Ah!

I think it's a feeling that popular culture is out of control combined with publicized court cases about taking down religious symbols in public places that causes that.

It's more than that, though. There's certainly a feeling that Christianity is no longer the near religious monopoly it used to be. Now, it's finding itself competing with Islam, Wicca, atheism, and an areligious culture. Now Christians are having to answer the uncomfortable "why" questions involving faith and belief.

But, as well, there is a new anathema culturally to evangelical Christianity. Many Christians find that discussions of what they believe are being silenced or shouted down in public discourse, and that when Christianity is belittled in the public square there's approval of it where belittling non-Christian faiths brings derision. Believing, after all, is a sign that you are stupid, a sign that you need some crutch to get by.

There are a lot of people who are shutting an open, frank, and honest discussion of religion out of the public square. And these people are on all sides of the political and religious divides. We have to figure out how to get along and stop pre-judging people, and stop falling into the old blame crutches.

We have to figure out how to get along and stop pre-judging people

Let's toss our leader through a porthole their sibling opened and see how that works.

Many Christians find that discussions of what they believe are being silenced or shouted down in public discourse, and that when Christianity is belittled in the public square there's approval of it where belittling non-Christian faiths brings derision. Believing, after all, is a sign that you are stupid, a sign that you need some crutch to get by.

On the other hand, I know as a non-believer, I've reached something of a saturation point, and I'm really just about as tired as I can possibly be with people telling me what they think I should believe, or what the state of my immortal soul is.

In a similar vein, I've frequently run in to situations where any expression of my non-belief is read as an attack on Christianity.

Conversely, I know that I have a tendancy to be extra scornful of Christianity vs. other religions, because I'm confronted with it much more often. I'm hostile toward Christianity in a way that I am not toward Judaism, Islam, or just about any other religion. It's a tendancy I try to fight, but it's there.

Now, it's finding itself competing with Islam, Wicca, atheism, and an areligious culture.

Islam, Wicca, and atheism each comprise less than 1% of the American population.

Christianity is close to 76%. About 13% are agnostic/secular.

(Info from adherents.com. eta: Please pardon me while I fall over laughing as I notice that "Wicca/Pagan/Druid" is on their list of organized religions. 'Cause..no. Really, we're not.)

aperitif = before-dinner cocktail to stimulate the apetite.

I have NEVER needed booze to stimulate my appetite.

It's just a nice addition....

Pete and Jilli, we need stationery and pens and such!

Pens aren't an option because Cafe Press doesn't offer them. I'm not sure about stationary...

The only time I really resent the presence of religion in my life is when it comes from the mouth of my government. Because I know full well that when George W. Bush says "God bless America," he doesn't mean Allah or Adonai or Buddha or Ganesh or Cerwidden or Hee-Haw the Giant Donkey God. He means *his* God, *his* way, and that definitely makes me feel as though my agnostic self is thought of as a second-class citizen. And religion is really of very little importance to me--I can only imagine how marginalized people of devout non-Christian faith must feel.

On the other hand, I can't remember the last time an individual person of faith tried to make me feel as though I were wrong for not having faith. Even the most fundamentalist people I know don't cluck their tongues.

Sadly, it's getting so when I hear "Christian" what I hear is: (stereotypes ahoy, mind you) "I believe everything that Jerry Falwell tells me to.Life is just easier when the people at church tell me what to think so I don't have to." "This country was a better place before women got all uppity and you could still carry a gun everywhere and hit your kids." I'm very sorry...I know that's not true. But there are some scary people whom I don't like dominating my state's religious discourse so that it is easy to be poisoned. And the demon-removers, of course. Can't forget them.