Welcome Lonelynight. :)Genetic_Code

Welcome aboard, it's good to have you here!

Should "In God We Trust" be removed from U.S. currency?

No, they can keep it on the money, so long as they don't try to use that as an example of why we are a Christian nation.

Should the words "under God" be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance?

No, but considering the fact that that section was not even added until the Cold War, saying those words should not ever be cumpulsory.

Should creationism be taught in public schools? If so, what subject should it fall under?

It can be taught in schools as long as it's not presented as science. Mythology, folklore, or philosphy would be more appropriate subject headings.

Should marriage be defined by religion and not by the government?

Absolutely not. If it's to have legal recognition, then it needs to be defined by the government.

Should public officials be chosen based on religion?

Choosing an official based on religion is an irresponsible way to vote, as one's religious affiliation has nothing to do with their ability to lead (although it may affect some of the decisions they make depending on how deeply they hold those beliefs and are willing to be guided by them), but ultimately that decision is up to the voter. Heck, if the voter wants, he/she can make all voting decisions based on candidates' fashion sense.

Does the term "freedom of religion" include "freedom from religion"?

Yes, a person should have the right to practice his or her own religion, but by the same token, should not have to have others' beliefs forced upon them.

Hello to all,

My name is Josh, I'm 29, and I live in the Philly area. I was raised fundamentalist/evangelical christian and remained blissfully so for many years. I was even the protestant layleader for our platoon in boot camp. Then one day about a year out of the Corps, I found myself laid off and bored and I rented David Attenborough's BBC special on evolution. I watched the entire four hours and was left with a major chink in my "armor of faith". What I saw made so much sense and gave logical answers for problems I had with Creationism. This started a chain reaction of deep introspection and asking myself, "If this aspect of the bible cannot possibly be taken literally, what else is figurative at best? What else does not make any sense at all?"

Gradually I began to question the basic tenets of the religion (ie the grand plan and purpose of humanity, the existence of hell, satan, etc, and finally the existence of Jesus and god). I eventually came to the conclusion that christianity as a religion was invalid, and by extension so were Judaism and Islam, as they pull from the same sources. Further cementing my rejection of christianity was the realization of just how many millions of people have been slaughtered, tortured, displaced, etc. in the name of God and that if there is a God, he/she/it/they simply allowed it to happen. It didn't matter who was really right or if what they believed was valid; all that mattered was which side had the will, the numbers, and the technology to kill the other. Now I bounce between atheism and agnosticism (I'd like to believe in a higher power, but I often think there's nobody piloting the ship).

I do admit that I am more than a bit unfair to the religious people, becuase if I find that they are christian, I automatically assume a lower intelligence, especially if they take the bible literally, but I can't help myself. Perhaps I should accept the fact that I have to have just as much faith to believe in science as they do to believe in God. It's just that I like to have testable, verifyable, reproducable evidence to support my beliefs.

Maybe I'm just bitter. Well, enough digression; I'm happy to be here and look forward to the discussions