56% of Atheists Believe Christianity is Just as Dangerous to America as Islam....

This reflects the stupidity that infects the left wing "progressives" here in the West.  This stupidity manifests itself in the belief that Islam is somehow less dangerous than Christianity.  Scary indeed....

Atheists and Agnostics Take Aim at Christians

(Ventura, CA) - A new evangelistic movement has emerged in America. Yet this effort does not spring from those loyal to a particular faith or religious view.

The new evangelists are atheists. People who have determined there is no God or who doubt his existence (a group commonly known as agnostics) are adopting a more aggressive, intentional effort to discredit the notion that God exists and to critique people of faith. Widely reviewed new books such as The God Delusion and God is Not Great represent this movement.

Beyond the bestseller lists, however, a new survey shows there is indeed a significant gap between Christians and those Americans who are in the "no-faith" camp. For instance, most atheists and agnostics (56%) agree with the idea that radical Christianity is just as threatening in America as is radical Islam. At the same time, two-thirds of Christians (63%) who have an active faith perceive that the nation is becoming more hostile and negative toward Christianity. ("Active faith" was defined as simply having gone to church, read the Bible and prayed during the week preceding the survey.)

W Zip

Comments

[Cale Gibbard]

Well, I'm not a US citizen, so I can't exactly speak for the atheists there, but I think it's worth considering which of the two religions is more prevalent in the US.

The only way radical Islamic people might affect the country at all is through acts of terrorism. There hasn't been a whole lot of that post-9/11. In absolute terms, the probability of dying due to a terrorist attack on US soil has been much lower than dying in automobile accidents, for instance. Further, Islam has very little direct impact on politics there. (Do you have any Islamic congresspeople or senators?)

On the other hand, there has been an awful lot going on in terms of fundamentalist Christian views affecting politics, foreign policy, and education. Many of President Bush's staff got their degrees at Pat Robertson's fundamentalist Christian Messiah University, a fourth-tier school which is quickly developing a reputation for incompetent graduates.

Christianity is thus perhaps viewed as more dangerous because it is much closer to home, and hence has more of an impact on, for example, political outlooks that are really affecting the way the country is actually run, rather than simply providing some vague threat.

[Freedman]

Christians are no threat to America! They haven't tortured and killed many people lately... unless you count all the Christians who invaded Iraq, and the fine Christian people who tortured Iraqis in Abu Gharib.

At least they've evolved since the Spanish Inquisition, no longer torturing people in the name of Jesus and burning witches. Now they just burn people with napalm, and blow them up in the name of FREEDOM.

Muslims should take note.

[glenny spenny]

There is plenty of terrorism in America performed by Christians. For example, this guy is just one of many Christians using terror to push a biblical agenda: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-07-17-rudolph-monday-sentencing_x.htm.
Not to mention the numerous anecdotal stories of gay-bashing, mostly a result of the church's indoctrination (google Matthew Shephard if you don't know what I mean.)

And not so terror-ishly, the Christian conservative right and their freakish monkey puppet president have helpfully dragged to a halt stem cell research that could improve the lives of thousands of people with genetic diseases http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article689100.ece. They ki-boshed a cervical cancer vaccine that would save many lives because it might lead to pre-marital sex. Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/30/AR2005103000747.html

These over-zealous Christian busybodies sticking their conservative fingers where they don't belong are fucking American lives up way better than some towelhead flying a plane into a building ever could.
The really sad thing about this is many countries have to bow to America in their trade and legal policy or lose political points with empire central. So not only are American conservative Christian wingnuts dangerous to America, to the world also these people are are more insidious threat than Islam.

[Elijahblue]

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.
- Steven Weinberg

[Commonsensekid]

Religion Reality Check

Using commonsense reason to subjugate superstition
Will prove embarrassing to believe in God’s position.

Thinking mans intelligence will check all illusions
Erasing fear, myth, and all apocalyptic conclusions.

Real reality goes at the speed of educated fact choices
Not by ecclesiastical hypocritical authority voices.

A morality gut feeling is the natural default setting
Trusting ethical intuition won’t leave you regretting.

Belief, prayer, and faith lead to absolutisms incased in lies
Stabilizing and protecting fragile myths that fact denies.

Most religionist are completely deranged by religious faith
Holy books are badly construed fables imbedded with wrath.

Christian moderates are just as bad as jihad Muslim fanatics
Immunizing religion from rational discussion of its dramatics.

The Bible story of Jesus is a phantasmagoric parable fairy tail
The Koran is a manifesto for religious death divisiveness on sale.

[Commonsensekid]

Qualifying Creative Quality.

O how I wish there was a real good God
Helping us survive Earths bacterial sod.

Ministering to all through sweet dreams
With an encouraging morality that gleams.

Supplying a mortal frame that will not rot
Having hemoglobin that will not brain clot.

Bones that bend rather than break in a fall
A body that can endure any reality all in all.

This God won’t condone bacteria’s & viruses
He would be with us through any bad crises.

The great God would not allow religious wars
He will not accept humans dying by the scores.

Crime and corruption is not his mental making
Persons would be real in heart without faking.

A real God needs not churches, clergy & prayer
If he did it right, we would treat each other fair.

Using truth, beauty, goodness and loving service
A visible God can keep folks from being nervous.

He must have a working universe administration
To detour big Meteorites from Earths devastation.

His celestial workers could regulate the Suns heat
And stop the worlds wobble, keeping the orbit neat.

I’m just a puny fragile skin & bones evolving mortal
And have the commonsense in seeing a better portal.

Boiling reality down to a usable tangible conception
We’re that freewill choice person called God in action.

Reality goes at the speed of choice, that be understood
Quality thoughts will evolve this world into the good.

Shit I wish there was a really good God from everyone
Helping each other survive by tilling Earths sod for fun.

We could actualize our sweet dreams through ministry
Our moral code would express a higher creative dynasty.

Happiness and contentment would exemplify good health
Religions no longer create the poor, we would have wealth.

Fear gossips, deity myths, and stupid superstition expelled
We Earthlings can enjoy life from good thoughts propelled.

Want bliss? Think about this.

[Jan]

America America America. I'm getting so tired of reading about how what the people in America are doing is affecting my life. There must be some normal christians in America thinking the exact same thing: that the religious crazies out there are giving us all a bad name.

They are such a minority when you look at the big picture, but they're the guys making all the headlines, and the atheists are lapping it all up using it as propoganda against religion.

Religion is about tolerance and understanding. Those few who do not follow these basic principles will always be under scrutiny and rightly so, but please do not judge all religions by their fanatics.

[commonsensekid]

~~~RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD~~~

TAOISM > Shit Happens.

SUFISM > Shit Let's Dance!

SHINTOISM > Shitting Now.

LUTHERN> Divided Up Shit.

JANSENISM > Shit let’s will it.

UNITARIAN > What’s This Shit?

BAPTIST > Let's Roll In This Shit.

ATHEIST > I Don't Believe That Shit.

CHURCH OF GOD > Shit's Out There.

URANTIA > Can You Believe This Shit?

AGNOSTIC > I Believe Some Shit Stinks.

CHRISTIANITY > He Died For This Shit?

HINDUISM > This Shit Happened Before.

ISLAM > If Shit Happens, Take A Hostage.

Protestants> Our Shits is better than theirs.

ZEN > What Is The Sound Of Shit Happening?

CATHOLICISM > If Shit Happens, we Deserve It.

TV AVENGELEST> We Want Your Monetary Shit.

MORMON > Shit Happens Again & Again & Again.

EVANGELACALES> Faith Will Heal Your Shitter.

BUDDHISM > When Shit Happens, Is It Really Shit?

7TH DAY ADVENTIST > Shit Happens On Saturdays.

CONFUCIANISM > Confucius Say, "Shit Will Happen".

JUDAISM > Why Does This Shit Always Happen To Me?

JEHOVAH’s Witness > Knock Knock "Shit's Happening".

HARE KRISHNA > Shave your Head So Shit Can't Happen.

RASTAFARIANISM > Let's Smoke This Sticky Cannabis Shit.

COMMONSENSE > Only You Dude, Can Stinking Shit Yourself!

[Tom]

The entire basis of your post is silly. The actual story says "most atheists and agnostics (56%) agree with the idea that radical Christianity is just as threatening in America as is radical Islam."

The keyword here is RADICAL. And this fact is something many people can justifiably see. A radical christian bombing an abortion clinic is just as much a terrorist as a radical muslim bombing an airport. Furthermore, the presence of radical christians in the US Govt can have a devastatingly negative effect on the perceptions and clout of the US around the world. This is indeed damaging.

[Bentcorner]

I think the keyword is "radical". There are a lot more Christians in the US then Muslims. Because of the overwhelming number of Christians compared to Muslims, the Christians would possibly pose the highest threat - if they were radical.

For instance, there are many parts of the Bible that Christians (thankfully) ignore. What if that stopped? What if they started adhering to every part of the Bible? For instance, the part where it says that homosexuality is an abomination that they homosexuals should be killed.

[Abraxas]

The reason why atheists believe this (and I'm one of them, just not American, but maybe all the more objective because of it) is the following.

Islam is a tiny minority in the USA, so the threat on the System(!) from radical muslims is virtually zero, while it is quite big from the radical christians, which are far more available in the country than radical muslims are. The system can only be changed by the American government which itself is quite radical (at least compared to previous administrations). The big danger we see in christian faith in America is that a lot of christians in America vote for whoever shows the best christian moral values. This completely clouds these people's objective reason and observation of what people like G.W. Bush are actually doing to the world (waging war) and the country (limiting the freedom and privacy of the people). No matter how terrible 9/11 was, in the end, the slow but continuous destruction of freedom, privacy and free speech are a lot more damaging to the country, than any 9/11 could ever be.

People of faith are a relatively easy target for whoever preaches to have the best moral values, for there's a complete lack of skepticism and desire for accountability.

Right after 9/11 it was said that the terrorists would never be able to change the American way of life, but that's exactly what has changed. The founding fathers would be turning in their grave if they saw what America has become, thanks to this administration.

Also, I wanted to add one tiny thing. Unlike established religions, atheism is not a movement. We are not a group of people who meet up and decide "this is how we're gonna deal with christians from now on". We think for ourselves, and of course there are some atheists who enjoy insulting people of faith. I'm not one of these people, and neither are a lot of other atheists. What I do observe is that too much christians with power (your president for example) have no problem at all pushing their religion onto the people. As a christian this may not bother you, but what if you were christian, your president happened to be muslim and he decided to put "One nation under Allah" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Would you be okay with that? Or forced islamic prayer in school, despite the fact that you're a christian. Something you could live with? Well, we have our beliefs too, and we don't like to be forced into religion. Live and let live, right?

[boobaa]

In my uneducated opinion, americans are generally quite dumb. They have a constitution that allows for freedom of religion and then they go and start a war because of it. idiots.

[Marc]

"This stupidity manifests itself in the belief that Islam is somehow less dangerous than Christianity."

After making such a comment, it should be proceeded by proof.
You can say what you want, but if you don't back it up, it is just some opinion of another internet blogger.

By the way, the phrases; "56% of Atheists Believe Christianity is Just as Dangerous to America as Islam" and "the belief that Islam is somehow less dangerous than Christianity." are contradictory, the first one claims they are equally dangerous, they second one claims one is less dangerous.

I really want to know why you think they are not equally dangerous.
Seriously, I filled in my email in the box up there for that reason.

[TC]

The rise of radical christian fundamentalists makes your whole country look like idiots to the rest of the world. *That's* the threat they pose to you.

[John Cunningham]

I like boxing with God so like a smart ass I say things like, 'thank God, I'm an atheist". "In the beginning God created the big bang". "May the Force be with you". Now, I'm not a biblical scholar and even less of a koranimal koloring book scholar, but, from what I've heard over the years 80% of the world's religions say variations of 'thou shalt not lie' and 'thou shalt not kill' and the koranimal koloring book, representing 20% of the planet's population says 'thou shalt lie' and 'thou shalt kill anyone that will not hit the prayer rug five times a day'. Well, like I said I'm not a scholar but I do have eyes and ears.

[Mindbleach]

We have one Muslim congressman, one atheist, and 433 men and women in shades of Christianity and Judaism. The President cites God and means Yahweh when he hears voices. There is no nationally televised Islamic network, but EWTN is packaged with basic cable. The Americans opposing stem cell research, crying for the criminalization of abortion, and trying to cram repackaged creationism into public schools are overwhelmingly Christian, and their reasons are theological instead of rational.

In Britain and France, Islam and Christianity can duke it out for the title of 'most dangerous.' In America, Islam stands no chance - the minority Muslim population would have to work through the three hundred years of cultural domination and fifty years of political involvement the Christian majority has.

Danger doesn't always mean physical threats.

[WT]

Why is Christianity a bigger threat to the US than Islam?

Creation Museum. Jesus Camp. Abortion clinic bombers/shooters. Focus on the Family.

That's jsut for starters. Read also "Letter to a Christian Nation" by Sam Harris.

[commonsensekid]

Picking the ancient scab of religion verses science

Christian right intelligent design of faith compliance
Scientific left Darwinian Theory on fact based science.

Clergy quote Geneses stating Gods creation dominance
Atheist scientist map and quantify human experience.

Tithing religionists wobble in slack jawed wonderment
Agnosticism is beginning to grow beyond confinement.

Prayer is becoming stagnant as crime and war escalate
No divine intervention peace God visible to participate.

Muslim terrorist bowing to Allah to justify human killing
Christian soldiers circle in prayer before combat go willing.

Apologetics patch holes in the hypocritical gay church
God fearing news media keeps all the public in the lurch.

Has the mortal brain fossilized into superstition and myth?
Is humanity still operating with Pleistocene chromosomes?

Technology did not alter fear thinking Stone Age brains
Psychobiocircuitry tells man to cover body when it rains.

Some persons think smarter, electrochemically evolving
Their offspring acquire new DNA for brains requalifying.

They become free thinkers for the betterment of mankind
Operating from fact based educated freewill choice mind.

Self-governing self-sufficiency education need be learned
Land ratio population birth control must not be spurned.

Mentality of commonsense must evolve to qualify reality
Ideals of truth, beauty, and goodness being the normality.

Discarding daily apocalypse fear, myth and superstition
Will leave room for a healthy evolving loving disposition.

Todays fear praying & worshiping religions are antiquated
Living goes at the speed of commonsense choices anticipated.

[Commonsensekid]

Whodathunkit?

Today was the rebirth of Mr. Philosophy Commonsense
Americans needed old Philo to revitalize moral dominance.

Philo was missing during the war that tried to even a score
He got lost in fear and bureaucratic red tape, producing gore.

Now that Philo is reactivated and nurtured into higher value
His thoughts will be sensibly more creative in a home venue.

Philo’s comeback fosters self-governing an self-sufficiency
He is smart knowing Hydrogen fuel is best for efficiency.

Mr. Commonsense lives by simple sound budgeted finance
Philo sees living off of credit cards you can lose your pants.

Philo and his wife Discretion apply good parenting strategy
They realize that adults not kids are in charge of the family.

Mr. Commonsense’s health regenerated beyond expectation
Applying well intentioned but not over bearing regulation.

The ten commandants were reinstated creating a base line
Teachers reprimand unruly students, now things are fine.

The will for truth, beauty, and goodness is being enacted
Philo’s parents Truth and Trust keep Americans protected.

Their smart off spring Wisdom and Reason initiate freedom
They will marry into the world ending religious martyrdom.

So invite Mr. Commonsense into your hippocampus home
With Truth, Trust, Wisdom & Reason you won’t be alone.

Remember it’s the speed of your wisdoms thoughts in action
That make the reality you live in get peace/freedom traction.

[Commonsensekid]

Living on a backwards world

In reading the accent history on religions of the world,
It comes to my mind how the stories of God unfurled.

Back in time when few could even scribe Earthly events,
Most come from word of mouth from men living in tents.

Early history was misinterpreted for the bad to look good,
Scribes via plagiarism made angry Gods seem understood.

Man feared God if his day went wrong, even of Comet’s,
To them a Sun eclipse or an earthquake was apocalypse.

Fear, myth, superstition, ritual, and sacrifice practiced,
All in the name of an angry God, to be morally redressed.

Everything good or bad is attributed to a personal God,
Even the rain, sky, animals, mountains, oceans and sod.

The name God has been given for this invisible power,
A name praised or screamed in birth or death each hour.

Fear believing in a God figure manufactured by religions,
Is aggravating the whole world, peace Doves and Pidgins.

Killing, in name of God, the world is running backward?
Loving, in name of commonsense, world is going forward!

If God is love, he is doing a bad job distributing it on Earth,
Without fake God’s, mortals are smart by default from birth.

Eliminate the God factor and reinstate mans commonsense,
We all live on this world together, let “our” love recompense.

Being there is no morphological God; there will be no Satan,
By having those mind anchors removed you are a moral titan.

[Jimbo]

Delete my post, eh? Can't hide from the truth you childish coward.

You're a bigot pal.

You want to kill or enslave a billion people because 19 fanatics flew airplanes into building. Yet you ignore the fact that a handful of neocon Christians have killed 800K Iraqi, so far.

Who's the terrorist here?

[John Cunningham]

Jimbo, you're a bimbo.

...An interesting Post I want to reply to later on over at ...

[ThomNJ]

abraxas said, "Islam is a tiny minority in the USA, so the threat on the System(!) from radical muslims is virtually zero, while it is quite big from the radical christians, which are far more available in the country than radical muslims are."

Well, let's see - PROPORTIONATELY, the radical muslims have already disproved your theory haven't they?