We the People - Religion in the US - 5 Sep 08 -Part 1

How do US communities today balance their religious beliefs with their political pursuits?

Filmmaker Ilan Ziv spent much of the last year observing and documenting life in Anderson, South Carolina, a place where 90 percent of the residents go to church. This small town is a snapshot of how America balances Church and State.

Ziv's perspective is unique. He fled his homeland, Israel, in order to escape the volatile mix of religion and politics there. He wanted to build a life in a country where he felt religion was not always uppermost in people's minds. But as he reveals in this episode of We the People, religious fervor in the US is alive and well.

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• evangelical
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[Cedde82]

I don't need the bible to know what is good and wrong in society. i don't want to brainwashed by creationists who use god for their own political agenda like all USA presidents did. they need to aim their speeches to all Americans, including the atheists one and Obama did that which is a good thing.

there must be schools where children can skip lessons concerning religion or replace it with moral/ethics or what so ever. baptizing a child is wrong because you choose for him.

[spewyguts]

A very nice religious lady told me recently that we owed our justice system and the morality of society to the christian religion. My reply to her was: Morality is doing what is right no matter what anybody tells you, religion is doing what you are told, no matter what is right. Religious divides are the greatest threat to the future of human life on our planet. Please wake up to reality and realize the future is in our hands and not in a make believe diety.

[yoursuchagoodguy]

@MaitreyaRocket Ironic perhaps, but an American evangelical christian pinhead with political power is arguably more dangerous to the planet than any mullah or rabbi anywhere.

[Lakitu454]

great video. religion makes no sense

[MaitreyaRocket]

Does anyone find it ironic a news org. centered on & around the Middle East is documenting religious problems in the U.S. ?

[20nothing]

@PeachyPeachPie

I agree that in most cases good and bad is self evident and was needed to survive from an evolutionary perspective. Ancient greece wasn't that free, but we do not need religion to have morality in a secular society. Over here in Europe we have a lot more atheists and a far less powerful conservative christian right, but America is more secular on a constitutional & financial level. If some crazy Tea Party members change thàt, then you are straight heading for a theocracy lol.

[helix4811]

Religion is supposed to be found, not forced, those who say religion will bring about only war are foolish, but those who say religion is the only truth are blind...

[kanmoreti]

Religion has poisoned the USA.

[TaffyAlpha]

F.A.I.T.H.

Forget

About

Investigating (for)

Truth (and)

Honesty

[PeachyPeachPie]

@LittleHipHop

Gee, makes me inclined to wonder why atheism is growing at a rate more than three times as fast as ANY religion in the entire world, and why the amount of nonreligious people presently rival the numbers of the entire global catholic church.

The christys aren't doing so well.

[PeachyPeachPie]

@LittleHipHop

Why yes! I'm so jealous I don't have my very own fable book. I'm so jealous I don't have my own "personal" savior. I'm jealous that I don't think the fucking universe was created JUST FOR ME. I'm jealous that I don't think someone in the sky is controlling reality. I'm so jealous I don't have to get up early and waste an entire day at church every week for the rest of my life. Give me a fucking break.

[PeachyPeachPie]

@davaidavai8

Plus, there should be no civilization predating the bible according to what you're suggesting. You have no idea how ridiculously ignorant your statement is. There were great civilizations with moral codes far more advanced than the biblical era middle east, long before.

How about ancient greece for one?

Learn history or save the rest of us the headache of having to deal with your tripe.