Why are some Americans so afraid of Religion

Religous symbols should not scare anyone. I am not a religous man but people should embrace these symbols and messages. They are all up in arms that the mayor is lighting a menorah here in Nashville. Or if they sing a carol in a public school.

In most mainstream religions they promote peace and charity yet people are afraid of them and lash out. I just don't get it.

 

You prejudiced your own question by assuming that the symbol opponents are "afraid."

 

It's PC run wild. I have a feeling no one is really "afraid" or "deeply offended", some just want something to bitch about. Period.

 

just an observation on the reaction to holiday symbols. And yes, I would say they are 'afraid'. Offended is just saying I am afraid. Just like people are 'offended' by gay people. No you are just afraid. Not sure about what but they are afraid.

 

I don't think it's fear, it's a lack of tolerance for other's.

 

I think intolerance & hate are based on fear. Fear of having one's own beliefs trumped by someone else's. Unreasonable fear of being influenced by something different. Fear of what one doesn't understand.

I also think some people fear religions--& therefore also religious symbols--because of all the awful things that have been done in the name of religion. Religion is just another excuse for some people to justify their hostilities. The Crusades & modern Islamic terrorism are just 2 of many, many examples.

People in general need to learn to chill & have a little mutual respect. I have no problem with people expressing & enjoying their own treasured symbols & traditions. I'd just like to have the same respect shown to mine.

 

on the flip side, why do people care so much about public displays of religion? i mean, you can't complain that people are irrationally opposed to religious symbols and then defend those who are irrationally attached to religious symbols.

this is religion we're talking about here -- "what's the big deal?" is the last argument that's going to work.

 

Good point.

FWIW, I have no problem with public displays that are privately sponsored. I do occasionally wonder what the neighborhood response might be--in any generic American neighborhood--to something like, say, a pagan/Wiccan lighted holiday display in someone's yard--with pentagrams, god & goddess figures, that kind of thing.

 

Folks would be up in arms is what would happen. Lots of people espouse that freedom of religion thing as long as it's THEIR religion.

 

I disagree with all the anal hostility to anything remotely perceived as religious, so I might be off the mark... all I can think of is, that open religious displays are seen as paving the way for discrimination and abuse based on the same. Kind of like the gateway theory against marijuana; it's not really deadly, just bad for you, and could easily lead to more potent and dangerous things.

There do exist those "crusading" atheists who want anything remotely seen as supernatural banned from any kind of thought or expression... radical skeptics, you could say. But these people are in such a tiny minority that I don't think their motives are responsible for all this bickering. What I think people are objecting to is the symbolic significance of having these images in "public" areas. It's seen as a subtle message that, "Hey, if you're one of us, then this display has meaning to you. If you don't like it, that's your right (I guess), but keep it to yourself or you're a bad American." So the objectors want the field levelled by deleting all signs of the conflict from the public areas of our culture.

I think that's a bit drastic. It's like I've always said; these are superficial, cosmetic images we're talking about. They have nothing to do what what anyone is supposed to say, do, or believe. A free society is just that, and you can't expect everyone to express their freedom the same way. Let others do what their conscience tells them and don't worry about it.

When all else fails, you can always make fun of the Scrooges. Festivity and merriment are the reason for the season, after all.