I think the most intolerent are not increasing in number, they just are really loud.

This line sums it up pretty well from the article:

“Those who regularly attend worship services are more likely to say religion is losing its influence; three out of four weekly attenders (74 percent) said religious influence is falling, compared to 24% who thought its influence is on the rise.”

This is more proof of the uphill battle we face in bringing sanity to the system when most of the people in that system are insane… and like it that way.

…I start getting that proverbial “bad feeling about this” when the fanatics feel they are losing their grip on power. As with any group, such a scenario encourages more desperate measures to retain/regain power… throw in some religious fanaticism and things get scary. As has been witnessed throughout history, such conditions have a tendency of driving moderates to extremism, or tacit support of the extremists.

The fundy rabble rousers in the US have huge megaphones, and sadly the US is stocked full of rabble… my endless concern is whether religiosity in the US will fade out with a whimper, or go off like a powder keg.

This story is good news if the opinions reflect reality… it’s unsettling if it’s a reflection of persecution mentality and not based on any real loss of power/influence.

Given the cyclical nature of American politics, I’m not swayed by the recent elections as proof of loss of religious power, especially as the winning candidate went out of his way to suck up to the fundies to ensure he was seen as “american enough” to be president and the losing candidate was written off by the fundies for not being a teetotaler for them.

The post election polling by Gallup put the GOP favorites for 2012… even with self-described moderates included… with Palin, Huckabee and Romney at the top of the list and strong support overall.

The recent trends may have more to do with where the fundies are shifting their weight… and this poll may be showing a strong potential for a resurgence to protect their way of life next time around.

I’d love to be proven wrong, but right now I feel surrounded by powder kegs and talk radio minions with pyromania.

…and this poll may be showing a strong potential for a resurgence to protect their way of life next time around.

I think your concerns are well-founded. I tend to try to view things optimistically, even when in the back of my mind my concerns are similar to yours… but you see, if their actions are predicated on a threat to their way of life, then they are misdirected. It is not their way of life we are concerned about, it’s ours. What is threatened is believers’ power to enforce their beliefs on the rest of us. This is what they are up in arms about, Christianity throughout it’s history has, often times by force, insisted that their way, is the only way.

Maybe we’re finally catching up with all the other first-world secular democracies. Most of the older generation has internalized their delusions so deeply they’re beyond the eloquence of change. Our greatest hope lies with a younger generation savvy to the wisdom of modern science, evolution and education.

We will forever regret the damage he has done but, regarding secular, humanitarian interests, his folly has been so transparent, the entire world (and even some republicans) have taken notice. His darkness has allowed the clear light of reason to shine more brightly.