Christianity, the cancer within the US culture.

[MidGe]

Here is an article that shows how much the military in the USA has changed over the last 50 years.

It is unfortunately apparent, not only in the military. From posts on these forums, speeches by politicians and business leaders from the USA, it is apparent that the cancer is spreading.

[Taso]

Calm down Midge. The number of atheists/agnostics doubled from the time of the 1990 census to the 2000 census. Relgiousness isn't spreading.

[tomdemaine]

You know who I hate? George Bush. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] You guys may not be smart enough to figure out why, [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] either that or you're to homophobic and racist to know any better but he's such a standard American it makes me sick. [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[MidGe]

[ QUOTE ]
You know who I hate? George Bush. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] You guys may not be smart enough to figure out why, [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] either that or you're to homophobic and racist to know any better but he's such a standard American it makes me sick. [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I may be missing the point but neither my post, nor the 3 pages long article I linked to mentioned the presidency of the USA or George Bush.

Of course, and thanks for triggering my memory, I seem to remember that the dude said something a while ago as being on a mission from god (or close to it), plagiarizing the Blues bros famous line.

Ah! And yes, I surely think of Bush and its supporters as a form of cancer!

[Ron Burgundy]

It's pretty ignorant of you to say that Christianity is the cancer. I don't know that many Christians, but the ones I do know all think Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell are/were complete assbags and an embarrassment.

The problem is that real Christians are too nice and don't like to say bad things about people. So the fundamentalist freaks are only criticised by athiests, which just gives them more motivation to spread their nonsense and play the oppressed victim card.

[Jamougha]

Ron,

as I understand it the evangelicals are one of the biggest and fastest growing denominations in the USA. They may consider Falwell and Robertson an embarrassment, but the differences are really presentational, not doctrinal.

[NewTeaBag]

Excellent link.

In a 1st: I agree with Migde on this issue. In 13 yrs as a Naval Officer, I saw a steady increase in Christian/religios zealotry.

EXs:

1) I was legally separated, from my then wife, just prior to a 9mo carrier battle group deployment as a Sub Liason Officer on DESRON Staff. When we pulled into Perth, Austrailia, I met an awesome woman who I ended up spending most of a week with. A LCDR ( I was a LT) on the staff actually gave me a private ranting anout how I was committing adultery, and could be charged under the UCMJ. I laghed and reminded him I was legally separated and e kept telling me it didn't matter since I was stll married. Luckily, Before I could get in trouble with a sharpish reply, the CSO (Chief Staff Officer), a CDR, happened along, and not hearing our conversation, punched me on the shoulder, with a big grin, and said, "Hey! I saw that hot mama you were with last night. Did ye feck er?" That ended the LCDRs little preaching and judging mission.

2) Missile Submarines in The US Navy, which are exclusively male crewed, have a tradition going back to the 60s, that near the end of a deployment, pictures of women are posted on the each missile tube correpsonding with the number of days left until RTP, return to port.

On my last SSBN deployment, around day 19 prior to RTP, I was returning from a watch in the engineroom and I noticed that all the pix had been taken down. That night, at dinner in the wardroom, I asked the table if anyone kenw where the pix had gone. The Executive Officer responded, "Some members of the crew, including myself, found them offensive, so I ordered them removed."

I lauged and said, "C'mon, XO! They were SI swimsuit pix, not a midget fecking a donkey or anything even remotely pornographic!

His response was a curt, "They were offensive, I had them removed, and that is all!"

Now with the whole wardroom watching, and me not known for biting my tongue, I posed a followup question. I asked, "So, XO. You're telling me the pictures of the clothed (in bikinis), beautiful women are offensive, but the missiles tubes on which they are placed, which house up to 10 warheads each, which each are capable of vaporizing over 1 million people instantly are NOT offensive?"

He rapidly replied with, "Mr XXXXX, you have a negative attitude towards nuclear weapons!"

I said, "You're gawdamn right I have a negative attitude towards nuclear weapons! Do you have a positve attitude towards them?"

Before we could heat up any more (and I could get myself in trouble) The CAPT broke in with laughter at the irony on the XOs position and changed the sbject, in a way which made it clear he didn't wan't the argument to proceed any further. The CAPT later told me that he agreed with me but had to acede to the wishes of crewmembers who claimed to be offended.

[whiskeytown]

many, many Christians believe their faith is incompatible with military service, but they tend not to mix politics and religion as much.

You need the two mixed together to really [censored] things up, and we are well on our way.

RB

[InTheDark]

Evil America...Tell it to the 1,000,000,000 people that would move here TOMORROW if we facilitated it. FYI - you're not welcome.

[Duane397]

Rich Christians who want power and the means to change things are the problem, not the religion.

Few things annoy me more than the abortion issue and the gay rights issue being used to give "Christians" political power. Both of these issues are such a waste of time. Abortion is not going away and only a handful of states would make gay marriage illegal, deal with it. Now please go out and take up an issue that matters.

Just my opinion, obviously many disagree with me on these issues.