Are you concerned about the rise of the Religious Right?
602308
There was a time in European history where the Church held absolute sway in the appointment and endorsement of political rulers, as well as their own "police force" of inquisitors where free-thinkers and political opponents were burned, tortured, and murdered.  Wars were repeatedely fought against the Muslim in Muslim lands to distract and divide the folks at home and to keep the people militarized and the money flowing into the coffers of the tyrannical kings.  This period was affectionately known as "The Dark Ages" and "Medievel Age" appropriately.  Woe betide the man who willfully repeats disastrous history.
962927
Would that it were so.  Unfortunately, I think the religious right still wields an inordinate amount of sway in the United States and will continue to interfere with government's ability to deal with more pressing issues.
355928
You may want to ask all the religious freaks around here
173840
Very.\n\nThe US has gotten way too conservative since 9/11. We were attacked by terrorists, that doesn't mean its time to freak out and turn the US into a Christian version of the Taliban.\n\nWaaay too uptight. \n\nThe pendulum will swing back at some point though. We won't put up with this ultra-conservative nonsense forever.
869835
Not afraid of them.  Worried about the Extremist Christians we have in our political system.  Hopefully some other group will come along and make them worry as well.
703930
No, and if we have any objections, ie humanitarian or otherwise, they should be handled in a CIVILIZED manner...ie. diplomatically with pressure from the UN...right now it's a joke because it's been undermined and not taken seriously because other forces seem to think they have all the authority...so no one respects their power...and the danger is every country starts doing whatever it wants...which is threatening to the entire world population and much more dangerous than what is happening in one little, be it pathetic, little country.\n\nTHe middle east IS MIDDLE AGE and always will be...their ways will never change because their religion is what keeps them living the way they do...so who cares...let them live however they choose...but where we went wrong is letting other religions change OUR religious rights in our own country.  They should be tolerated but we shouldn't have to shrink back from what we believe either, but we have no right to go to their country and demand they change to our way of life, just to ensure that there is no abuse of people...that much is just plain intolerable and no religion should or would condone that...that is a man made rule to terrorize and control.
768758
Lots of big issues right now.\n\nI wouldn't call it religion, at least for me.  More of a serious hobby.
532646
You had the bad luck to be born in a region that cares more for religion than for human rights.  It isn't going to happen soon, but I believe and hope that the removal of Saddam was a good first step in bettering the human condition in Iraq.  When the people of the middle east determine that they'd rather get along with each other rather than putting others down based on long standing religious beliefs, then we'll all gain.\n\nGood luck sir.
1022784
No, No and No.  Right now, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and James Dobson are crowing in delight over the rift  the right has caused. They practically come out and say Bush's election was their victory.\n  Bush was advised very carefully on this sticky wicket and, again, as with gay marriage and immigration pulled off a diversionary tactic to divide us and take attention off the greater issues.  God guides him, so he says. We know he uses God.  And the sooner the Christian Right wakes up, the better
1090025
Yes I believe it has gone to far.  I remember saying it when I was in school (I am 32 now) and there was nothing wrong with it then or now.  It dosn't say WHICH god so it shouldn't be an issue.  Most people have their own gods.  Is only the athiests that have a problem.  They say the division between church and state but once again it dosnt say what type of church so why does it matter.
887672
Religion shaped history but the future belongs to science-the end of organised religion is near.
120494
That's an excellent question and I have doubts that it will ever entirely disapear, but i think it will continue to decline especially in western culture where it seems as we're getting increasingly secular. I often think of Europe as America's older and more matured brother. They have low rates of church attendance. I think that for better or for worse, america is heading in the same direction. But as i said earlier, i don't think we'll ever see a compete eradication of religion. There are still people who believe the earth is flat, so even when all the evidence is in, there will still be people who belive in the divinity of christ. Oops, couldn't help being a little condescending towards christianity there.
881101
I see the moral issues, as they pertain to politics, as growing pains for a country with our form of government, largely populated with people who claim to be Christians.\n\nFor me, the Supreme Court started this decline with legislating morality, when the Constitution leaves this matter to the States.  \n\nEvery group will not be made happy.  Christians are wrong to believe our rights come from the Bible, although I still believe the Bible is where our forefathers got their ideas of freedom.\n\nHomosexuals are equally wrong to believe they have Constitutional protection for marriage.  This was not something the forefathers imagined or intended.  \n\nThe S. Court started down this slippery slope with decisions most of us think were good.\n\nConsensus is impossible to achieve, which is why our forefathers implemented the safeguards.  This is not a democracy, and the majority does not rule.  Sorry if that's what you were taught in school.\n\nI think the current approach, sending homosexual marriage to the States is a right decision, based on the 10th Amendment to the C.\n\nThe easy short answer is that both camps are wrong.  Christians cannot make laws just to please themselves, and individuals and other minorities cannot either.
1009031
I believe within the next hundred years, religion as a whole will finally become regarded as nonsense, except for a few fundamentalist holdouts.\n\nIt will stop influencing our politics and so forth, and be reduced to small communities who will shut themselves off from the rest of the world (to keep from hearing the truth).\n\nThese small communities will be nothing more than remnants of the old days, and will basically be reduced to the basics of what they truly are... cults.\n\nAnd these cults will either die off, have mass suicides, or try to kill the rest of us, before they are finally outlawed.\n\nSo yes, the end is near.  And so is the beginning.  :)
924108
United under God.  Do you think that might be their problem?
260243
Sorry Bobby, it is - just around the corner in fact.  So you'd better get religious real quick.   Or else buy one of my Apopalips Now Insurins Pollicies.  Send $100 to my Yahoo!Answers page.  Hurry : offer expires when the rumbling begins !!
987789
I think for Republicans, power & money = freedom and liberty.  And they seem to think that as long as the leaders have it, America is safe in the world.  Power is control, Religions lobby the government just like Big Oil and Pharma and countless others.  \n\nI think that right now the Religious Right is perceived as very powerful and perceived as the majority in this country - when they are only just barely 51% of voters.  That makes them a natural ally for Republicans and Republicans need to strike now, before we start having 75% or 95% of Americans (not just registered Voters) coming out to vote.\n\nSo what I am saying is that the Republicans are happy to use the power of the Religious Right because they are the power of today.  They will do whatever the Religious Right says, if they can, in turn, continue to provide the votes to keep Republicans rolling in "freedom and liberty".