America's nonreligious are a growing, diverse phenomenon. They really don't like

I wasn't raised religious at all. my family moved when I was 8 and the neighbor kid and his family and all their friends they introduced me to were religious.

I went to church a couple times and thought it was weird as fuck. I went to vacation bible school a couple years, which was just like a year once per week summer camp thing, but religious. I only went the second year because I met a cute girl the first year >_>

ForsakenHermit posted...

I don't have the hatred for organized religion that a lot of people of my generation do. I see religion as a tool that can be used for good or bad and don't want like blaming those who do the latter on the former.

I used to agree with this, but the more I read about things like "Jesus Camp" and the Catholic church covering up all the deaths in the Indian Schools, I can't really give religion the benefit of the doubt anymore.

C_Pain posted...

but what if it's real

If god did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him. But if God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish Him.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/8/2/AAOOJNAAE5yi.jpg

Very interesting.

assuming that god is real I can either assume he's malevolent (in the case the crazy people who've pervaded the scene are correct in their approach) or actively disproving of modern religious practices (in the event the crazy people are wrong).

In either case there is no strong argument for worship, or at least not worship in the forms commonly proscribed. I'd rather just do good by my own measures.

It's a few things for me:

1. Organized religion is actively pushing people away with their abhorrent actions and politics. Plenty of religious shows on TV are just fox news
2. Religion is a continuous source of atrocities with no net benefit in sight.
3. Otherwise good people who would've made a difference are de-fanged. All of their energy that would've been spent helping people instead go to the church or for thoughts and prayers.

There's also a rise in non-religious Christians as well, most are just in name only and don't actively practice it like reading the bible everyday, praying, or going to church every Sunday or Saturday, etc....it makes sense after all the terrible shit you hear from organized religion. It's basically the inevitable.

Organized religion has been a very positive force in my life, and I have seen it used for incredible good. My wife was a hospice chaplain for years, and helped scores of people at the most vulnerable time in their life. I admire her greatly.

However, I dont blame people from turning away from organized religion in America in 2023. The organized religion with the biggest platform is far right evangelicals. They preach hate. They preach exclusion of others who are not like you. They preach denying women medical care in the name of the unborn, and then support politicians who do nothing to help people once they are born. Who wants to be part of anything like that?

Our congregation is full of people as liberal as they come, and are a group of the nicest and most inclusive folks I have ever met. I wish people who were interested in exploring faith had that and could see what I see. But hateful far right folks dominate the religious conversation in this country. Who wouldnt be turned off by what they are doing?

Torgo posted...

I hate that term, it totally sucks TBH.

Yeah, I been an atheist for a long time - and as someone raised Catholic when I hear "nones" I think of Nuns, the celebate women or "sisters" in habits that work for the church. In that sense it's a confusing term.

When I see it written down I cant help but notice that its only one letter away from being the nonces.

DuranOfForcena posted...

what if Pascal was one of us

Just a slob like one of us?

FearlessMango posted...

organized religion

https://apnews.com/article/nonreligious-united-states-nones-spirituality-humanist-91bb8430280c88fd88530a7ad64b03f8

American christianity is a blight that is consistently weaponized in politics, and I can't wait until it becomes a minority sector in this country

As long as there is separation of church and state, I'm fine with that.

potdnewb posted...

id rather die believing in god and being wrong than die not believing in god and being wrong

belief isn't a thing i can just choose to do. i either believe or i don't believe.

and what if you believed in the wrong god?