Religion oppresses tortures and kills for hundreds of years and all of a sudden they start to be nice to people and think there won't be hell to pay. Karma comes down the road in the form of religious intolerance and persecution.

No amount of persecution will ever kill religion, specifically Christianity since Christ said Christians will be persecuted every time someone does bash their religion it should just affirm their faith

So for centuries the religious are intolerant (or down right violent) with any who do not hold their faith, what we see now are the nonreligious being intolerant of any who do have faith.

I see it all as a step backwards. If someone has an issue with a religion they have every right to voice those concerns but I think they should stay respectful of the right to believe whatever you want to believe. In other words they don't have to respect the religion just the freedom to practice it.

reply to post by NoEXcUseS


Just to clarify, the Church Militant isn't a bunch of gun toting loonies.

It refers to spiritual warfare which all christians are engaged in day to day. It's mostly an internal conflict against sin.

Church Militant.

The Church on earth means the whole body of believers, who are said to be “waging the war of faith” against “the world, the flesh, and the devil.” It is therefore militant, or in warfare. (See CHURCH TRIUMPHANT.)

Source

That poster WAS over the top.

You'll find loonies in any denomination, even among athiests.

I would consider myself agnostic 'spiritual', perhaps "New Age" in combining different aspects of faiths that speak to me. Yet, I would fall into the percentages because I believe in "a God" and have my space of worship.
Then, what do they mean by industrialized? South Africa has extreme industrialized areas and very rural areas, are we included?
Perhaps they mean Western, or non-Muslim countries?
Most of the new Chinese immigrants we see here are very religious, and usually evangelical Christians.
Sadly, the battle of the Islamic/Christian fundamentalsists will be brutally fought out in areas of Africa, just like the Cold-War was once so devastating here. Many of the tit-for-tat massacres in parts of Nigeria, Sudan and elsewhere won't even make the news in countries who send us their fundamentalist venom.
I think the cultural resistance against the Islamization of Europe may cause a return to traditional forms of localized European Christianities. The argument is that Europe should tolerate Islamic buildings, but Islamic countries often do not allow Christians to do the same. I think they have a point, perhaps not in Turkey, but certainly in the Gulf Arab states.
Many Germans that I know do believe in God, but most don't attend church, nor do they want to pay automatic Church Tax (something the US doesn't have).

Originally posted by FortAnthemJust to clarify, the Church Militant isn't a bunch of gun toting loonies.

Bush gave them a holy war and they signed up in droves to tote guns and kill brown people.

"God told me to invade Iraq"

This is the problem with all religions. God talks to 5.5 billion people and you get 5.5 billion different ideas of god. All of them very sure the one true god is talking to them.

You'll find loonies in any denomination, even among athiests.

Yes you will find a few loons among atheists whereas 100% of the religious are loons.

If anyone disputes this prove a single one of your claims. Any. ONE.

The world is becoming increasingly anti-Christian.

I would say the world is becoming more anti-religion. All they do is start wars, burn books, complain about being persecuted and then persecute everyone else.

USA most religious!!!!!
hahahaha..
sorry but my idea of being religious is that you don't just believe in it, a person would follow its teachings...whether you are christian ,muslim or a jew.,just believing on it don't make you religious....

[edit on 17-12-2009 by zilch]

reply to post by watcher73


Wow, with all those crazy chrisians want to kill brown people you'd never think that army recruitment is down IN FREAKING UTAH!!!
This wasn't a religious war, from the west's perspective, it was a war concocted by those behind the scene whose religion is money. There is an epidemic of complacency that allows these wars to continue and it aint religions fault!!
hugs.

reply to post by FortAnthem


Ah ok, thanks for the clarification on that, I didn't know that was a term in and of itself, although I still see it somewhat as a double-entendre

As this isn't a thread on homosexuality let's just leave that topic be, but yes that post was over the top

All in all, I do think that every religious person should be able to express themselves as they choose. I am somewhat spiritual myself but with no denomination.

NEXUS