[GroovyShamrock]

I must say I'm really intrigued by the nature of some of the debates on this forum... I'm not directing this against anyone, far from it! It's just an observation. Judging by some of the posts, it seems that the USA (and maybe Canada and Australia?) are still fairly "christianised", whereas in the UK or at least in France there is really a sense of living in a secularised, post-Christian world.
For example, a lot of points on this forum are debated with the help of verses from the Bible - which is something that is no longer done here, where religious texts are usually no longer thought to be inspired by most of the population, and where Christians (and other people in organised religions) have thus shifted to a different strategy of apologetics (and tend to use philosophical, ethical, scientific etc. arguments instead). So here are my questions:

Do what extent do you think that the USA (and Canada, Australia, NZ, etc...) are still Christian or christianised countries?
Atheists/agnostics/etc, do you think your countries are secular enough? Would you like them to be more secular?
Christians, do you think your countries are becoming too secular? Do you want your nations to stay Christian?

(I'm not being provocative or anything, I'm genuinely interested by everyone's opinion. I've been doing research about secularisation, the importance of religion in secularised/secularising societies, the links between religion and political conservatism, etc. And concerning the objectivity of the issue, I don't fit neatly in either of the two categories so I'm not biased towards any of the two religious/philosophical standpoints.)

[mutton]

I'm a Christian who sees my nation (U.S.) as more Christian flavored than actually Christian in nature. It's like tofu cheese: it's not real cheese, it just sort of tastes like it (if you've never had real cheese before). Sure, I'd like to live in a true Christian nation, but they don't exist. Argument can be made against the U.S. ever having been one.

Really: it's more talk than anything else over here. Don't be too fooled by it.

[skycloud86]

I think there is a very strong Christian faith in the US, especially in the more conservative areas (although this is based on my personal observation more than anything else). However, I also think that it is dwindling and in a couple of decades, the US will be much more secular.

I think the UK is wonderfully secular, although we need to remove some aspects of religion out of schools and government. I have no problem with people being religious, but I would rather have a secular society and government rather than one which is biased towards one religion.

[NotSoRighteousRob]

sometimes I think the u.s. mixes up Christians with republicans...

[josephlouthan]

I think for the US to slip into secularism is the best the thing to happen to American Christianity in the history of American Christianity. It will start to weed out who is and is not a Christian. Already, you are seeing people falling away from the faith (which I would argue that they, personally, didn't have to begin with).

While only God can truly judge our hearts, I know for a fact that we have way too many people claiming the name of Christ and only playing church on Sundays. It is way too easy to fake Christianity in America.

Listen, I am not saying I am better than anyone else. I read Matthew 13:30 and I pray that I am not a weed but a wheat:

Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.

[Saboteur]

I think for the US to slip into secularism is the best the thing to happen to American Christianity in the history of American Christianity. It will start to weed out who is and is not a Christian. Already, you are seeing people falling away from the faith (which I would argue that they, personally, didn't have to begin with).

While only God can truly judge our hearts, I know for a fact that we have way too many people claiming the name of Christ and only playing church on Sundays. It is way too easy to fake Christianity in America.

Listen, I am not saying I am better than anyone else. I read Matthew 13:30 and I pray that I am not a weed but a wheat:

Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.

I agree with your first paragraph in that we need to be more secular, but I disagree with your reasons for wanting it to be so.

I chortle at everything thereafter, not because I find it funny but to keep myself from being utterly disturbed.

"Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned..."?

Yeah, @#$! you very much. I hope you're bound in bundles and burned, too. How does that sound?

[ByronicSisyphe]

I travel the states almost religiously due to my career, whim, and lifestyle. The states are in fact, very "Christianized". Not only are there many followers of the faith, but Christian morals have found a way to indoctrinate themselves into law and culture. I suppose this has happened to most of the western world however.

I believe it would be better for the US and the world, if the States decided to truly go secular. I believe there would be more peace, and personnel liberties granted over-all (nationally & Internationally). Will this ever happen? Perhaps in the far future, but I don't see it happening in the next decade.

[Shikamaru]

How would you like to be @#$%ing burned? ROFL

I dont' think America is becoming more "secular" in the sense of anti-spiritual, maybe less Christian overall, but I think a lot of the Christian exodus to skepticism is due to the corruption within Christianity itself rather than some kind of inherent irrationality. I think people are actually coming back to faith in general in a more aware and inclusive, maybe even enlightened way. Anyway, I see Atheism as a corrective for religion, not as an end of it. (especially considering that in America this exodus to Atheism statistically has the course of only a single generation before a return to faith) Europe had corruption in religion much longer than America in some sense, so I don't think it is surprising that it has been secular for a while. I think, however, there is a resurgence of faith beginning in Europe overall, I know it is the case in both Eastern Europe and China though some of those countries being entirely antagonistic to religion in the past.

[Lucretius]

I have high hopes that America will continue to let go of religion.

[Ungweliante]

I have high hopes that America will continue to let go of religion.

Come now, Az. Religion has many great qualities.

Although I guess we do define them differently


To answer the OP, I would like Finland to delve more deeply into the world of wisdom. I also think that religion can provide the means for that, by cultivating a person's inner view of the world. Ultimately, all wisdom comes from within.