How religious are YOUNG Americans? (house, to buy, high school)
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Unfortunately many kids are being raised by parents who don't stress the importance of God in their lives. Obviously this is a choice that we are all free to make and I have no right to impose my beliefs on others.
But one of the things that separated America from the rest of the developed world imo is our love of God and our willingness to give him the credit he is due for all the blessings that we enjoy.
Not that the rest of the world is not religious, but in my experience having traveled the world, the US is by far the most actively religious developed country. And I always loved that about us.
I'm young and I don't associate myself with religion at all.
I was raised with my strictly christian mother, but none of it rubbed off on me. I'm finding out more and more that a lot of people agree with me- When I was a kid I assumed most of the world believed in something. I was Baptized, I was forced to have a first communion service, and I was forced into "confirmation"- I don't remember a thing more about these things other than I did not want to go. I remember my mom tried forcing me into youth groups and I used to ditch them and go out with friends somewhere else. I know right from wrong, I don't get why I needed to believe in something to be able to value good morales.
No one can wrap their mind about the world itself, so I'm not going to bother stepping into a different realm based on "faith". I respect people that have faith, but I can't stand when my family thinks I'm stupid for "not believing" while I sit there respectfully let them express what I think is stupidity.
What's really ironic, is that I'm more for peace than any of them..
Last edited by BPerone201; 07-21-2010 at 04:32 PM..
I'm young and I don't associate myself with religion at all.
I was raised with my strictly christian mother, but none of it rubbed off on me. I'm finding out more and more that a lot of people agree with me- When I was a kid I assumed most of the world believed in something. I was Baptized, I was forced to have a first communion service, and I was forced into "confirmation"- I don't remember a thing more about these things other than I did not want to go. I remember my mom tried forcing me into youth groups and I used to ditch them and go out with friends somewhere else. I know right from wrong, I don't get why I needed to believe in something to be able to value good morales.
No one can wrap their mind about the world itself, so I'm not going to bother stepping into a different realm based on "faith". I respect people that have faith, but I can't stand when my family thinks I'm stupid for "not believing" while I sit there respectfully let them express what I think is stupidity. What's really ironic, is that I'm more for peace than any of them..
Wow, first reading this I thought 'did I post this?'
Same deal for me man. I grew up in a German Catholic Community. Big time. A town of 2000 that had a Catholic School where half the kids went and the other half went to private. I was baptised Catholic, forced to 1st communion and never did become confirmed. I never wanted to and my mom gave up forcing me.
Exactly, Religion is the cause of every single major conflict in the history of the world, so why go to Sunday school to prove that I know how to be a good person? Plus I'm content with life, I don't need to 'butter myself up' for the unknown once I die. That's why you live life to the fullest, and don't expect to bank on 'not sinning' and passing through the pearly gates.
Exactly, Religion is the cause of every single major conflict in the history of the world.
It's terrible how poorly they teach history. This statement is pretty much nonsensical.
Even going by the BBC, which listed several wars as "religious wars" when mainstream historians probably would not, many major wars are secular. They list the following as not religious involved.
Napoleonic Wars - Although some may have fought because they deemed Napoleon anti-clerical the wars were mostly about Empires.
Franco-Prussian War - No religious aspect I can recall, it was a territorial dispute.
Russo-Japanese War - They were of different faiths, but it was a war over territory and Empire.
Korean War - Communist vs Non-Communist. Maybe some fought to protect freedom of religion, but religion was not a major factor in the war so far as I know.
Vietnam War - Same as above, although I think Hitchens sees it as a Catholic conspiracy.
Persian Gulf War
Congolese Civil War
Various wars among Communist nations. (Vietnam/Cambodia, China/Vietnam, Soviet occupation of Hungary, etc)
I'm a younger person... Myself and all my friends are non-religious, atheist, agnostic. I have one christian friend yet he's rejected most all the major tenants of the faith. Seems to be a trend in the western world,younger are not that religious. Trend is finally hitting the US.
I think it has to do with getting older, I know we are from the same town in New Mexico and growing up, alot of the people I knew werent religious, but now on their facebooks it seems that almost all of them are now religious or they read the bible or stuff like that, Portales is pretty much the bible belt and many people have family members who are religious who pass it on down to them. When you are younger, you think you know it all, all that matters is girls/guys, clothes,partying,what to do on Saturday night,school, or a career, its usually after everyone has all their priorities straight that they become more focused on God.
Most of my family in Portales is the same, I got a few aunts and a grandma who are very dedicated to church, they try recruiting the whole town pretty much but they are convincing the nephews and the nieces to get into it. I went to church very often when I was young, although I always had my christian beliefs, church took a backseat to a teen lifestyle that I was beginning to explore.
Wow, first reading this I thought 'did I post this?'
Same deal for me man. I grew up in a German Catholic Community. Big time. A town of 2000 that had a Catholic School where half the kids went and the other half went to private. I was baptised Catholic, forced to 1st communion and never did become confirmed. I never wanted to and my mom gave up forcing me.
Exactly, Religion is the cause of every single major conflict in the history of the world, so why go to Sunday school to prove that I know how to be a good person? Plus I'm content with life, I don't need to 'butter myself up' for the unknown once I die. That's why you live life to the fullest, and don't expect to bank on 'not sinning' and passing through the pearly gates.
I agree with you 100%.
I love my family, but every mistake or issue I had was because I wasn't praying or such and such and every time I succeed is because my mom or sister was praying for me (). My mother still believes it's a phase, and really doesn't even allow me to express my beliefs in her presence. I had to move away from all the annoyance ASAP.
I'm more in touch with the planet and the circle of life. The world didn't start of with countries, that was all man made- I just don't see how specific religions are restricted within regional borders when the planet started off without them. It just doesn't make sense to me.
Hinduism was created without the knowledge of the western hemisphere's existence- How can you know your "creator" when you don't know what was "created"?
And you're right, all the religious wars were solely based on domination. It's ridiculous, and I don't want a part of any of it.
No offense to any religious believers, but I can't recall any Agnostic wars in history. There is more death and pain in religious related history than anything agnostic/atheist related. So I don't see the harm I'm causing.
It's terrible how poorly they teach history. This statement is pretty much nonsensical.
Even going by the BBC, which listed several wars as "religious wars" when mainstream historians probably would not, many major wars are secular. They list the following as not religious involved.
Napoleonic Wars - Although some may have fought because they deemed Napoleon anti-clerical the wars were mostly about Empires.
Franco-Prussian War - No religious aspect I can recall, it was a territorial dispute.
Russo-Japanese War - They were of different faiths, but it was a war over territory and Empire.
Korean War - Communist vs Non-Communist. Maybe some fought to protect freedom of religion, but religion was not a major factor in the war so far as I know.
Vietnam War - Same as above, although I think Hitchens sees it as a Catholic conspiracy.
Persian Gulf War
Congolese Civil War
Various wars among Communist nations. (Vietnam/Cambodia, China/Vietnam, Soviet occupation of Hungary, etc)
Who are 'they'? Because you most definitely do not get 'taught' any of the knowledge I know. When my peers are buyin' video games and drinkin' beers, I'm reading books bigger than my head on this type of stuff.
7 wars in the history of mankind. Nice try.
I guess Thomas R. has never heard of
First Crusade
Childrens Crusade
Thirty Years War
Taiping Rebellion
Bosnia
Sudan
Rwanda
Hezbollah(sp?)
Sri Lanka
Sudan
um.. The Holocaust (6 million deaths)
Even the Salem Witch Trials
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). My mother still believes it's a phase, and really doesn't even allow me to express my beliefs in her presence. I had to move away from all the annoyance ASAP.
