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[Aerie]

While I am an atheist, I still practice a religion, and to see nonreligious people make sweeping attacks against religions is just as offensive, bigoted, and destructive as seeing a zealous theist attacking everyone that doesn't adhere to his own religious beliefs.

Please show some respect for the religious or nonreligious beliefs of others, as long as they are not used to attack others, and keep in mind that not all religious organizations are hateful.

[Scelly9]

While I am an atheist, I still practice a religion, and to see nonreligious people make sweeping attacks against religions is just as offensive, bigoted, and destructive as seeing a zealous theist attacking everyone that doesn't adhere to his own religious beliefs.

Catholic priests aren't a religion, though.

[kaenneth]

My thought about catholic priests is this:

If you are raised catholic, you are expected to get married and have lots of kids, unless you are a priest.

So If you are a man who is not interested in having sex with women (gay and/or pedophile), the only way you can avoid having to deal with hairy vaginas, and still be a member of the community you were raised in, is to become a priest. You also may try to become a priest to try and atone for your 'sinful' thoughts.

So, by priests being forbidden to marry, they become the 'dumping ground' for all the sexual 'misfits' who are trying to conceal/cope with/atone for their natural instincts. And then sometimes they err and lose control. Then they get help covering up from other priests, who while they might not have erred themselves, have their own 'sinful' urges and so are sympathetic.

So, while Catholics may not have more molesters-per-capita overall, the expectation for priests to not have a normal sex life causes all the deviants to concentrate in the clergy. They don't go into the priesthood to get opportunities for sex, they did it to try and avoid it.

[scriver]

@Aerie - It wasn't all religion being challenged, it was just the Catholic Catholicism - an organisation that repeatedly and throughout the world has shown themself more willing to hide and protect pedophile priests - who they have actually known to be child abusers - rather than their victims.

[Loud Whispers]

While I am an atheist, I still practice a religion, and to see nonreligious people make sweeping attacks against religions is just as offensive, bigoted, and destructive as seeing a zealous theist attacking everyone that doesn't adhere to his own religious beliefs.

I don't really see the point in repeating what ninjas before me have said still, but what if I told you that *shock horror* not everyone criticizing religion... Is not following one! That any of us (no kudos for guessing whom) can be religious and still find certain aspects of religion to be dumbfounding?
Rather odd. And in terms of offensiveness (which is rather subjective in any case - pointing out disturbing facts that accused and convicted are lent the support of the world's largest religion is a retelling of facts) the statement was not that the actions of few condemn the actions of all who ascribe to a certain philosophy, it was clearly aimed at the perpetrators.

[Leafsnail]

Now, if only we can get catholic priests banned from being in public in any capacity...

Hey guys, let's attack religion for no good reason!

Comon you are quoting a joke!  It's not even a particularly offensive one.  It's one thing to start a fight over an actual dumb comment but this is just pointless.

[Andrew425]

Regarding the Nirth Klurian missile, I'm reminded of that Nuclear Warfare 101 thing someone mentioned (this).

That was an interesting read.

I can see why the USSR and the U.S. had massive stockpiles of nukes. I think I want to build a bomb shelter now though...

I'm not sure I completely agree with his rationale that nuclear weapons make countries saner. If this is the case wouldn't they get freaked out if a country could build a anti missle system with a 50% block rate?

So if north Korea really wants to fight the western world nuclearly they would need 10, 000 nukes just to ensure that we wouldn't be around. With only 5 nukes and no reliable way of shooting them they aren't protecting themselves with nukes rather they are going to realize how woefully unprepared they are. Which might either make them saner or make Their glorious leader even crazier

[Scoops Novel]

To rerail somewhat, how is religion faring in America, as much in devoutness as respective followings. In the UK the census states that 25% or thereabouts are atheists, which I'm going to presume is made up of young people for the nonce, and whilst I don't exactly think that the US is having such a pronounced shift, i am curious as to whether it's becoming increasingly noticeable.

[Aerie]

A 2012 study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life reports:

The number of Americans who do not identify with any religion continues to grow at a rapid pace. One-fifth of the U.S. public – and a third of adults under 30 – are religiously unaffiliated today, the highest percentages ever in Pew Research Center polling.

In the last five years alone, the unaffiliated have increased from just over 15% to just under 20% of all U.S. adults. Their ranks now include more than 13 million self-described atheists and agnostics (nearly 6% of the U.S. public), as well as nearly 33 million people who say they have no particular religious affiliation (14%).

Just keep in mind that "atheist" does not mean "non-religious." Buddhism is probably the most oft-cited example of an atheistic religion, and there are Christians who are atheist (following the teachings of Jesus, but not believing that God exists as an entity or force.)

[kaijyuu]

I see the Agnostic Agenda is spreading. Mwahaha~

[Max White]

Isn't Agnostic and Atheist the same thing most of the time? As in most atheists are agnostic atheist, as opposed to the some what interesting position of gnostic atheist?
Also, isn't 'they have no particular religious affiliation' the same as agnostic atheist, just not knowing the terminology?

[Leafsnail]

Those are two cans of worms that should remain forever sealed.

[kaijyuu]

The colloquial definitions are somewhat muddled (hence the warnings about opening cans of worms). One thing you can be certain of though is anyone identifying as an atheist rejects all established religions, while agnostics might reject them and might not.

As for "unaffiliated" vs "agnostic," agnostics logically come to the conclusion of "I can't know," while unaffiliated haven't thought about it and lazily come to the conclusion of "I don't know." Essentially the same conclusion, in practice. 

[Frumple]

To the latter question, no. It's pretty possible to self-describe as an unaffiliated Christian, ferex, I'd say. Would just mean you don't align yourself as, say, Protestant or Catholic or whatever. Not connected to a religious structure, but still spiritually inclined.

'Course, you'd have to ask either the polling group or the people answer the polls what the blazes they meant by unaffiliated, if you actually wanted to know from their side of the story.

Those are two cans of worms that should remain forever sealed.

And that. At least drag it over to a religion thread, I guess.

[Jervill]

To answer Novel's question, religious affiliation is dropping overall last I checked.  Most people will just say "Non-religious" or not practicing because of how stigmatized the word "Atheist" is.  It was somewhere around 12% Unaffiliated last I checked (I may have confused that number with my state's, it may be lower.)