It is becoming a regular theme for me to preface this weekly posting of weird religious news with a rather important caveat – Don’t generalise.

The vast majority of humans, regardless of their specific beliefs or complete lack of any belief don’t behave like this. The point here is not to demonise people for having a culturally inherited religious belief, but rather to point out that if you invest too deeply in bad ideas and embrace them as literal truth without giving it too much thought, then you will end up saying and doing weird stuff.

I really have no problem with people believing whatever they wish to believe. What I do however have a problem with is when it impacts the well-being of others, and so criticising the obnoxious and absurd matters.

What happened This Week

Lots of daft and quite delusional Trump support popped up. It was all laced with the suggestion that criticism of him is evil incarnate …

Facing the wrath of God’s chosen people …

Sexual abuse stories persist, these are a constant theme …

Irony overload …

Many non-believers actually prefer Pepsi, and also most read more than just one book…

Fake claims …

Weird Conspiracy claims …

Attempts to impose one belief upon all …

Spotlight Item of the Week

ABC News and Washington Post ran a poll that reveals that religious affiliation is declining …

Protestants decline, more have no religion in a sharply shifting religious landscape

As the share of Protestants has declined, the number of adults expressing no religious affiliation has risen from 12 percent in 2003 to 21 percent of all adults in 2017. That includes 3 percent who say they’re atheists, 3 percent agnostic and 15 percent who say they have no religion. The proportions were similar 15 years ago.

The largest shifts during this 15-year period include 16-point increases among young adults (age 18 to 29) and political liberals. The smallest changes have occurred among Republicans, conservatives and blacks (+4 points in each group) as well as older Americans, +5 points.

Having no religious affiliation is most prevalent among 18- to 29-year-olds, at 35 percent, vs. 13 percent among those age 50 and older. It’s also higher among men than women (25 vs. 17 percent), among college graduates vs. those without a degree (25 vs. 20 percent), and among whites and Hispanics than among blacks (22 and 20 percent vs. 15 percent).

The very best argument against religion has not been non-believers pointing out that the beliefs have no evidence to back them up, but instead consists of the ongoing obnoxious behaviour by those that lift up and run with the beliefs into the public square so that they can shove it in our faces.

Net effect?

As illustrated by this latest poll, lots of people are walking away from it all.

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