Cultural observations on America

[dead0man]

4. I can see why some American atheists sound perpetually pissed. I'm actually surprised they are so restrained. Christian discourse saturates everywhere. People seemed to think I had landed from Mars.

It's in everyday conversation. I hold back like you wouldn't believe. I'm just used to it, I guess. These days I don't feel like I'm biting my tongue so much because I'm just used to it.

This must be an east coast thing because it NEVER comes up in conversation here or anywhere else I've lived.  I'm not understanding the we only have 3 flavors thing either, but I assumed that was hyperbole.

Well, it does get a very privileged position in American culture, but I'm also around a campus a lot, and it's very, very visible, including the kooks (I've been on large and medium sized campuses both during my life, and it's always very visible). When the churches recruit, everyone knows it. It's conventional Jesus style to new age stuff, and kids and converts can really pick up the banner and go.

Hah!  To say the LEAST.  The shysters don't even pay taxes! 

This ****** thing...



...pays NO property taxes. 

You'd have a point if non-Christian religious buildings paid property taxes.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

4. I can see why some American atheists sound perpetually pissed. I'm actually surprised they are so restrained. Christian discourse saturates everywhere. People seemed to think I had landed from Mars.

It's in everyday conversation. I hold back like you wouldn't believe. I'm just used to it, I guess. These days I don't feel like I'm biting my tongue so much because I'm just used to it.

This must be an east coast thing because it NEVER comes up in conversation here or anywhere else I've lived.  I'm not understanding the we only have 3 flavors thing either, but I assumed that was hyperbole.

Well, it does get a very privileged position in American culture, but I'm also around a campus a lot, and it's very, very visible, including the kooks (I've been on large and medium sized campuses both during my life, and it's always very visible). When the churches recruit, everyone knows it. It's conventional Jesus style to new age stuff, and kids and converts can really pick up the banner and go.

Hah!  To say the LEAST.  The shysters don't even pay taxes!  

This ****** thing...



...pays NO property taxes.  

You'd have a point if non-Christian religious buildings paid property taxes.

The fact that other religious buildings don't pay property taxes has to do with the fact that you can not discriminate based on religion, and that since Christian buildings don't pay taxes, you have to extend that.  In a hypothetical world where Christianity is suddenly illegal in America, you can bet that the rest of 'em would be paying taxes almost immediately.  

It's like, if you want to further Christian privilege... you gotta let the others off the tax burden, too.  The Christians begrudgingly go along, of course, because most of those "other" churches are for the Jews and they ain't so bad besides the murderin' Jesus thing.

[DemPGH]

And that's a place of business too, there's no way to argue otherwise that I can see. Plus, so many churches want to enter public discourse in all kinds of ways that not to pay taxes on some level is kind of absurd.

A lot of those "televangelists" have a backyard full of satellites and broadcasting equipment - it's crazy. Read up on a guy called John Hage or Hagee or something. Real nut.

[DC Al Fine]

And im not sure where religion comes up in conversation on a regular basis...unless youre actively looking for it...

I do wonder about that. Is this an American thing, or are some folks just seeking these conversations out? For example, afleitch once posted about all the conversations he's had with street preachers. I think I've seen a street preacher once in my whole life.

The same goes for evangelism. Outside the Mormons knocking on my door once a year, I've never had someone try to talk to me about Jesus Christ.

It does lead me to wonder if some secular folks seek it out. Even in visiting Tennessee every year, I don't get a ton of Jesus talk.

[dead0man]

Apparently it's a college campus thing, random people have never talked to me about Jesus.  I've never seen a street preacher.  Hell, it's been years since a Mormon has knocked on my door (they respect the "no solicitors" signs a lot more than kids do).

[DemPGH]

A buddy of mine ran into a street preacher in downtown Pittsburgh over the summer. He didn't stop to listen, but he and his g.f. had come out of a restaurant and ran into the preacher. My buddy guessed that the dude was a Muslim who had found Jesus, so he was letting everyone know about it. Street preachers are around the 'Burgh once in a while. Right place, right time you'll see one.

Jehova's Witnesses used to stop all the time (and they were always nice, so I would be nice back), but I haven't received one since maybe 2008 or 2009 or so. A couple times a year (around Christmas and Easter) I'll get calling cards and little pamphlets stuck in my door from local churches. "Need to nourish your soul this Easter? Come to _____."

On campus, good god, they're everywhere. When I was in grad school one would get up on a grassy hill overlooking a walkway that got a lot of student traffic about once a week, and this guy would hold up a Bible or some book and shout his nonsense down at everyone walking by. Once in a great while someone would yell something back up at him, but he ignored it and would continue on unabated.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

A buddy of mine ran into a street preacher in downtown Pittsburgh over the summer. He didn't stop to listen, but he and his g.f. had come out of a restaurant and ran into the preacher. My buddy guessed that the dude was a Muslim who had found Jesus, so he was letting everyone know about it. Street preachers are around the 'Burgh once in a while. Right place, right time you'll see one.

Jehova's Witnesses used to stop all the time (and they were always nice, so I would be nice back), but I haven't received one since maybe 2008 or 2009 or so. A couple times a year (around Christmas and Easter) I'll get calling cards and little pamphlets stuck in my door from local churches. "Need to nourish your soul this Easter? Come to _____."

On campus, good god, they're everywhere. When I was in grad school one would get up on a grassy hill overlooking a walkway that got a lot of student traffic about once a week, and this guy would hold up a Bible or some book and shout his nonsense down at everyone walking by. Once in a great while someone would yell something back up at him, but he ignored it and would continue on unabated.

We have these black Jews in Philadelphia that go nuts with a megaphone around Market East terminal every Friday.  I never stopped to listen fully, but the bits and pieces I've picked up sound like the ravings of a lunatic. 

[bgwah]

What an awful thread.

[Dixie Reborn]

cultural learnings of america make benefit glorious nation of kazakhstan.