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Losing Your Religion
Townhall.com ^ | June 22, 2013 | Bill O'Reilly

Posted on 06/22/2013 3:36:12 AM PDT by Kaslin

It was interesting to watch the state of Texas recently pass a law that allows anyone to say the greeting "Merry Christmas" in the state's public schools and buildings. Gov. Rick Perry signed the law saying he wished it wasn't necessary, but, in his opinion, protecting the words "Merry Christmas" has to be done because they are under fire from the freedom-from-religion crew.

America has been heading down the secular road for decades, and a new Gallup poll reinforces that. When asked whether religion is losing its influence on American life, 77 percent said yes. Just 20 percent disagreed.

But another question in the same poll was more instructive: "If more Americans were religious, would that be a positive or a negative for American society?" An astounding 75 percent said it would be positive. Only 17 percent believe it would be negative. Eight percent don't know.

Here's what I know. It is not easy to be religious in a culture that encourages individualism and materialism at the same time. Little children are by nature selfish; they want what they want. They must be taught to be generous and to think about the needs of others.

But many parents do not do that. They don't have time. They are too busy getting stuff for themselves. Thus, the urchins grow up to be selfish and insensitive.

More than 80 percent of Americans describe themselves as "Christian," a philosophy that demands self-sacrifice and loving others as yourself. But that message largely has been lost because it's not a moneymaker, and there is no charismatic Christian leader in sight.

I mean, when was the last time you saw an American religious leader capture the attention of the American public? Billy Graham was the last Christian preacher to have a national following.

My own religion, Roman Catholicism, is in steep decline in this country. Many churches are half-empty on Sundays, especially in the big cities. The priest scandals seriously damaged the moral authority of the church, but for the faithful, the problem goes far beyond that.

Last Sunday, I took my two children to mass, and we had a priest from Nigeria. He's a nice man, but you can't understand him unless you're from Nigeria, which my family is not. So we sat there for almost 20 minutes while the priest spoke about Jesus from the pulpit. I did recognize the name Jesus but little else. My kids slipped into comas.

Religious leaders have an obligation to spread the good word. How many of them are doing that effectively?

If you believe the Gallup poll, Americans want a religious nation because they know a strong moral foundation brings much more freedom than a free-fire zone of self-absorbed behavior. Once upon a time, most Americans did not have to lock their doors or watch their children every second of the day. Now, drug addiction and other destructive behaviors have driven crime and degeneracy into almost every American neighborhood. Religion opposes self-destruction and criminal activity. It is sinful. It does not lead to prosperity in this world or the next.

Communicated in the right way, Judeo-Christian philosophy and the religions that uphold it bind a citizenry together in pursuit of a just and generous society. That is the spirit that most Americans admire and want to reignite. But we need some leaders to light up the pathway.

Where are they?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: christianity; faithandfamily; judeochristianvalues; morality; religion; religiousleaders; romancatholicism
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To: beef

“Just curious - is this car club for any particular make or model? “

Mustangs. Originally, all the members had pre-’70’s. But now there are only a handful of us old timers and most members have exotic (400 plus HP) post 2007 models.

Ironically, I never drive my gas car as I am unemployed and it cost 12-15 dollars to drive it into town and back. I have a Jetta TDI as my daily driver. Forty miles equals $3.75.

Frankly, I’m only keeping the gas car because Obama will eventually leave office and the price will probably drop.


21 posted on 06/22/2013 5:55:39 AM PDT by Gen.Blather
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To: Gen.Blather

I thought maybe it was a Prius club or something. Enjoy your Mustang!


22 posted on 06/22/2013 6:20:50 AM PDT by beef (Who Killed Kennewick Man?)
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To: Gen.Blather

Don’t cave. Be polite, but NEVER give an inch on your Christian beliefs. And don’t give a millimeter to those advocating secularism.


23 posted on 06/22/2013 6:24:46 AM PDT by Bryan24 (When in doubt, move to the right..........)
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To: beef

“I thought maybe it was a Prius club or something. Enjoy your Mustang!”

How ironic. This lady has a Prius and a Ford (something) electric. She sold her classic Mustang convertible as it wasn’t green. She’s still a club member, so I don’ know if she has bought a new Mustang. Money is not an issue and she can afford any amount of toys. The new Mustangs get good mileage in comparison to cars of yesteryear with comparable acceleration.


24 posted on 06/22/2013 6:27:04 AM PDT by Gen.Blather
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To: WorkingClassFilth
Truly, the more I come to know God, the less religious I become. In fact, “religion” today is completely unimportant to me.

Exactly. Religion can be kept on the shelf. I'll keep my relationship with Ha-Mashiach Yeshua, which translated is Jesus Christ.



25 posted on 06/22/2013 6:45:51 AM PDT by rdb3 (Be aware that when it hits the fan, it won't be evenly spread.)
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To: Tax-chick

I see that even where I am up. I invited a very nice Catholic girl out for dinner two weeks ago.

I get an email back today saying she has work and whatnot that she has to do and that she wants to meet again as friends.

*ugh*

I’m not looking for a friend. I’m looking for a wife. There’s precious few young women at my parish, and from what I can see, I’m the only single man there. :(


26 posted on 06/22/2013 7:35:12 AM PDT by JCBreckenridge (Un Pere, Une Mere, C'est elementaire)
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To: JCBreckenridge
she wants to meet again as friends

Oh, dear.

27 posted on 06/22/2013 8:04:34 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Does Bill have a job yet?)
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To: Kaslin

I remember seeing a billboard, once that said “freedom of religion does not mean freedom from religion”.

IMO, that’s wrong. Freedom of religion most definitely does mean freedom from religion - meaning that every free individual right has as much right to choose to not have a religion as to choose the religion of his choice.

But freedom from religion means you may not be forced to be a member of a religion, or to engage in any religious practice. What it does not mean is freedom from exposure to the sight of other people freely exercising their own religions.

You have a right to not engage in religious activities. You do not have a right to forbid others from engaging in religious activities in your presence.


28 posted on 06/22/2013 2:20:30 PM PDT by jdege
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To: rdb3

Amen.


29 posted on 06/22/2013 10:29:52 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: WorkingClassFilth

Agree entirely. Ravi Zacharias has said that when the man in the pulpit fails the message the church dies. It is easy to discern what a pastor believes by what he is saying. It is much more difficult to discern what he REALLY believes by what he is NOT saying. When there isn’t room for the truth in the pulpit the entire effort is a waste of time. For everybody.


30 posted on 06/23/2013 1:10:11 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: WorkingClassFilth

Good post!


31 posted on 06/23/2013 2:45:43 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: beef
Just curious - is this car club for any particular make or model?

Jump in and find out.

We DO have the usual contingent of Ford vs Chevy guys; but they are harmless for the most part.

We used to have some very vocal Checker owners; but when they found out their cars were bits and pieces of other makes, an awful lot of them decided to walk when they found their cars resale value was a bit on the low side.

32 posted on 06/23/2013 2:49:31 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Bryan24
And don’t give a millimeter to those advocating secularism.

And take BACK the ground given up to FALSE religions!

33 posted on 06/23/2013 2:50:46 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: JCBreckenridge
I’m not looking for a friend. I’m looking for a wife. There’s precious few young women at my parish, and from what I can see, I’m the only single man there. :(


And cookies; too!

34 posted on 06/23/2013 3:57:53 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: JCBreckenridge

35 posted on 06/23/2013 3:59:03 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

I *am* on the dark side.


36 posted on 06/23/2013 7:01:50 AM PDT by JCBreckenridge (Un Pere, Une Mere, C'est elementaire)
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To: Gen.Blather
Sometimes, and this may be the time, we have to take a stand. I was showing property to a client from CA and he was complaining about all the trees that we Oregonians "slaughter". We had had a few political discussions over the phone in the past and he was a very liberal lawyer who ridiculed me repeatedly about being conservative.

So after he made that remark, I turned to him and said slaughter? don't you think that term is better used for what we have done for the last 40 years to the tune of 50 million babies? America "slaughters" her babies, Oregonians "harvest" their trees!

Needless to say we got in our separate cars and never spoke to nor saw each other again. I gave up a paycheck and it felt really good!!

37 posted on 06/23/2013 7:53:02 AM PDT by thirst4truth (www.Believer.com)
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To: Gen.Blather

“This lady has a Prius and a Ford (something) electric. She sold her classic Mustang convertible”

She is just there then to be a PITA. Tell her if she dosen’t like Christmas she can to go F herself.


38 posted on 06/23/2013 3:12:31 PM PDT by beef (Who Killed Kennewick Man?)
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To: thirst4truth

Good for you!


39 posted on 06/23/2013 8:02:05 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Tax-chick
In Tulsa, we had priests from Nigeria, Tanzania, India, and Sri Lanka. They spoke English I could understand.

Should be only minor differences in the pronunciation of Latin from one African and Asian country to the next :<).

Hadn't spoken to you about this previously, other than in general about Hispanic neighbors and religious affiliations, but it turns out the girl with whom our kids have been playing belongs to a denomination called Iglesia De Dios Israelita. Most interesting the little I have found to read about it. Seems to be somewhat of a Jewish-Christian hybrid, although they think of themselves as C not J. Very orthodox, I guess, and seem to strictly observe Old Testament food rules and such. I read that the individuals in Mexico sort of slant one way or the other depending on whether they are rural or city, the country ones being more to the Christian side in choice of hymns and so forth. Oh, and the family has both a bunny rabbit and a parakeet, and I spent a couple hours this weekend procuring proper cages for each. We told them they can come over any time (I mean the people -- the pets, too).

Well, buenas noches in Hebrew, I guess.

40 posted on 06/23/2013 8:41:06 PM PDT by steve86 (Acerbic by Nature, not Nurture™)
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