When people spend more time debating about religion’s place in government, or even whether or not the United States of America is considered a Christian nation or not (despite, say, the constitution not mentioning God, saying there can’t be a test for public offices, and a document outright saying it’s not a Christian nation), this time of year leads to one of the biggest controversies in a sense that people get all bent out of shape about: “Happy Holidays” over “Merry Christmas”
Now when you really think about it, one has to wonder — exactly why is it that people complain? In December there’s Chanukah (Hanukkah), Advent, New Years Eve, some even say Kwanzaa and Festivus, winter solstice — and Christmas (and probably a number more holidays). When someone says “happy holidays” they’re including every holiday in December, for every person and whatever beliefs they may have. When they say “Merry Christmas” they’re leaving out all the holidays but one. Yet people think that “happy holidays” is an attack against Christianity — when it’s really an attack on everything but Christianity.
Just as with everything in life, it’s all based on perceptions.
OK…. so here lately seeing all these so-called accurate studies on what religions people are (some basing the entire USA on…. wait for it…. 1000 people!), and others saying people are really, really religious! They’re going to church every single week (despite people monitoring the actual church attendance showing otherwise)! And some even show that people are so religious that they all believe the same things (despite some not believing the bible, and some thing Jesus was made up [yet they're "Christian"])…
We’ve decided to do an actual study. That’s right… and actual one. One that we want everyone in the world (USA Mainly) to fill out. Or at least the more the better. Now while we don’t want to ask for any really confidential information, we will ask for some things (and store your IP address) to try and keep them somewhat unique. What we mean is this: we’ll accept 10 million responses from the same IP, but in the end, we’ll provide results from unique IP addresses as well (so you’ll only be counted once).
Given the complexity of this poll, we can’t use any standard plugin. So we’re using our own form to do it. Now it’s still us (see the url), it just won’t have the same “blog format” as this and all other pages here have.
Why is this here on a political like blog? Simple. People all over are saying how the United States is a “Christian” nation (constitution, etc saying otherwise), and want all our laws based on it. But as it’s said: religion running a government is only good if it’s your religion.
So please, help us and your fellow world people out! Answer the questions at our poll. And please, digg us or any of the other standard “digging” based things! The more people that fill this out, the more accurate it’ll be.
*NOTE: The poll is still in development, so stay tuned for now *
Here lately I’ve seem some very disturbing things online. Very disturbing doesn’t even start to describe how bad it can play out. Apparently Palin has gathered a religious following of people saying she being chosen to run for vice president is the will of god, and she’s there to carry out his will. Now despite her apparently saying that the war in Iraq is god’s will, and that a new oil pipeline is god’s will…. it’s disturbing to think that people want a “religious leader” type of figure in the office to put the country on the right track.
It’s disturbing as not everyone in the country agrees on religious beliefs (not everyone attending the same church will believe the same on everything for that matter). And the thought of a person saying everything is “god’s will” is just another way of saying “you can’t blame me, I’m following orders!”
I fear what the country would be like if everything we do is justified as being “god’s will” — there’s a number of people in the world that think we’re trying to force our beliefs on them enough as it is — dropping a bomb, then including a bible in the food we give them certainly won’t help.
[note: with the exception of two things stated that Palin apparently said based on other sites, the rest is just extrapolation]
