Well, I started writing just a comment about this, but I couldn't fit my full thoughts about it. I suppose I just need to vent a little, this recent religious forum fiasco has brought my feelings on the matter to a boiling point.
I consider myself a very moral person, and I'm getting really tired of the condescending looks I feel like I'm getting from everyone in politics, including the Democrats, for my lack of belief in a supernatural being.
I was very disappointed to hear that Obama even agreed to appear at this 'debate' with this joke of a megachurch pastor. It's yet another act that legitimizes these churches' claims of dictating what is and isn't 'moral'. Nobody seems willing to cozy up to agnostics/atheists, even in the Democratic Party, these days. It's ridiculous, and it goes hand-in-hand with much of America's hatred of science and higher education.
Why is an atheist/agnostic immediately assumed to be an 'elitist' (which is another term I could rant about, but won't bother to at the moment), who must be desperately out of touch? There is absolutely no respect for the atheists/agnostics (~10% of our population) who make up over 80% of our scientists and less than 0.5% of our prison inmates. Well, not until a good Christian needs life-saving surgery or treatment. Then, when they get better, they go ahead and credit their recovery to their God, rather than their atheist/agnostic doctor who operated on them or pioneered the procedure.
I really don't have much against liberal Christians. I admit to being a little irked that they serve as a padding between science's boot and religion's ass, but that's just ideological. As people, I respect them, as long as they respect my lack of belief and don't try to force their religion into civil law.
But there are some people who live with such a black-and-white purely Biblical/pastoral-shaped morality, that they can't even imagine making moral decisions without being afraid of a supernatural being spying on their every move, ready to punish them for transgressions.
I really, really loathe those people. What they're basically saying that the only reason they're 'good' is because they're afraid God will punish them if they aren't, and they think this applies to everyone else, as well.
Really? Is there any Christian here at DailyKos who can honestly tell me that without their God, they wouldn't be a moral person? If anyone answers 'yes' to this, how can you possibly claim to be a moral person? It's the equivalent of being good only because someone has a gun to your head forcing you to be. I really expected more of America after Dubya's tremendously successful Presidency showed how much prayer actually helps someone who is completely and utterly incompetent. /snark
Will America ever be willing to elect an atheist/agnostic President? This recent forum has me feeling like an unwanted puppy, even in the Democratic Party.