Reflections From a Murky Pond

Liberals and Progressives make a lot of claims about the level and nature of religiosity in America. As can be expected whenever these Leftists make any claim about the nature of America, these are spurious things with little or no grounding in observable fact.

One of their most often made spurious claims is that America is not a Christian nation or that it is no longer a Christian nation.

Back on June 28, 2006, Obama infamously made this a bold and bald statement, though he did nod his head metaphorically to the Christian foundation of America.

Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation – at least, not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.

Now, to plagiarize Obama, let me be clear. In the full context of Obama’s “Call to Renew” speech what he said was neither horrific nor technically factually inaccurate. His lie was one of false equivalency and demanding that a nation be 100% homogenous in order to be something.

US religious Landscape Circa 2008

Christian 78.4%

• Protestant 51.3%
• Catholic 23.9%
• Mormon 1.7%
• Jehovah’s Witness 0.7%
• Orthodox 0.6%
• Other Christian 0.3%

Other Religions 4.7%

• Jewish 1.7%
• Buddhist 0.7%
• Muslim 0.6%
• Hindu 0.4%
• Other world religions < 0.3%
• Other faiths 1.2%

Unaffiliated 16.1%

• Atheist 1.6%
• Agnostic 2.4%
• Nothing in particular 12.1%
  This group is divided between the “secular unaffiliated,” that is, those who say that religion is not important in their lives (6.3%), and the “religious unaffiliated,” that is, those who say that religion is either somewhat important or very important in their lives (5.8%).

Don’t Know / Refused 0.8%

Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation – at least, not just. We are also a Jewish nation (1.7%), a Muslim nation (0.6%), a Buddhist nation (0.7%), and a Hindu nation (0.4%), and a nation of nonbelievers (1.6%). Hence, Obama’s chosen others manage to total 5% of the adult population of America.

One must also consider the fact that a significant percentage of those who are not Christian per se are followers of faiths that are de facto Christian in nature such as the various Unitarians (Other faiths) and many, if not most, of the “religious unaffiliated.” Leaving official denominations and sectarianism aside, at least 80% of America’s population is Christian or so near to be so as to not make a difference.

Like it or not, by both history and statistics, America is a Christian nation. Any claim to contrary is spurious. Non-Christians like myself are statistical outliers in America.

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Most people, at least occasionally, dream of a Utopian future. They dream of the world becoming a better place for themselves, their children, and their children’s children. This is intrinsically good since a better future cannot be made reality without it first being a fantasy.

Is A Utopian Future Possible?

So, my fellow Americans, keep dreaming of a more Utopian future for America. Who knows what dreams may come to if there are enough dreamers dreaming them.

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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author George Will brought down the sarcasm hammer on the Liberals with his apt description of their incessant race-baiting as a form of Tourette Syndrome.

And Mr. Will makes a good point. The Liberals, having neither law nor facts on their side, fell back on “pounding the table.” Yet, this tactic became a pathology among them. An automatic and involuntary response to all dissent and criticism.

And yes! Mr. Will is also right in the cries of racism have become a national joke, proving that even mental illness can have positive societal effects.

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