# Resolved: 90% of religious people **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 22, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854 "2003-08-22T03:36:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/21 "2003-08-22T08:04:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalt \* > \*\*Or let me formulate my argument this way so it doesn’t sound as broad and vastly sweeping: If you are a christian and support christian symbols on public property but would oppose islamic, jewish, pagan, or scientologist symbols on the same public property, you are a complete moron who should not be allowed to vote in this country. I’d say Ashcroft should monitor such people and keep detailed dossiers on them, but unfortunately he is one of them. \*\* If you’d said that in the first place, I’d have agreed wholeheartedly. Well, I probably would have been more specific than “complete moron.” I’d have said “hypocrite who doesn’t understand what religious freedom means” or something like that. And by the way, what about us atheists? Alongside the displays of the major tenets of other religions I’d like to see a pure, blank slate to represent what I believe is “set in stone.” ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/22 "2003-08-22T08:13:15Z")
[quote] **Kalt: My argument, if I have one, is that as a result of my observation, these religious people are morons.** That is one of the most amazing admissions that I have seen on SDMB. If your observations result in making religious people morons, I suggest you might want to observe something else for awhile or give up observing altogether. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/23 "2003-08-22T08:19:43Z")
Well, to be fair, **Zoe** , he said “_these_ religious people.” I don’t think he (I’m getting the impression he’s a he) is characterizing all Christians as morons. If he is, he’s a reactionary fool. ---
**Author:** ![Kalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalt)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/24 "2003-08-22T08:22:35Z")
“Complete moron” is about as specific as I can get. I mean it as 100% descriptive, not as an insult (although I suppose it is one). I realize it’s very easy to call a group names, and labeling someone a moron or idiot is not the basis for an argument, but it can be a legitimate conclusion based on facts. Here I don’t see any other way to see it. Roy Moore and his ilk are complete and utter morons. Moore should be in jail right now (of course Bush will pardon his brother in christ immediately). In my humble opinion, anyone who is that much of a hypocrite is, ipso facto, a complete moron. Yeah I never thought about having a blank slate but it would make for a good laugh? Would it be the establishment of non-religion? (I like the idea but of course I’m not for actually putting it on public property). How about this: We atheists declare that all the empty space, i.e. air, in public facilities such as courthouses, city hall, state capitals, etc., are official atheist monuments that symbolize nothingness, the lack of a god. Will that cause them to fill up all that space with some water or something? How will they walk around inside the buildings? Will they just give up and start crying? Will the sue atheists to have us remove the empty space from all the buildings (which are establishing what, no-religion?). I do kinda like that idea. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/25 "2003-08-22T09:25:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalt \* > **Went to go watch a movie. I’m still here. I’m not saying “religious people are dumb.” I’m saying religious people are dumb because of this scenario.** Oh, you said quite a bit more than that. Your exact words were, > [@](#): > > Why are religious people so stupid (or at least 90% of them)? – **Kalt** It is entirely possible to take exception with someone’s principles or logic without denouncing them as “so stupid.” Give it a try sometime. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/26 "2003-08-22T14:56:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalt \* > Why are religious people so stupid (or at least 90% of them)? Because they’re people? Sort of a Sturgeon’s Law kind of thing? > [@](#): > > note: i did my own survey, it is +/- 2% Please, enlighten us! Share with us all the details of your survey! > [@](#): > > If the majority had its way, we would have a National Church of Christ. Most people are christian, and most christians wouldn’t have a problem with that. I’m inclined not to believe this. Did you ever try getting “most christians” to agree on anything? :dubious: Which flavor of national church would this be? And would people really want the gummint messing around with their church? I think you vastly underestimate the wisdom and restraint of religious people, perhaps because it’s the morons who are the loudest and pushiest. Some of the founding fathers who fought for the establishment clause were quite religious themselves, and few if any of them were hostile toward religion per se. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/27 "2003-08-22T15:19:01Z")
You did your own survey, and it was +/- 2%? Uh huh. What was the methodology? Describe your survey in more detail, please. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/28 "2003-08-22T15:22:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalt \* > \*\* > Zev: Yeh I think that islamic prohibition on statues is only for statues of non-islamic religions, such as the buddhist statues the taliban blew up a few years ago. Islamic statues are just fine and dandy as I understand it. \*\* I am hardly an expert, but I believe Islam prohibits images of people (or at least, say, Mohammed) under pretty much any circumstances. I’ve been in mosques all over the world, and I’ve never seen so much as a single statue or picture. Incredibly beautiful architecture and calligraphy, but no statues or pictures. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/29 "2003-08-22T15:25:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalt \* > \*\*Why are religious people so stupid (or at least 90% of them)? Is it inbreeding or does being religious all by itself encourage brain atrophy (since “religion has all the answers” and thus religious people are not encouraged to think)? > > note: i did my own survey, it is +/- 2% \*\* Ahh, wtf? 90% of religious people are stupid? Get real. As a practicing Roman Catholic (who, by the way, thinks religious statuary, symbols, paintings, whatever, don’t belong in public spaces), I take serious exception to this statement. Serious offense, too. ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/30 "2003-08-22T15:34:33Z")
religion should be taxed i betcha only 10 % of religious people would pay that tax 🙂 and Zev is right: Islam prohibits idolatrie els ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/31 "2003-08-22T15:35:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalt \* > \*\*If the majority had its way, we would have a National Church of Christ. Most people are christian, and most christians wouldn’t have a problem with that. But they’d all have a problem with a National Church of Islam. \*\* This is simply bigoted and ignorant drivel. I’m sorry to use language that would be more appropriate for the Pit, but no other words will do the job. The majority of religious people in this country who are members of one or another Christian denominations would want nothing to do with any such thing as a “National Church of Christ,” whatever that would mean. Roman Catholics, for one thing, would have no part of such a thing. Neither would Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians (who are, after all, an offshoot of the national Church of England, and who have chose, in the United States, to reject any national affiliation), or members of any other mainstream Protestant denomination. I can’t even begin to think of how ridiculous (and dangerous) Unitarians would think this to be. The same goes for Quakers. Let’s not even talk about the Amish and the Mennonites. The Orthodox churces owe allegiance to Patriarchs in Greece, Moscow, Constantinople (a.k.a Istanbul), Antioch, and so on. The Mormons? Not a chance. Their beliefs are so incompatible with any other Christian denomination that they would fear a “National Church of Christ” as much as I would. It is arguable that there is a fringe group of Protestant fundamentalists who might support such a thing as a National Church of Christ. But would be a very weak argument. ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/32 "2003-08-22T15:36:48Z")
Maybe this thread would be more useful if it got hijacked into asking the question **"who agrees/disagrees with the statue being placed in a public forum. People should probably note their religous orientation too"** I’m athiest and completely disagree. Also, Somebody mentioned GWB’s response ought to be interesting. Given his apparent disregard for separation of church and state I’m interested in what he has to say too. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/33 "2003-08-22T15:52:42Z")
Well, I’m a Christian, and from a country with an established Church, besides … and I don’t believe that the State should have any part in mandating a religion, or supporting one with public funds. And I’m quite sure that more than a mere 10% of my co-religionists are with me in this. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/34 "2003-08-22T16:00:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Thudlow Boink \* > **And would people really want the gummint messing around with their church?** Why not? Plenty of people seem to love letting the church “mess around” with the government, and vote the church into the government accordingly. At what point does it not make a difference whether “the church” is part of government or government is part of the church? ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/35 "2003-08-22T16:13:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by troub \* > \*\*At what point does it not make a difference whether “the church” is part of government or government is part of the church? \*\* It always makes a difference. The point at which “the church” became the basis of goverment policy was a very sad day for anyone who isn’t a devout christian. ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/36 "2003-08-22T16:25:43Z")
To answer the question posed in the OP, it’s because _[insert name of religion here]_ is the only correct religion. All _other_ religions are just ignorant superstitions that gullible people blindly follow and we should not encourage such beliefs. Regards, Barry ---
**Author:** ![Humble\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/47e85d/32.png) [@Humble\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Humble_Servant)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/37 "2003-08-22T16:26:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalt \* > \*\*They will not stop until all america has left is sand and camels. \*\* See, I was gonna laugh at this, since I did my own survey and found that no one in my office (+/- 2%) has any camels currently. But then I learned about [America’s First and Only Camel Dairy.](http://cameldairy.com/oasis_camel_dairy_tours.htm) I guess that just goes to show that _my_ survey methodology was full of shit, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/38 "2003-08-22T16:31:15Z")
Shouldn’t this be in the Pit? ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/39 "2003-08-22T16:40:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sirtonyh \* > \*\*It always makes a difference. The point at which “the church” became the basis of goverment policy was a very sad day for anyone who isn’t a devout christian. \*\* I meant that particular phrase to mean that a significant percentage of Americans (enough to vote certain people into office, at least) are already happy with the church messing around with government, so turnabout being fair play they should be fine with the government then messing around with their church–in response to **Thudlow Boink** ’s “And would people really want the gummint messing around with their church?” At what point does it become moot who’s messing with whom, because they are fused into one entity? I wasn’t saying that such a merger is inconsequential. ---
**Author:** ![Ryle\_Dup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Ryle\_Dup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryle_Dup)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854/40 "2003-08-22T16:50:41Z")
Is **Kalt** an athiest? If so, can we kick him out? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-90-of-religious-people/196854.md?page=3)