Over 75% of Americans are Christian...... How?

[russwest0]

How in the world are so many people religious?

I get that a lot of these people are brought up with these ideals ingrained into their brain from age 4-5 and what not, but over 75%?

I could run on about the flaws of Christianity, the fact that the bible was wrote by a normal man and has been translated thousands of times among many languages and "updated" and shouldn't be taken seriously at all, and the fact that those who do take it seriously are the nutjobs you'd find running organizations like the Westboro Baptist Church...

but none of that matters.

If none of us can truly be certain whether "god" exists or not, then aren't we all, by definition, agnostics?

75% of Americans are ignorant. Prove me wrong.

[Nowitness]

How in the world are so many people religious?

I get that a lot of these people are brought up with these ideals ingrained into their brain from age 4-5 and what not, but over 75%?

I could run on about the flaws of Christianity, the fact that the bible was wrote by a normal man and has been translated thousands of times among many languages and "updated" and shouldn't be taken seriously at all, and the fact that those who do take it seriously are the nutjobs you'd find running organizations like the Westboro Baptist Church...

but none of that matters.

If none of us can truly be certain whether "god" exists or not, then aren't we all, by definition, agnostics?

75% of Americans are ignorant. Prove me wrong.

Around 40% believe the Bible as fact. That is scarier, it's to be expected that most of America are Christian. It's an endless cycle religion, perfectly created to be ingrained in the minds of the believers.

But, I'd say at-least 7/10% of the 75% say it from a moral standpoint. It's the same in the UK, undecided people don't know what to label themselves as so they will say Christian based on upbringing and life style.

[Le Shaqtus]

Why does it matter?

[chosen_one6]

How in the world are so many people religious?

I get that a lot of these people are brought up with these ideals ingrained into their brain from age 4-5 and what not, but over 75%?

I could run on about the flaws of Christianity, the fact that the bible was wrote by a normal man and has been translated thousands of times among many languages and "updated" and shouldn't be taken seriously at all, and the fact that those who do take it seriously are the nutjobs you'd find running organizations like the Westboro Baptist Church...

but none of that matters.

If none of us can truly be certain whether "god" exists or not, then aren't we all, by definition, agnostics?

75% of Americans are ignorant. Prove me wrong.

A large reason why La Conquista happened in Latin America and the Europeans came to North America was because of religion. Doesn't surprise me that it's still engrained in our culture hundreds of years later. I think that number would have been higher 20 years ago though.

[Patrick Chewing]

Hmmm cause the Americas were invaded by Europeans. The predominant religion at the time in Europe was.........


Christianity!

[stalkerforlife]

Because Jesus Christ is our Lord and savior and his mercy reigns.

Think about all the evil things you've done...then ask yourself if you need forgiveness.

[russwest0]

Why does it matter?

The unobserved life is not worth living, man.

[Milbuck]

Because Jesus Christ is our Lord and savior and his mercy reigns.

Think about all the evil things you've done...then ask yourself if you need forgiveness.
I think I told Silk this..I once peed on a dead squirrel and stared at it for a while, does that count?

[stalkerforlife]

I think I told Silk this..I once peed on a dead squirrel and stared at it for a while, does that count?

Probably not.

[GimmeThat]

the rest of the world should set up sanctions as well as trade tariff against those ignorant aliens.

it'll make all the other none-ignorant none-christian believers that much better off I'm telling ya.


I mean, they are ignorant people. how can you NOT try and protect yourself from them, right?

[outbreak]

I don't understand how people can believe the bible is literal. I get if people want to take it as symbolic and still have their faith, but the ones who try to make out like it is a real historical document despite all the lack of evidence and despite all the contradictions between chapters within the bible itself are crazy. I also don't know how a lot of them decide what parts of the bible they will enforce and follow and what parts they will scrap, I don't know any christians who observe the sabbath, I've met christians with tattoos (worse is people with religious tatoos), I've met christians with long hair (jesus himself is depicted with long hair usually, in fact his name isn't even jesus in the damn bible).

People can believe in what they want and I know most christians I've met don't take the bible literally and don't get all preachy or try to enforce anything but the ones who protest about gay marriage or anything else they disagree with and use the bible as a reason need to go re read the thing. I don't see them stoning disobedient children to death or any of the other crazy punishments in that book. Most probably never read the bible and just know what they've heard preached in church.

But back on your topic when it says 75% of americans does it just mean 75% identify themselves as christians? It seems every celebrity loves to thank god over there no matter how messed up their lives are so I imagine part of that is just people who were raised and told they were christians but aren't actually practising christians.

[joe]

I was raised Catholic. I understand that logically the odds say it is not true. But, to feel my religious upbringing is a good feeling inside of my chest. I am not a zealot, but when things get tough.. it is good to know that God has a plan, that God knows I am fundamentally good, that God will always forgive and understand me. I am not actively religious, however, it is part of my structure and foundation as a person. And I would say it has been positive.

By the way.. I never believe that God loves me at the expense of other people. As in, that God has a personal vendetta against gay people or transgender people or anything. I think that is a twisted use of religion.

[DukeDelonte13]

I was raised Catholic. I understand that logically the odds say it is not true. But, to feel my religious upbringing is a good feeling inside of my chest. I am not a zealot, but when things get tough.. it is good to know that God has a plan, that God knows I am fundamentally good, that God will always forgive and understand me. I am not actively religious, however, it is part of my structure and foundation as a person. And I would say it has been positive.

By the way.. I never believe that God loves me at the expense of other people. As in, that God has a personal vendetta against gay people or transgender people or anything. I think that is a twisted use of religion.


it's more of a cultural identity thing for me.

Like, my great great great great great grandparents were catholic. I'm sure my family's catholicism goes back well over 1,000 years, probably longer. They had masses, funerals, weddings, the same rites that happen today. I don't wanna be that d*ck that breaks the chain because i think i'm smarter than everyone else.

I don't believe in all the little details; just the bigger points, forgiveness, and treating others how you would treat yourself. That's really christianity in a nutshell.

I sometimes eat meat on fridays during lent, i don't go to all the holy days of obligation, i don't go to confession, i don't go to mass every week, i'm just a run of the mill typical catholic. Very very few catholics know all the details and do all the crazy sh*t.

[robert de niro]

I don't believe in all the little details; just the bigger points, forgiveness, and treating others how you would treat yourself. That's really christianity in a nutshell.
no, that's humanity

[GimmeThat]

no, that's humanity


and what is civilization?

to be sure that the world isn't ran solely by the idea of humanity?

[masonanddixon]

Why are you surprised? People are sheep. In all regards of life people want to do whatever everyone is doing or what they are told to do, without any modicum of introspection.

[joe]

it's more of a cultural identity thing for me.

Like, my great great great great great grandparents were catholic. I'm sure my family's catholicism goes back well over 1,000 years, probably longer. They had masses, funerals, weddings, the same rites that happen today. I don't wanna be that d*ck that breaks the chain because i think i'm smarter than everyone else.

I don't believe in all the little details; just the bigger points, forgiveness, and treating others how you would treat yourself. That's really christianity in a nutshell.

I sometimes eat meat on fridays during lent, i don't go to all the holy days of obligation, i don't go to confession, i don't go to mass every week, i'm just a run of the mill typical catholic. Very very few catholics know all the details and do all the crazy sh*t.

My thought has always been, I don't think God would be hung up on the little things. I picture God as wanting us to overall be good people. To improve our goodness and try to fulfill our destiny. And when we fall into bad or evil, I don't think he turns his back on us. I think he understands that we are humans, and we have flaws. He made us, he knows our flaws intricately. Sometimes, I believe you are put into certain circumstances just to learn a lesson, and then your next circumstance will be clearer because of the things you've learned. As time goes, there seems to be a reason for the things I go through.

I also understand that, in my head, I do not fully believe all of this. Is there a plan to life? That seems hard to swallow (no pun intended) when you picture the millions of people without clean water. But I think God would be forgiving of my doubts. I tend to question everything. I think and analyze a lot. It is part of who I am. I think God is paying more attention to the big picture of who we are, and where we are going.