This is the challenge posed by the New Atheists. We are called upon, we lax agnostics, we noncommittal nonbelievers, we vague deists who would be embarrassed to defend antique absurdities like the Virgin Birth or the notion that Mary rose into heaven without dying, or any other blatant myth; we are called out, we fence-sitters, and told to help exorcise this debilitating curse: the curse of faith.

The New Atheists will not let us off the hook simply because we are not doctrinaire believers. They condemn not just belief in God but respect for belief in God. Religion is not only wrong; it's evil. Now that the battle has been joined, there's no excuse for shirking.

Three writers have sounded this call to arms. They are Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett.

This article contains more details about their views. Also supporting this movement is a series of books by atheists that have climbed well up into book sales lists.

So why is this happening? It sounds to me like a natural response to the religious fundamentalism that we've been experiencing and that has brought us wars, torture, prejudice, persecutions, division, absolutism, and an unabashed desire to shove religion down people's throats.

Faith can't be forced, can't be legislated, and based on every single historical example, shouldn't mix with government. And some people have had enough and are pushing back.

Full article here:

[Pastor Ted Roberts and his wife, Diane,]... host a series of provocative discussions they call "Sexy Christians," where they talk not about the sins of sex, but its joys... In sermons and special seminars, pastors are tackling topics ranging from how to keep passion in a long-term relationship to how to recover from porn and sex addiction. A new billboard in New Jersey advertising the Web site Mysexlifestinks.com is not an ad for an online chat group, but for the Discovery Church, where Pastor Randy Smith hosts weekly discussion groups. "Sex was invented by God for us to use and to enjoy," Smith said... The Robertses, who have been married for 38 years, say God never intended sex to be sinful. But for many couples, talking about sex is steeped in shame.

Good luck to these guys, they are trying to climb a very steep hill. This is a culture that totally freaked out when what appeared like could be, maybe, a resemblance of a nipple on TV (I'm talking about the Janet Jackson fiasco.) Talk about any part of our anatomy and they run for the hills in shame.

But hey, I give these pastors credit for trying. It can't hurt.

So the Pope made some insulting statement about Muslims. The insulting statements – more insulting when you consider he didn’t find him offensive to begin with, after all, these were not off the cuff remarks – comes after other Christian leaders making similar statements.

Muslims around the world were offended and jumped on the protesting bandwagon with amazing speed and intensity. Many Christians see these demonstrations as just another sign that Muslims are just too sensitive.

But, I ask you, do Muslims religious leaders make condescending and insulting remarks about Christians with the frequency that we see coming from Christian leaders?

I don’t think but maybe I'm just not paying enough attention. I could be wrong, but hard-core Christians seem more bent on confrontation than Muslims do.

The Baylor University survey looked carefully at people who checked "none" when asked their religion in polls. Sociologists have watched this group closely since 1990, when their numbers doubled, from 7 percent of the population to 14 percent. Some sociologists said the jump reflects increasing secularization at the same time that American society is becoming more religious.

But the Baylor survey, considered one of the most detailed ever conducted about religion in the United States, found that one in 10 people who picked "no religion" out of 40 choices did something interesting when asked later where they worship: They named a place.

Considering that, Baylor researchers say, the percentage of people who are truly unaffiliated is more like 10.8 percent. The difference between 10.8 percent and 14 percent is about 10 million Americans.

"People might not have a denomination, but they have a congregation. They have a sense of religious connection that is formative to who they are," said Kevin D. Dougherty, a sociologist at Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion and one of the survey's authors. Baylor is a leading Baptist university, located in Waco, Tex.

That last sentence is very important as you consider the conclusions from the results of the survey. But this article is worth a read because it includes a lot of information about the current state of religion and the American population.

In case you missed this story, a gunman entered an Amish school and killed 5 young girls and wounded a few more. Full story with more details about the Amish life style here:

NICKEL MINES, Pa., Oct. 3, 2006 — ... the Amish families most affected by this tragedy... talk about Monday's school shooting only in terms of forgiveness.

"We're just trying to support each other and trying to let it sink in," said 17-year-old Dorothy King.

Two of her cousins were shot, and one is in critical condition, but like so many in the Amish community, she forgives the gunman, Charles Carl Roberts.

"We think it's all in God's hand," King said. "If this wouldn't have happened, something still would have happened … because their time was up. God's hand was in control."

Midwife Rhita Rhoads was present for the births of two of the five girls who were killed and also speaks of forgiving the gunman.

"If you have Jesus in your heart and he has forgiven you … [how] can you not forgive other people?" Rhoads said.

"I'm sure it's going to be a struggle to go on without a loved one like that," said Elmer Fisher. His 7-year-old cousin, Naomi Fisher, was among those murdered. "But I think they trust in God that he's going to take care of them and everything's going to be fine."

When asked if Roberts' wife would still be welcome in the community, Fisher said he believed she would, adding she would be welcome even at the funerals for the dead girls.

Such are the minds of the forgiving. Passages from the New Testament are taken literally in this community, and the Amish believe they need to love their enemies, which may be beyond the ability of most people, especially so close in time to the
murders.

This is the first example of what I expect Christians to behave that I have heard of in a long time. It's quite refreshing and uplifting.