Atheism & Agnostic Beliefs On The Rise In U.s.

I agree that athiesm and agnostics is on the rise because people are sheding the need for superstition and educating themselves in science. I think the christians are very scared and very defensive about this some even claim there is a "war on Christianity"
I mean during christmas we try to respect all religions such as hinduism, judism,wiccan and humanism and say "happy holidays" and christians completely freak out about this. I remember saying happy holidays to a woman and she said in a very snide way " I will not respond to anything other than Merry Christmas!"
Obviously some christians cannot share the holidays with other religions. "rolls eyes"

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of the Christ Child. Name another holiday with a specific day in the same time-frame.

Yule ....CHECK ....

They had no choice to convert. If you did not convert in Europe during the mass conversion in Europe you were burned at the stake or killed for blasmaphy of God.
Kind of like extremist muslims today convert or die.
People were forced to convert. They did not see the error of their ways LOL

Just like the crusades sent to covert and steal lands of the Muslims.
There were actually 7 crusades and the 6th crusades were made up entirely of children sent to be slaughtered by the muslims.

This article is about the medieval crusades. For other uses, see Crusade (disambiguation) and Crusade (definition).


The term is also used to describe contemporaneous and subsequent campaigns conducted through the 16th century in territories outside the Levant[4], usually against pagans, those considered by the Catholic Church to be heretics, and peoples under the ban of excommunication[2] for a mixture of religious, economic, and political reasons.[5] Rivalries among both Christian and Muslim powers led also to alliances between religious factions against their opponents, such as the Christian alliance with the Sultanate of Rum during the Fifth Crusade. The traditional numbering scheme for the Crusades includes the nine major expeditions to the Holy Land during the 11th to 13th centuries. Other unnumbered "crusades" continued into the 16th century, lasting until the political and religious climate of Europe was significantly changed during the Renaissance and Reformation.

The Children's Crusade was not a military campaign, but probably a popular uprising in France and/or Germany, possibly with the intention of reaching the Holy Land in order to convert Muslims there peacefully to Christianity.

The Crusades had far-reaching political, economic, and social impacts, some of which have lasted into contemporary times. Because of internal conflicts among Christian kingdoms and political powers, some of the crusade expeditions (such as the Fourth Crusade) were diverted from their original aim and resulted in the sack of a Christian city, the Byzantine capital, Constantinople. The Sixth Crusade was the first crusade to set sail without the official blessing of the Church, establishing the precedent that rulers other than the Pope could initiate a crusade.

I agree. First Volunteer says that pagans in europe saw the errors of their ways that they somehow chose to accept the bible and jesus as their savior but when I bring up proof that they had no choice but to convert or face prosecution or death than we are treating Christians badly by bringing up their faults and their oppression of other faiths.
I have no problem with moderate Christians who mind their own business but when you start making laws based on the bible to control my life than I have a problem with it.
Christians are used to having the majority and the control in the U.S and they are slowly losing their power and acting out now.
We have gone in the wrong direction of what our forefathers wanted of us. Seperation of chruch and state and freedom of religion.
Christians have the monopoly here and it is not accident. They demonize and tell people they will go to hell and their eternal soul will suffer if they follow any other religion or non religion. They take your soul as hostage and use fear to keep people faithful.
It is fear mongering.

I bring up proof that they had no choice but to convert or face prosecution or death

Christians are used to having the majority and the control in the U.S

Christians have the monopoly here and it is not accident.

They demonize and tell people they will go to hell and their eternal soul will suffer if they follow any other religion or non religion.

They take your soul as hostage and use fear to keep people faithful.

It is fear mongering.

yes and I am sure if a bunch of muslim extremist who came along and decided to behead the non believers of America that non of the Christians would covert. The U.S journalist did. Are you saying those christians lacked faith.
I am sorry but if someone came and said that they were going to kill me or my kids I would pretend to convert to whatever religion they asked me to. It has nothing to do with faith and everything to do with survival.

You proved nothing but you lack of understand of the human need to survive.

If you are willing to sacrifice your kids lives and your lives just to prove you have faith good ridence.

I will take survival 101 thank you and secretly pass on my old religion behind their backs.

You see if they truly lacked faith paganism would not have survived. Also if they just died instead of lying about converting paganism would be extinct. They were smarter than you think.

and by the way not all converted and some said they would rather fight and die but the Christians knew they could not fight them all this is why Christians incorperated pagan rituals with Christians ones so the Pagans would convert peacefully.

yes and I am sure if a bunch of muslim extremist who came along and decided to behead the non believers of America that non of the Christians would covert.

The U.S journalist did.

Are you saying those christians lacked faith.

I am sorry but if someone came and said that they were going to kill me or my kids I would pretend to convert to whatever religion they asked me to.

It has nothing to do with faith and everything to do with survival.

You proved nothing but you lack of understand of the human need to survive.

If you are willing to sacrifice your kids lives and your lives just to prove you have faith good ridence.

Just like the crusades sent to covert and steal lands of the Muslims.
There were actually 7 crusades and the 6th crusades were made up entirely of children sent to be slaughtered by the muslims.

You mean Pearle, too bad they cut of his head anyway huh? QUOTE]

Maybe Centanni?

Statistics and polls of younger people 21-35 show a marked increase moving away from organized religions. Independent thought and the increase of this generation to distrust and not understand many long reaching ideas about faith have driven them to explore many of the other practices like Buddhism, Spiritualism, Shintoism etc.

I for one lived in Asia for 8 years. I met some of the best people I've ever had the priveldge to know in Japan etc. I still keep in contact with some via e-mail and all of them would be considered atheists by US standards.

They are all very happy, well adjusted, successful family people with professional jobs and networks of relatives, all live without traditional faiths. This knowledge of people living happily is a huge threat for christainity on many fronts.

Most Americans when they hear "Atheist" feel fear, perhaps due to their own inadequate level of faith, an internal mechanism triggering fears of mortality and death with no belief of living past death.

Fear should never be a motivating factor to beleive in christianity. It's nice to have that warm/fuzzy of a belief system to fend of the death thing but why do so many in Asia thrive without?

I think it's cultural to an extent, Americans are at best simple minded when it comes to life. Interestingly enough, it seems the older the country, the better the culture.

If you can't put your belief system to the acid test, confront it, question it, keep an open mind, validate it - it isn't much of a belief system. Blindly following is no system either, many christians are christians for the simple resaon that there are so many christians - so it must be true! BS, numbers don't prove anything yet we all understand death, the binding factor, not enough reason for a faith based religion.

Statistics and polls of younger people 21-35 show a marked increase moving away from organized religions. Independent thought and the increase of this generation to distrust and not understand many long reaching ideas about faith have driven them to explore many of the other practices like Buddhism, Spiritualism, Shintoism etc.

I for one lived in Asia for 8 years. I met some of the best people I've ever had the priveldge to know in Japan etc. I still keep in contact with some via e-mail and all of them would be considered atheists by US standards.

They are all very happy, well adjusted, successful family people with professional jobs and networks of relatives, all live without traditional faiths. This knowledge of people living happily is a huge threat for christainity on many fronts.

Most Americans when they hear "Atheist" feel fear, perhaps due to their own inadequate level of faith, an internal mechanism triggering fears of mortality and death with no belief of living past death.

Fear should never be a motivating factor to beleive in christianity. It's nice to have that warm/fuzzy of a belief system to fend of the death thing but why do so many in Asia thrive without?

I think it's cultural to an extent, Americans are at best simple minded when it comes to life. Interestingly enough, it seems the older the country, the better the culture.

If you can't put your belief system to the acid test, confront it, question it, keep an open mind, validate it - it isn't much of a belief system. Blindly following is no system either, many christians are christians for the simple resaon that there are so many christians - so it must be true! BS, numbers don't prove anything yet we all understand death, the binding factor, not enough reason for a faith based religion.

No they wouldn't, haven't you heard about the crusades? I on the other hand think you would convert to Islam if the same scenario happened to you? Or would you die for your lack of faith? I personally am prepared to die for mine. Come on be honest.You mean Pearle, too bad they cut of his head anyway huh? What's your policy on XMus? How would you deal with them?They weren't Christians yet if they were being forced to convert? If it was Pearle you ment then yes again, why did he convert if not for fear of life and limb, you consider that brave?
I figured, your lack of faith leads to lack of conviction, when faced with a situation like that you will cower and conceed. People like you will be seeking protection from people like me when they do come a knocking.And you call yourself an American? Why don't you convert to Christianity, to get you to convert all one has to do it threaten you or your kids? You don't like the Christians but you cower to the XMus, how brave you are? Sure that's that example you wanna shoe to your kids, you wanna bring up another set of cowards?To survive, one has to be prepared to kill. If not for you, it would be for the preservation of your children. How prepared are you? Sounds like Allah is in your future!I wish you the same, i'm what standing inbetween them form getting you. I'm sure you'll feel fine when you see them and start kissing there feet for saving you?