Religion, moral and values.

[gaelic cowboy]

I'd say tisn't hate not at this stage in American civilisation, there are plenty loons allright but my hunch is that it's more cultural, they live in an echo chamber 'twould seem a perfectly sound statement that you have to be religious to have morals to them.

[HoreTore]

Wiki has the answer to your question, Scienter:

1.

One atheist in congress. Enjoy your theocracy.

[Scienter]

Wiki has the answer to your question, Scienter:

1.

One atheist in congress. Enjoy your theocracy.

I'm surprised that there's even one. I'm not an atheist, I just believe that religion and law shouldn't intersect. My beliefs are my own, and I don't care if other people don't believe the same as me. It's none of my business, really. I don't have issues with religion so long as people don't try to legislate their religious views into my life. That's a line that shouldn't be crossed. Separation of church and state, and all that.

[Skullheadhq]

Without being religious, I think it is impossible to come to a consensus on a universal set of morals, since it is impossible for an atheist to even define what morals are. This makes some weak persons immoral, but not all atheists, I think. The lack of consensus is the problem.

[HoreTore]

What the hell?

It's impossible for an atheist to define morality? What are you smoking.....?

[Skullheadhq]

What the hell?

It's impossible for an atheist to define morality? What are you smoking.....?

Define it then. And one on which all atheists can agree.

[HoreTore]

Define it then. And one on which all atheists can agree.

"atheists" is not a group of people.

[Major Robert Dump]

I would disagree that the US is a Christian country. Yes, it is the majority by a long shot. But lets get a few things straight.

I hesistate to say "the majority", but a substantial amount of people do not go to church on a regular basis. This includes believers. And while one does not have to attend church to believe, I bring this up because a substantial number of "believers" also do not adhere to the lifestyle. It's called being a "convenient christian." Ask a man convicted of rape and murder what his religion is...most likley christian. Go to a strip club with an anti-christian slogan on your shirt and expect to get punched by a "christian." Having "christian beliefs" does not make one a religious person, the funny thing being that most "christian beliefs" adhere to the same core principles as just about every other religion.

We are secular, which means that religion affects, at most, laws and legislation indirectly, so much that even in-your-face christians will often cringe when a loon tries to justify some crazy knee-jerk law based on "Gods will." Yeah, yeah, this on time Bush said that one thing about God guiding him blah blah. That's what that is, it's blah.

To be honest, I am very comfortable where we are as a country in terms of religion. It is here, but it is not. Yes, a christian candidate will likley have leverage over a non-christian, but that honestly does not bother me because most christian politicians -- even the religious conservative ones -- don't legislate through the Bible. There is a large segment of the political conservative movement who holds animosity towards the religous right for highjacking the GOP because GOP fiscal and social intervention principles are incompatible with GOP Christian nanny-state ideas no matter how you boil it down.

The only reason more non-believer leaders haven't come out as such is because they have a better chance of winning if they "believe." Photos of a president coming out of church holding a bible goes an awful long way with Granny.

The American left, Eurpoean press and muslim nations try fairly often to paint America as some big, Christian doom machine, when in fact we are so sectarian that trying to post the 10 commandments in a court house brings out the alligators and people lost jobs and re-elections.

to the OP:
My answer is no, religion is not necessary, and I think that you will find the majority of americans feel the same way

[Viking]

Without being religious, I think it is impossible to come to a consensus on a universal set of morals, since it is impossible for an atheist to even define what morals are. This makes some weak persons immoral, but not all atheists, I think. The lack of consensus is the problem.

No such consensus did ever exist - nor will it ever do so. Such is the human nature.

[Shibumi]

Without being religious, I think it is impossible to come to a consensus on a universal set of morals, since it is impossible for an atheist to even define what morals are. This makes some weak persons immoral, but not all atheists, I think. The lack of consensus is the problem.

(1) Do not do to others what you would not want them to do to you.

(2) In all things, strive to cause no harm.

(3) Treat your fellow human beings, your fellow living things, and the world in general with love, honesty, faithfulness and respect.

(4) Do not overlook evil or shrink from administering justice, but always be ready to forgive wrongdoing freely admitted and honestly regretted.

(5) Live life with a sense of joy and wonder.

(6) Always seek to be learning something new.

(7) Test all things; always check your ideas against the facts, and be ready to discard even a cherished belief if it does not conform to them.

(8) Never seek to censor or cut yourself off from dissent; always respect the right of others to disagree with you.

(9) Form independent opinions on the basis of your own reason and experience; do not allow yourself to be led blindly by others.

(10) Question everything.

Something along those lines look rather universal.

[Skullheadhq]

4 out of 10 points are correct. I believe it was Luther who said one should throw its reason out: "Die verfluchte Huhre, Vernunft". This is what he said, and: ""Reason is the Devil's greatest whore; by nature and manner of being she is a noxious whore; she is a prostitute, the Devil's appointed whore; whore eaten by scab and leprosy who ought to be trodden under foot and destroyed, she and her wisdom ... Throw dung in her face to make her ugly. She is and she ought to be drowned in baptism... She would deserve, the wretch, to be banished to the filthiest place in the house, to the closets." and ""Whoever wants to be a Christian should tear the eyes out of his Reason."

[Major Robert Dump]

4 out of 10 points are correct. I believe it was Luther who said one should throw its reason out: "Die verfluchte Huhre, Vernunft". This is what he said, and: ""Reason is the Devil's greatest whore; by nature and manner of being she is a noxious whore; she is a prostitute, the Devil's appointed whore; whore eaten by scab and leprosy who ought to be trodden under foot and destroyed, she and her wisdom ... Throw dung in her face to make her ugly. She is and she ought to be drowned in baptism... She would deserve, the wretch, to be banished to the filthiest place in the house, to the closets." and ""Whoever wants to be a Christian should tear the eyes out of his Reason."

I am a huge Luther Van Dross fan, and I don't remember those hateful lyrics from any of his R&B songs. You are making that up, especially since Luther was a huge fan of whores.

[a completely inoffensive name]

4 out of 10 points are correct. I believe it was Luther who said one should throw its reason out: "Die verfluchte Huhre, Vernunft". This is what he said, and: ""Reason is the Devil's greatest whore; by nature and manner of being she is a noxious whore; she is a prostitute, the Devil's appointed whore; whore eaten by scab and leprosy who ought to be trodden under foot and destroyed, she and her wisdom ... Throw dung in her face to make her ugly. She is and she ought to be drowned in baptism... She would deserve, the wretch, to be banished to the filthiest place in the house, to the closets." and ""Whoever wants to be a Christian should tear the eyes out of his Reason."

I am getting the impression that Luther thought reason was a whore.

[Subotan]

Reason is what separates us from animals.