Melania comes out as Catholic

ThatRobGuy

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I know seems so long ago now, but there was that one time we had a Muslim president, remember? ;):D

Oh, that's right!...I forgot about that guy who was born in Kenya who was both devout Muslim and a staunch Communist simultaneously (even though those two ideologies are strictly at odds with each other, and have even gone to war against each other in the 80's)
 
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Landon Caeli

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I know seems so long ago now, but there was that one time we had a Muslim president, remember? ;):D

To me it seems like it was just yesterday, but it's been almost half a year now!
 
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Abraxos

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That's certainly part of it (although I take issue with it since there's no reason not to trust us...Atheists only make up 0.07% of the prison population, even though we make up 3% of the total population). It's also important to note that in present times, the least religiously affiliated countries are some of the least violent.

But that aside...there's still a preference toward one particular religion in terms of electing a president for some reason. Even among democrats (who claim to be the party of open-mindedness), nearly 35% say they won't vote for an atheist and 22% say that being a non-Christians lessens the chance of them voting for a candidate. Among republicans, those numbers are much much higher (as one would expect)
Well of course there would be a preference to lean towards Christianity as most Americans and America itself has a deep history with Christianity. From a purely political standpoint, it would be counter-productive to not affiliate as a Christian.

Historically, atheists have never been relevant in the grand scheme of things, and have always been a minority.
 
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GoldenBoy89

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Historically, atheists have never been relevant in the grand scheme of things, and have always been a minority.
Yeah, you tend to keep quiet about your beliefs when the alternative meant being burned at the stake.
 
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Landon Caeli

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b462a641049ec4c47d84759c9a168b11c6ac12cf5c621831338744984b336cdc.jpg
 
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AirPo

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When Melania Trump recited The Lord's Prayer before a Melbourne, Florida presidential rally in February, the Internet went hog wild.

Now we know one reason why the first lady began with 'Let us pray' and 'Our Father who art in heaven' when she introduced the president that evening: She's a practicing Roman Catholic.

Her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed that to DailyMail.com on Wednesday, hours after Pope Francis blessed a rosary for her at the Vatican.

The last Catholics to live in the White House were John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie. Melania and her son Barron will move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue over the summer.

Melania will be first White House Catholic since Kennedy | Daily Mail Online
What a shame that someone has to "come out" as being Catholic.
 
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JackRT

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The idea of an atheist in office is still a big turn-off to the lion's share of the population apparently...

In some states it is still illegal for an atheist to hold elected office. However if push ever came to shove that law would be tossed in a heartbeat.
 
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Aryeh Jay

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But not in the USA and certainly not in Canada.

I think you are forgetting …

The war on Christmas

Happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas

Having to issue wedding license in Kentucky

Having to make gay cakes

Generic wrapping paper

Starbucks coffee cups

The list of unbearable oppression goes on.
 
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GoldenBoy89

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Those that did die by burning at the stake and other tortures -- the majority of them were protestant Christians.
If being the wrong kind of Christian carried such a heavy penalty, you can imagine what things might have been like for being no kind of Christian at all.

Atheists tend to flip flop on anything for matter of convenience.
Example? I haven't seen this happen any more for atheists than I do for anyone else. Most people act in an interest of self preservation.

It's a safe way to live but obviously they lack conviction or belief in anything and would tuck tail and run at the first sign of trouble.
What we lack is a religious conviction. It really means nothing to reject atheism at the threat of death because there is no expectation to hold onto the belief like you get with theism. I don't get a cookie for dying for my beliefs, so if someone tells me they are going to burn me alive for denying the existence of an invisible man in the sky, I go along with what every they want me to say if it means avoiding such a horrible death.

These kind of people do not shape the world or deserve to be followed into the trenches.
Not sure what that's supposed to mean.

There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. ~ Aristotle. Something that atheists thrive at doing.
Go on... tell me more about myself. :rolleyes:
 
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ThatRobGuy

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But not in the USA and certainly not in Canada.

"what???? we're not allowed to use the force of law to impose our religious rules on everyone else in society??? oh the humanity!!" lol.

I honestly can't understand how anyone in the US Christian population can view themselves as a victim here.

I sincerely think it's a case where conservative evangelicals had their way for so long, that they've gotten this distorted perception where they think that not being allowed to boss everyone else around somehow equates to a "war on" them.
 
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JackRT

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I sincerely think it's a case where conservative evangelicals had their way for so long, that they've gotten this distorted perception where they think that not being allowed to boss everyone else around somehow equates to a "war on" them.

I agree. A fairly large block of my fellow Christians have what could be called an entitlement mentality. For many centuries they have had things their own way and have controlled society to such an extent, that when minority groups started demanding and receiving rights that they had previously been denied, rights that Christians held all along, these same Christians felt threatened and claimed that they were being persecuted. Rights and freedoms are not part of a zero-sum game. Expanding them does not thereby reduce them for some other group. Extending the vote to women did not reduce the rights of men in society. In reality Christians have lost no rights and are not threatened in any meaningful way. In Canada and the USA Christians are certainly not being persecuted.
 
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MoonlessNight

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The Bible has no authority.

Promoting* or proselytizing religious beliefs or religions (including Satanism or Occultism) other than Christianity is not allowed. For the purpose of these rules, Christianity is defined by Christian Forums' Statement of Faith which is found in the Sitewide Rules.
 
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AirPo

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Promoting* or proselytizing religious beliefs or religions (including Satanism or Occultism) other than Christianity is not allowed. For the purpose of these rules, Christianity is defined by Christian Forums' Statement of Faith which is found in the Sitewide Rules.
Good thing I wasn't doing that, but thanks for your concern.
 
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GoldenBoy89

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Don't worry, the authority of the Bible persevered and prospered; and most today forgive but have not forgotten.
I don't really play on hypotheticals, but the closest I can imagine if there was no Christianity, Islam would be the dominate world power in the world, or a more anti-theist Stalin type of control would be implemented onto the masses. It's no mistake that the scientific revolution exploded out of reformation Europe. Intellectual, political, and cultural enterprises flourished as a result, "no kind of Christianity" would probably mean anarchy, barbarism, antiscience, anti-intellectual, anti-creativity, anti-progress. More people like you, essentially.
Not sure what any of this has to do with my point that atheists kept quiet throughout most of history because up until recently, Christians had a knack for burning people that openly disagreed with their scriptures.


It's quite simple really, cowards don't deserve to be leaders or deserve to shape the world.
Ok. I don't see courage or cowardice in terms of theist or not, but I guess you do. I see them more as just universal human characteristics that exist regardless of personal beliefs. Some people are brave, some are cowards, most people fall somewhere in between. Religion or not really has nothing to do with that. You're implication being that an atheist is a coward for not being willing to die for atheism but I don't see that as being a coward. I think it's flat out stupid if you are willing to die for a belief.

And what I mean by "shaping the world" I mean shaping it in the way that all men are equal (a Christian worldview).
Took them a while to come to see that worldview.

The fact you don't understand is the very reason why you (atheist) are the most distrusted group in the world -- that means you're inherently perceived by most people as a liar and fake.
You know, I find that fascinating because statistically, you are much more likely to be wronged by someone who believes in some kind of God (probably your same God), just by the shear number of people who do.

Personally, I don't trust anyone outside my family and the few other people I know well. Theist or not, you shouldn't trust random people just because they belong to your same group.

It's nothing personal, take it from an evolutionary perspective, how else would atheists survive if not by being cowards?
Oh I don't take anything on here personal. I have very little confidence you know enough about evolution to try and explain atheism or theism from such a POV.
 
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