themadpooper

All this anti god bothering, I do wonder why those who have such a problem with religion chose to move to a country where religion is obviously far more prevalent than the UK. I think some people should learn a bit of tolerance for those who have a faith and keep their sanctimonious opinions about religion to themselves

moneypenny20

I have no issues with people believing what the hell they like. The point is, those beliefs have absolutely no place in government or the running of a country. The US is a secular society, religion should be kept behind closed doors.

themadpooper

Yeah, that's Trump well and truly trolled

The notion Trump had even heard of him last week

The left wing British media and no mark politicians still piggy backing off Trump's name for attention is pure cringe. I'd love for Trump to win just to see the UK establishment have to grovel to him cap in hand, it would be hilarious to see

themadpooper

No offense, but as a foreigner as I'm assuming you are, you have no right to preach how the country should be. The US is fundamentally a religious country and politicians have a responsibility to reflect this, in the same way they have a responsibility to reflect the country's diversity which presumably people like you applaud

moneypenny20

People like me? You know precisely zero about me. The USA is a secular society. No ifs buts or maybes about it therefore religion has no place in how government works. Politicians who make governmental decisions which affect the entire country should not be making their decisions based on what they believe their particular god may be telling them.

Nutmegger

That's about akin to saying you'd like your own house to burn to the ground because it would really tick your neighbor off to live next door to a burned-out shell.

Jerseygirl

I don't think I've ever heard a speech by a US politician without God being brought into it. Quite frankly it makes me want to heave. Separation of church and state indeed.

Giantaxe

Trump is so unaware of the world, I am sure you are right. He has heard of him now though:

"Sadiq Khan dismisses Donald Trump's Muslim ban 'exception'"

Sadiq Khan dismisses Donald Trump's Muslim ban 'exception' - BBC News

Leslie

Anybody who supports Donald Trump needs their ****ing head examined.

dakota44

And those religious types should keep their sanctimonious opinions out of everyone elses lives.

SultanOfSwing

Religion is just as prevalent in the UK as it is here, depending on what region you visit. Have you ever been to Northern Ireland, for example? The obvious issues aside, religion is rampant there, I am one of reasonably few outright atheists among those from back home I still keep in contact with. Actually, on my arsebook feed, most of the religious posts come from that group, if you can believe it.

Anyway, that's not the point that is being made. People are free to believe what they want, or not to believe if they so choose, all covered by the First Amendment (which also covers our right to criticize religion too, so you need to get over that). I don't care what someone does on their own time, in their own private life at all. It's when people start to use their fairytales to dictate the lives of everybody that it becomes a problem (planned parenthood, abortion rights, LGBT rights etc).

You're a foreigner too, as am I and the majority of people here. Just because I naturalized doesn't change the fact that I was born overseas. Whether Moneypenny lives in the US or not is irrelevant, as the actions of the US affect the wider world anyway.

Wouldn't you agree with me that the theocratic states in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, the wonderful human rights paradise where being an atheist gets you 1,000 lashes, are utterly out-of-control crazy? Or that sharia law is a joke? Well, a regressive, oppressive set of laws based on christian dogma is no different. It's the same god, with a different accent and slightly less obviously frothing-mad supporters, but the madness is there.

The US was founded on the principal of the separation of church and state and that is what the government of this country has a duty to uphold. The First Amendment grants freedom of religious expression - i.e. it includes all religions and it also allows for apostates and non-believers to enjoy the same freedom. In short - a secular society as pointed out. Not a pretend one like Turkey has, but a real secular society where the interests of all citizens and lawful residents are taken into account. Allowing women to have abortions doesn't mean everybody has to have one, so the christians can choose not to. But putting a mother's health at risk, or forcing someone to give birth to an unwanted baby who then might suffer abuse and neglect surely goes against everything that Jesus stood for, doesn't it? Back when I thought I was a christian, I was taught that Jesus wanted us to love our neighbour. Surely telling someone that they can't get married and enjoy the same benefits that everyone else gets from marriage simply because of what sex they are attracted to is the exact opposite of loving your neighbour?

Here's what Jesus had to say about homosexuality, by the way:
.

Teaching about evolution and the big bang theory in science classes is not going to hurt the religious. If someone wants to plug their ears to reality and live in ignorance - just don't take biology or physics. Simple as that.

The US is not a christian nation, it just has a lot of christians who live in it. The founding fathers were not explicitly christian either, many of them may have been deists but they were by and large very secular and founded the US based on those principles. Thomas Jefferson would be spinning in his grave if he saw what the religious right was trying to do to the country he and his associates fought so hard to build from the ruins of the Revolutionary War.

Here is a quote from conservative Barry Goldwater on the potential stranglehold the religious right on the Republican Party:

“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.”

scrubbedexpat099

I have not noticed any major difference religious wise. Not in daily life.

dc koop

Why would the UK establishment feel it's necessary to grovel cap in hand to Trump at any time ?

sir_eccles

The UK is much more religious. There is even a law that dictates that the head of state is a particular religion.

RoadWarriorFromLP

Time for a BE quiz.

Who should we believe: A rather dim bulb on the interwebs...

...or the US Constitution?