# 1/3 of Americans are absolute morons! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 7, 2013, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064 "2013-04-07T10:22:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/1 "2013-04-07T10:22:41Z")
At least, that’s the take-away I get from [this story](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/06/christianity-state-religion_n_3022255.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl31%7Csec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D294578): > [@](#): > > **Christianity As State Religion Supported By One-Third Of Americans, Poll Finds** > > Although the North Carolina House of Representatives killed a bill Thursday that would have paved the way for establishing an official state religion, a new national HuffPost/YouGov poll finds widespread support for doing so. > > The new survey finds that 34 percent of adults would favor establishing Christianity as the official state religion in their own state, while 47 percent would oppose doing so. Thirty-two percent said that they would favor a constitutional amendment making Christianity the official religion of the United States, with 52 percent saying they were opposed. More at the link above. I don’t know what to say. I’m gobsmacked at the stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/2 "2013-04-07T10:25:42Z")
I don’t really see where stupidity enters into this, just evil and would-be oppression. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/3 "2013-04-07T10:25:56Z")
I’m just glad that _most_ Americans are still opposed to establishing a state religion. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/4 "2013-04-07T11:05:23Z")
I also read that 1/2 of Americans are below average in intelligence! Which flavor of Christianity are they hoping for? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/5 "2013-04-07T11:47:00Z")
Scary, but not surprising, sadly. ---
**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/6 "2013-04-07T12:04:25Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I don’t really see where stupidity enters into this, just evil and would-be oppression. Because the idiots who would support this have absolutely no knowledge of the motivations of the people who fled England to come here in the first place, and no knowledge of one of the most fundamental aspects of the Constitution : separation of church and state. So, yep, they’s some dumb ass mother fuckers. And we have to \*live \*with them… ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/7 "2013-04-07T12:14:56Z")
> [@Uber\_the\_Goober](#): > > Because the idiots who would support this have absolutely no knowledge of the motivations of the people who fled England to come here in the first place Why do you say that? Some parts of New England had established churches until the 19th century. Rhode Island was even founded by people who fled from the people who fled England. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/8 "2013-04-07T12:16:34Z")
Well in light of the Colonists plight, the only real solution then is to make the official state religion the Church of England! ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/9 "2013-04-07T12:26:44Z")
I suppose the Massachusetts Bay Colony is a good example of how “Christianity” can’t really be established. I bet half of the people who approved are members of churches that would declare the approved faith to be heretical and unchristian within a few years. Although they probably weren’t really thinking of establishing a church, just putting Jesus up on the information board at the capitol next to the state fossil and the state tree, and letting God back into schools and other platitudes. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/10 "2013-04-07T12:42:34Z")
Eh, it’s not so bad. The system worked. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/11 "2013-04-07T13:59:58Z")
Thiss may be alarming, or it may not. If people thought the question was asking if Christianity should be the official religion in a way that would make Christian law state law one and the same, that’s very scary. If, on the other hand, they simply want it to be the “official” religion to give a nod to our founding sentiments, then it’s not nearly as big a deal. My guess it’s the latter. I don’t think many Christians would favor a Christain-law based Sharia-like adherence like you see in some Muslim countries. I’m not saying the number is zero. Just very, very low. As an aside, this reminds me of the panic from the left when you hear talk of the U.S. making English the official language. Some people froth as if no other language will be able to be spoken in the 50 states. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/12 "2013-04-07T14:16:41Z")
It will all sort itself out in the future when the majority of the population becomes indifferent to organised religion. Say, when you enter the 20th century. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/13 "2013-04-07T14:43:34Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Which flavor of Christianity are they hoping for? _Theirs_ naturally. Theocracy is a lot more attractive when you can convince yourself that it’s your particular religion that will get to be the theocrats. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/14 "2013-04-07T15:19:16Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > I suppose the Massachusetts Bay Colony is a good example of how “Christianity” can’t really be established. I bet half of the people who approved are members of churches that would declare the approved faith to be heretical and unchristian within a few years. You picked a bad example. From the original Massachusetts constitution: > [@](#): > > Article III. [As the happiness of a people, and the good order and preservation of civil government, essentially depend upon piety, religion and morality; and as these cannot be generally diffused through a community, but by the institution of the public worship of God, and of public instructions in piety, religion and morality: Therefore, to promote their happiness and to secure the good order and preservation of their government, the people of this commonwealth have a right to invest their legislature with power to authorize and require, and the legislature shall, from time to time, authorize and require, the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the institution of the public worship of God, and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety, religion and morality, in all cases where such provision shall not be made voluntarily. > > And the people of this commonwealth have also a right to, and do, invest their legislature with authority to enjoin upon all the subjects an attendance upon the instructions of the public teachers aforesaid, at stated times and seasons, if there be any on whose instructions they can conscientiously and conveniently attend. > > Provided, notwithstanding, that the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, shall, at all times, have the exclusive right of electing their public teachers, and of contracting with them for their support and maintenance. > > And all moneys paid by the subject to the support of public worship, and of the public teachers aforesaid, shall, if he require it, be uniformly applied to the support of the public teacher or teachers of his own religious sect or denomination, provided there be any on whose instructions he attends; otherwise it may be paid towards the support of the teacher or teachers of the parish or precinct in which the said moneys are raised. > > Any every denomination of Christians, demeaning themselves peaceably, and as good subjects of the commonwealth, shall be equally under the protection of the law: and no subordination of any one sect or denomination to another shall ever be established by law.] Or maybe you were thinking of the original settlers, a hundred years prior. At any rate, MA did have an established Christian religion, that spanned different denominations, but absolutely favored Protestant Christianity over everything else. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/15 "2013-04-07T15:26:11Z")
Missed the edit window… They probably thought they were being very progressive by letting each congregation decide which flavor of Protestantism it could follow, rather than impose one flavor on everyone! ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/16 "2013-04-07T15:43:46Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Which flavor of Christianity are they hoping for? First Baptist! No Second Baptist! Civil War. Cover me slightly skeptical. The results are _believable_ but when I see, say, polls about evolution, the results can be drastically changed based upon how you word it, as many people believe in God but also all the hallmarks of Darwinism, and can easily answer one way or another depending on how it’s asked. Like making English an official language, I could see that some correspondents wanted a theocracy, but many just want that verbiage on the books without forced conversions. Not the most enlightened opinion, but not the same as expelling people. Also, the article is very unclear: sounds like a phone poll of 1000 people based on an Internet poll? Because if it was an Internet poll, a non-trivial problem is that some megachurch can tell their parishioners to visit. It’s the reason why on a list of the 10 greatest books I saw once, about 8 of them were from either L. Ron Hubbard or Ayn Rand. Maryland is for me the most obvious example. Founded by Catholic refugees who were tired of being dicked around in England, they did establish freedom of religion. That meant that the Puritans could come after being shut out of Anglican Virginia, and they so learned from their situations that they had a coup and made Maryland theocratic for almost a decade. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/17 "2013-04-07T15:55:55Z")
It’s the usual nonsense from a significant number of Christians. They want the state to acknowledge that their religion is important and should have more rights in the public square than other religions. I see this in my school district all the time. The area is predominantly Protestant Christian. Parents are upset that kids get off holidays they don’t think important like Rosh Ha’shanah and Yom Kippur which one more than parent called an inconvenience at a school board meeting. But when I dared voice the same sentiments about what a pain in the ass it was that my kid got off Good Friday and then a whole week for Easter while being denied off Passover, I was essentially told to STFU and be grateful we had any Jewish holidays off at all. Which is such bullshit. I am NEVER allowed to work on Christmas. What that means is I get asked to work crazy pain in the ass hours beforehand because the work has to get done. Meanwhile I often wind up having to beg to get off from work on Yom Kippur. It’s just an example of Christians expecting yet more privilege in their lives. I cannot imagine the same people would be happy if we declared Satanism the state religion. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/18 "2013-04-07T15:58:15Z")
[Here are the raw results.](http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/tabs_churchstate_0403042013.pdf) What’s amazing is how many people were “not sure” of their answers. 50% of Democrats either favored (25%) or were not sure (25%) if they favored the Establishment of Christianity in their states. And even though a significant majority of Republicans want Christianity established, more of them, than the Democrats, know that it’s not allowed by the Constitution. Again, because so many are “not sure”. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/19 "2013-04-07T16:26:54Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Thiss may be alarming, or it may not. If people thought the question was asking if Christianity should be the official religion in a way that would make Christian law state law one and the same, that’s very scary. If, on the other hand, they simply want it to be the “official” religion to give a nod to our founding sentiments, then it’s not nearly as big a deal. My guess it’s the latter. I don’t think many Christians would favor a Christain-law based Sharia-like adherence like you see in some Muslim countries. I’m not saying the number is zero. Just very, very low. > > As an aside, this reminds me of the panic from the left when you hear talk of the U.S. making English the official language. Some people froth as if no other language will be able to be spoken in the 50 states. It would be more of a “nod to our founding sentiments” if they rejected a state religion altogether, though. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064/20 "2013-04-07T16:43:45Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Which flavor of Christianity are they hoping for? The One, True Faith, of course. And we all know what that one is… :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-3-of-americans-are-absolute-morons/655064.md?page=2)