153 Religion

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It's fair to say America was founded on religion. Early settlers didn't come here for opportunity so much as to escape oppression, often religious oppression. The liberty they were lusting after was the liberty to believe crazy stuff without being persecuted by those who thought everyone should believe some other crazy stuff. It's also fair to say that this was the seed from which America's liberty focus grew whereas it wilted & died in the rest of the world.</p> <p>Tolerance of different religions makes Americans less judgmental but it also makes them more accepting of mysticism in place of science, sham medicine being the worst. Quackery, cults & prophets are commonly on display in America, and the disdain for critical thinking bleeds into our political discourse. Liberty is indeed a unique gift but the catalyst that brought it to us tends to also hold us back. To the rest of the World America appears immature & barbaric, probably because religion comes from those Medieval times. If society in Europe is any guide to the future then the waves of religion will eventually dissipate against the shores of logic. We might even be seeing this now in the Millennial generation: more modernity in their thinking, less adherence to dogma & taboo.</p> <p>In reality, there is little downside to having a religious nation: the morals & values of religion effectively hold back the libertarian tide until a new social consciousness can emerge. A nation of laws we may be but the unenforced tenants of religion make us the honest & sincere people that we are.</p>