Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jbe who wrote (42810)	6/30/1999 1:51:00 PM
From: greenspirit	Respond to of 108807

Joan, very interesting post. I just popped in for an early lunch so I need time to ponder it much longer. Best, Michael

To: jbe who wrote (42810)	6/30/1999 4:37:00 PM
From: nihil	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

"the possibility that America will ever become "atheist" [is] extremely remote" "Ever" can be a long, long time. I believe America can be made to last for hundreds of thousands of years -- or longer -- as long as it keeps changing to enhance human liberty and free enquiry. To see how the country has evolved to become a working enterprise since 1776. Some close calls, but more and more peoples who had contempt for the republican experiment have gotten on board and are imitating more and more about the United States. In a country where thought is truly free, where there is no effective prejudice against heterodoxy, where one can explore and market his or her ideas, the movement against sectarian Christianity seems quite likely to me to gather strength. The Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. is about to dissolve into fragments IMO if another reactionary pope like John Paul is elected. The only possible hope is to enable women to become priests. The old-line Protestant churches are fragmenting over questions like ordaining homosexuals as priests. The evangelical churches are pursuing heresy trials against their moderates. I see the church people become wildly diverse, spinning off new weird and novels sects, shaking vigorously, waving their hands at the sky, waiting to be raptured into the sky. The failure of the millenium to bring the second coming should quiet things down for about a thousand years. The growth of antidepression drugs such as Prozac and Paxil and much more targeted analgesics, will reduce the stress, obsession, and nervousness that drives many people to the church. De facto egalization of marijuana will help lay back the population (or help people to lie back). More and more people will check the box --don't know and don't care. A charming woman who won't disclose her spiritual belief will become our first atheist president. And we will not even notice.