Is America becoming more secular?

Question

http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=280
http://www.religioustolerance.org/rel_rate.htm
http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/church1.htm
There may still be hope left for America according to many sources.
What do you think?

Answer 1

I think America's BEEN secular - but it's also hypocritical. We (and by "we" I mean all those other Americans, not myself, lol) like to think of ourselves as religious, but we rarely give it any serious thought except on election day, apparently. If we could just get the hypocrites to come out of the closet and admit that they're really living atheist lifestyles, and "there's nothing wrong with that," we'd have come a long way.

Answer 2

America is a country. Last time I looked at things, it's still not a church. It's not a theocracy with a national religion either. This is a country full of people with many different religions. We are full of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Wiccans, Satanists, Athestis, Agnostics, and many, many others. This is a melting pot of races, cultures, and religions. We ARE secular because we are a nation that supports everyone's right to believe and practice as they see fit. We are secular. It's not that we are becoming "more secular". That isn't possible being that we weren't "religious" to begin with. This is a free country.

Answer 3

I would like to hope that Amerika is becoming more secular, but with the likes of dubya saying he hears some god telling him what to do, it's a bit disturbing. Religion is a personal and private experience, it should stay that way. If you won't let people have sex in public, but want religion made public, then that's just hypocrisy. Both are very personal and private experiences. I should see no reason why either should be more special than the other. As the law grants you freedom of religion and freedom, the law should grant you sexual freedom as well. You worship in your churches, private places, you have sex in your homes, also private places. Should it matter what goes on in those private places so long as it's consentual and between adults? Forcing religion on children is as wrong as forcing sex on children. At the same time forcing everyone to have the same religion is as wrong as forcing everyone to only have one sexuality. America is about freedom and personal liberties, individual rights that do not impinge on the rights of others.

Answer 4

One can only hope.

Secularism is one of the best things that a religion can hope for. It keeps them from being under the government's thumb. But for some reason very few appreciate it...

And of course it's one of the best things for civil rights, too. Nice bonus there.

Answer 5

Parts are. Parts are going in the opposite direction. the teaching of Creationism in schools was very rare 30 years ago.

Answer 6

I see nothing wrong with a secular America. The good that comes from organized religion (i.e. charity organizations) will be replaced by humanist movements.

Answer 7

It is becoming more polarised, with the atheists on the one side and the religious getting more evangelical and fanatical on the other side. The middle ground is being eroded.

Answer 8

your country passed that boundary a long time ago. definitely not religious! yes there is always hope.

"There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss."

Answer 9

I am hoping so. Religion needs to stay in the prayer closet and places of worship.

Answer 10

Isn't secular some word that theists made up.

I would say it is becoming more normal but I don't know if that is true.