"As a young man Abraham Lincoln rejected religion and questioned the existence of god. He said “The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession.” Such a statement by a modern day politician would surely draw well-funded attack ads and probably bar him from election. Imagine the loss to our country if the radical religious minority of today were as powerful during Lincoln's times!
Yet agnostics, atheists and those who choose not to affiliate with a religious organization now comprise one fifth of the population. In fact we outnumber evangelicals."
It's a sad state of affairs when the prevailing attitude of skepticism among our forefathers, especially those north of the Mason Dixon Line, has been superceded by an attitude of prostration to superstition and long discredited faith based blatherings by avaricious con-men and deluded non-thinkers who believe things because its their heritage or they just emotionally proclaim it because "it feels right" to them. (Yes, I know. I was once one of them to my everlasting chagrin and mystification.)
There's a great segment of our population which has never quite conceded the Civil War. They're absolutely convinced the wrong side won, and they are easily identified through catch phrases like "states rights." When I was in the Moose Lodge, there was an old fart who liked to say, "I have nothing against negroes; I think everybody should own a couple." I don't think he was really kidding.
Whether he was kidding or not. The Bible backs him up. "Exhort servants (slaves) to be obedient unto their own masters" (Titus 2:9). There are plenty of ordinances in the Old Testament regarding slaves. Herbert Arstrong is exemplary. He defended Old Testament slavery as a good thing for some people and clearly identified with British class distinctions.
Plenty of people would like to fight the Civil War all over again and the vast majority are hunkered down in the old south which is the deluded center of the "Bible Belt." They chafe that a "damn niger" is in the White House, but they're usually not going to admit it publicly.
All religions hide behind "good" platitudes and slogans which are defined as godly and some special revelation from a deity.
No they're not.
The same common sense beliefs and goals are to be found in humanism and atheism without the liturgical trappings. Yet, we are vilified as hedonists with no moral compass.
No they're not.
The same common sense beliefs and goals are to be found in humanism and atheism without the liturgical trappings. Yet, we are vilified as hedonists with no moral compass.
It wasn't always so. The non-believers and skeptics were in the majority when our country was founded. Hopefully, in a generation or so, the present trend will be reversed and we will return to our sound minded roots.
