Report On 'Nones': In U.S., Ranks Of Those Who Don't Identify With A Religion Are Growing -- Courant.com

The Hartford Courant reports on a study by Trinity College on the people that don't consider themselves part of an established religion. The conclusion of the study is that this segment of the population will continue to grow. I agree, but not as much as the study believes.

The study finds the most "Nones," defined as "the irreligious, the unreligious, the anti-religious and the anti-clerical," in the 18-29 year old range and conclude this will lead to equally big increases in the future because this age bracket will indoctrinate their children with their lack of belief. I know from experience this conclusion is flawed.

When I was between the ages of 18-29, I was a Deist. I did not attend any church and was skeptical of any faith. I did read books that explained different world religions but never from a believers standpoint. Yet in my thirties, I became a Christian.

I think many of today's Nones will eventually find a faith, though not necessarily any of the great world religions. I believe we are hard-wired for faith and so eventually become part of one. I would include atheism as faith - a faith that God does not exist.

The media today portrays faiths, especially Christianity and Islam, only at the extremes. The Muslim is too often seen as a hate crazed jihadist, while the Christian is too often seen as the anti-intellectual, narrow-minded, bigoted zealot. These portraits of the faithful is bound to turn off the unbeliever from even investigating a religion.

We have a need to belong that sports now fills for many in America. Perhaps the biggest worship services take place in the fall in football stations nationwide. Many sports fans are true worshipers, falling in adoration at the feet of their favorite sports star.

Those that believe in God need to rebel against the media and sports. We need to insist that a balanced view of the faithful be on the news and pundit shows. We must provide a place to belong, not in competition with sports, but in addition to. Belonging must provide benefits and obligations, rewards and challenges. America has been dumbing down religion for too long. Now, we must use mind and body to bring the gift of faith to Americans. Moderates of all faiths have been silent too long. Speak up!

Photo by Joe Shlabotnik

Dawkins on Evolution

In this video,Richard Dawkins primarily talks about evolution. At the very end, he acknowledges something that is seldom heard on television: the admission that sensible Christians believe in evolution. I would state this a different way: mainstream Christians believe in evolution.

To demand that one believes that God created the universe as stated in Genesis puts human limitations on God. The message of Genesis is we are God's creation. The mechanism of creation in scientific terms was not available to the Genesis writers. Why limit God to the world view of the writers of this ancient text? Modern Christians understand that God is not limited by either time or space. What are eons to humans may well be all one to God.

The media tends to present only the most conservative representatives of Christianity: anti-evolution, anti-gay, anti-Obama, and anti-government. Such conservatives provide the inflammatory sound bites that the media love so much, but they provide only a caricature of Christianity. I would challenge the media to provide true representatives of mainstream Christianity and any other faith.

Richard Dawkins says one thing I totally disagree with in this video. Priests get their beliefs from the Bible, biologists get their beliefs from facts. No one can know the basis of another's belief, not even Dawkins. Yes, for many Christians the Bible plays a key role. For others, faith comes the evidence of changed lives or a personal experience with God. Only the most conservative Christians would say their belief depends only on the Bible.

Christianity is a complex faith founded on a simple command: Love God and love your neighbor. Far too many Christians interviewed by the media or selected as religious pundits are on the fringes of the faith. As the great faiths of the world intersect more and more, it is important that the mainstream of each be portrayed accurately.

MSNBC: Males Superior No Broad Capable

I have decided to stop watch MSNBC and NBC news because of their news coverage of the Clinton-Obama campaign. The final straw came when Chris Matthews stated that the red phone ad was racist, aimed at white moms with sleeping children who would fear a black man. Never in my wildest imagination when I saw that ad did I ever think of that. I only thought of foreign policy and Barack Obama 's inexperience. I have come to believe that the media is driving the search for racism everywhere and anywhere. Don't get me wrong, I live in Texas, and there is plenty of racism left here, but that is no excuse for such wild flights of fancy as take place on MSNBC.

The main talking point is that Senator Clinton will never catch Senator Obama in pledged delegate votes, so she cannot win the nomination. What they usually leave out is the fact that Senator Obama cannot win enough pledged delegate votes to win the nomination either. Both nominees will need the so-called super delegates. By the way, the Democratic Party is not a branch of government, the Party can decide to select its candidate in any manner it chooses. The commentators need to cool the rhetoric about the process being undemocratic. As long as the party rules are followed the process is fair.

Finally, I have grown weary of how women are treated by NBC. The only women newsreaders are right leaning, uninformed blondes. One dismissed the issue of experience between Obama and Clinton as what does it matter they are the same. We may argue about exactly how much experience each has, but Senator Clinton had been in the Senate longer and met with more international leaders. There is a difference. How much it matters can be argued, but she does have more experience, if for no other reason than she has lived longer. I dare NBC to acknowledge that. Intelligent women are not allowed to speak unless they agree with the male commentator. Chris Matthews has steamrolled his women guests for years. I won't even go into what I think of Keith Olberman and his treatment of Senator Clinton.

I have stopped watching NBC news because if MSNBC can be so unbalanced, the the values of NBC news are suspect. In addition,I have always thought there was something lacking in a news channel that ceases to do the news on weekends and instead relies on docufillers. I firmly believe that NBC's motto is Males Superior No Broad Capable. By the way, B doesn't really stand for broad, it stands for b****( rhymes with itch). Eventually, someone at NBC will look at demographics and realize they are driving women viewers away. I hope it happens soon.

Photo by chetlyzarko