What is the general image of America/ns outside the country.

[Necromancer]

Also, I wonder what you mean with 'an agnostic nation', because you can't be 'an agnostic'. You're either an agnostic theist, or an agnostic atheist. Or so I recall...?

I mostly just meant a predominantly Agnostic country, but come to think of it, that wouldn't make it an Agnostic nation. You can't really have an Agnostic or Atheist nation. In my eyes, for a country to be identified with a religion, it needs religious laws (like certain middle eastern countries). Since Atheism and Agnosticism don't really have doctrines, you couldn't really make Atheist or Agnostic laws.

Actually the very moral fabric of our society as a christain nation is completley torn to shreds. Even Obama said he was christian its called a democratic republic, win over the voters. Every speech is written by a committee of hired professional writers so of course its going to be fanatic more like fantastical.

We are in 3 conflicts in the middle east and we still feel the sting of 9/11 Islam is this eras witch. During the 80's it was communists, during WW2 it was the Japanese.

We swear on the jefferson Bible after Thomas Jefferson not because it is God's holy scripture but because in truth it is Jeffersons version of God's Holy scripture.

We are only 200 years old we still have patriotism and traditions England is like centuries old and your traditions are still very strong and out of time.

We do not live in freedom from religion but freedom of religion anyone can believe anything they want. If you actually lived here and convened with people and have been seeing what has been going on latley America is completley turning its back on christianity and God altogether. The nativity scene was taken down infront of Washington D.C. and replaced with an athiest guidestone of their own ten commandments which didnt state any beliefs just what they dont believe. Bible have been strictly forbbidden in school since the 70's and now christianity is taught to be a myth. Christmas vacation is now winter break. America is sacrificing everything that ever remotley made us worth our spot on the Earth just to chase the Almighty dollar.

Im a christian and idc what anyone does or says honestly but take it from me America is not a christian country okay. Smoke and mirrors.

The influences on our country that come from christianity heavily outweigh everything you're talking about. I wish I could believe otherwise, but I can't.

 

[Tsuyu]

It is very possible, actually. But the nation would have to be relatively new; all countries around today have their roots dating back to a time when religion was the norm and as such religious practices are weaved into the culture of the country, even if we don't see them as religious practices today.

A country can't grow non-religious; it has to be founded as such.

 

[Zarkes]

^That was a great statement.

America was founded by rich white christians who loved having sex with black people. It is still the same to this day. lmao sorry.

Its just human nature to go with the herd anyone different will always be threatining to the pack mentality no matter what country youre in. Thats why Americans are so obsessed with celebrities. We build them up to be perfect American icons, to perfect for them to sustain we give them zero privacy and picture everything they ever do, eventually they lose it and the press has a field day for two weeks destroying their image.

The whole formula started back with Marilyn Monroe she was a model or actress or something idk but a magazine got hold of a naked photo of her and published it without her consent, she was forever a whore no matter what she could do from then on after. So you would normally throw in the towel and never be loved again. Instead she decided what the hell and acted proud of it and people went crazy over her.

I saw the same thing in my highschool aswell. My city was the start of a gang called straight edge, one of those popular things to be. It came from kids who got x's on their hands at concerts to show they couldnt buy alcohol. The whole motif was drug free no poison. Everyone would claim straightedge and become a hero for a month, then people would stop caring so you would go to a party and sell out and get ****faced drunk and make sure pics were taken, then you became twice as popular then before for breaking the social norm and choosing to defy what was held to be true.

Our constituitional rights are now constantly voilated. Our rights to practice Christianity openly are also bieng voilated. I understand America must move forward into the 21st century but if we sacrifice everything we held to be true then it wont really be america anymore. If you ever study the fall of Rome it is the exact same scenario. War state polytheism, conquered everything they could get their hands on no more war, christianity becomes the main religion. Taxes skyrocketed to keep the army together and eventually it was used to quell the dissenting people. Then in their weakened backwards state barbarians destroyed their aquafurs and starved the city to death.

Capatalism is a pretty perfect system as far as actual use goes, but without liberty it cannot work, the tall trees will choke out the ferns on the ground then we must go higher into the trees to get fruit eventually cutting them all down too, and it becomes a desert.

 

[Tsuyu]

I wouldn't say that the image of Marilyn Monroe was that of a whore. Quite the opposite actually. She was the first to achieve the status of a female sex symbol without being likened to the image of the traditional whore. Sexy - oh God so sexy - yet classy.

Also, I'm curious; how is your constitutional freedom of religion being violated?

 

[Necromancer]

Capatalism is a pretty perfect system as far as actual use goes

Capitalism is nowhere near perfect.

Also, I'm curious; how is your constitutional freedom of religion being violated?

I'd like to know as well.

 

[Angel]

If I'm completely honest I'd say my impression of America is one of a nation which has a very poor ability to deliver humour effectively. The TV shows, sitcoms, standups, radio presenters - very little is actually funny to me and seems to try too hard. There are a very few exceptions to this but otherwise it's a bit fail. Maybe over here we just don't get the "funny" stuff you see but it is by and large appallingly bad entertainment.

As for your other question - yes, the job market here is shocking and many are struggling not only to find any work but to keep it as redundancies are seemingly on the increase yet the cost of living is skyrocketing.

 

[D3m190d]

If I'm completely honest I'd say my impression of America is one of a nation which has a very poor ability to deliver humour effectively. The TV shows, sitcoms, standups, radio presenters - very little is actually funny to me and seems to try too hard. There are a very few exceptions to this but otherwise it's a bit fail. Maybe over here we just don't get the "funny" stuff you see but it is by and large appallingly bad entertainment.

As for your other question - yes, the job market here is shocking and many are struggling not only to find any work but to keep it as redundancies are seemingly on the increase yet the cost of living is skyrocketing.

On the very subjective subject (uhh) of humor: It's just different. I can laugh at american jokes as well as european, as long as (!) is my kind of humor. Especially the Big Bang Theory is something that I like and you don't, but that may very much have to do with what BBT is about.

 

[Zarkes]

Our comedians and entertainers have gotten so horrible that most of us just watch them because its more funny to see them try.

We lived under a term called plurism, one out of many. Tolerance for everyone's beliefs. Now tax exempt churches can lobby(bribe) the government officials into supporting their beliefs.

Public assemblys are bieng banned under the new way of tolerance where 1000 people cant say what they feel because gayemokid will cry. America used to be a country of the majority, majority rules. Now it is all turing on it heels.

In the attempt to make it fair for everyone some religious beliefs cant be as openly accepted because of touchy people. A private school was banned from singing their religous song every morning because 1 muslim now attended. All the children still sung and turned on the radio themselves the school unplugged it and told them they were no longer aloud to sing but they kept singing anyways on their own.

Another distortion is that tolerance means that people should tolerate the use of religion by government. This is also backwards. It is the government that is constrained to be tolerant of the people's freedom of religion. That means neutrality. That means staying out of religion altogether.

People should be able to believe whatever they want to and be tolerent of what other people believe, but nowadays they are taking this and flipping it over, raping it and still calling it the same thing.

Just stepping foot into a room you can have every right stripped away from you through loopholes.
Accepting a job means you accept background checks and drug tests.
Setting foot on a campus means you have no rights at all because even the air you breathe is private property. The problem here is that all of America is private property.
If you drive on a road you have to pay taxes and insurance or else find your own road to drive on.

The constitution should be upheld by the institution, the more we stray away from it the less America becomes free. It is our founding document of which all of the entirety of our law is based. It is the keystone to the entire castle. America is the constituition we throw that away we throw America away.

The bill of rights is alo bieng destroyed. But idc about that because it does not give me my rights it only outlines the inalienable rights God gave me when I was born.

 

[Zarkes]

Socialism is great but you go extreme right it becomes facist then communist then into a dicatatorship. Capatilism is great but you go to far left it becomes a monopoly then communist then a dictatorship.

Buddha taught the middle path, extremism is what is unhealthy.

 

[Tsuyu]

Our comedians and entertainers have gotten so horrible that most of us just watch them because its more funny to see them try.

Only the mainstream ones. The American comedians on Apollo theatre and stuff are hilarious.

Public assemblys are bieng banned under the new way of tolerance where 1000 people cant say what they feel because gayemokid will cry. America used to be a country of the majority, majority rules. Now it is all turing on it heels.

That doesn't make any sense. Source? Elaboration?

In the attempt to make it fair for everyone some religious beliefs cant be as openly accepted because of touchy people. A private school was banned from singing their religous song every morning because 1 muslim now attended. All the children still sung and turned on the radio themselves the school unplugged it and told them they were no longer aloud to sing but they kept singing anyways on their own.

That sounds more like political correct bullshyte than it does someone being anti-religious.

Another distortion is that tolerance means that people should tolerate the use of religion by government. This is also backwards. It is the government that is constrained to be tolerant of the people's freedom of religion. That means neutrality. That means staying out of religion altogether.

Separation of state and church, agreed.

Just stepping foot into a room you can have every right stripped away from you through loopholes.
Accepting a job means you accept background checks and drug tests.
Setting foot on a campus means you have no rights at all because even the air you breathe is private property. The problem here is that all of America is private property.

Classic capitalism; employers can treat their employees like crap. You still think it is so wonderful? Try any of that crap in Sweden and you'd get the unions chewing up your ass as an employer.

If you drive on a road you have to pay taxes and insurance or else find your own road to drive on.

Well, duh. What do you think the government uses the tax money for? That they just hoard it in a big vault, twirling their evil moustaches? No, they use the money to maintain and service the road you're wrecking with your big four-wheel-drive gas-guzzlers.

Being anti-taxes is so stereotypically American and I just don't get it; don't the public know how the government uses the tax money at all? They are not stealing from you.

The constitution should be upheld by the institution, the more we stray away from it the less America becomes free. It is our founding document of which all of the entirety of our law is based. It is the keystone to the entire castle. America is the constituition we throw that away we throw America away.

The bill of rights is alo bieng destroyed. But idc about that because it does not give me my rights it only outlines the inalienable rights God gave me when I was born.

Those documents are several hundreds years old. You can't just blindly follow them and not adapt to our modern world. Your last statement... I'm not touching with a ten-foot clown pole.

 

[Shirosaki]

Socialism is great but you go extreme right it becomes facist then communist then into a dicatatorship. Capatilism is great but you go to far left it becomes a monopoly then communist then a dictatorship.

Buddha taught the middle path, extremism is what is unhealthy.

That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

It's -

Capitalism -> Elitism -> Fascism (Right Wing)
Socialism -> Communism (Left Wing)

Why would a capitalist society evolve in to communism?

 

[Zarkes]

^ Youre right, I was trying to remember this government wheel it had all the systems and you move the wheel left or right and it always ends up dictatorship going left or right.

All systems will be abusive in some way because it means you are giving up resposability to someone else to make your decisions.

 

[Firis]

''toying with becoming a christian again''? But... It seems the rule is that Christians believe in a christians god. So, if you're an atheist right now, how c an you 'just' believe in god? Well, if it's because it's easier being a christian, in a christian nation, I get it. But I imagine living a lie being horrible... The only thing I respect about christianity as a religion is that it teaches (or at least tries to) morality to people, and being kind. But then again, that's often because 'God wants me to love you', not 'I honestly care about you'.

BUUUUT let's not dive into the teachings of religion and what's right and wrong, as that would derail the thread and only lead to disagreements, and just talk about America, which just so happens to be a christian nation.

Thing is, I take offense to the bible, but I fully believe in a higher power.

 

[D3m190d]

Being anti-taxes is so stereotypically American

Yeah, I even read somewhere (can't remember, sorry) that America has amongst the lowest taxes on Earth. (If so, they have no right to whine.)

Thing is, I take offense to the bible, but I fully believe in a higher power.

I also believe in some sort of higher power, but our definitions may differ. I, for one, don't believe in a sentient guiding deity that judges us for what we do, although I allow a small chance to exist that the universe was artifically created. But that we don't know. Anyway, our universe obiously couldn't have come from nothing. I don't know where it came from and how, but it did. There must be something that caused it, that if we find it out it all makes sense. Be it some physical fundamental law on which the very fabric of reality is built.

 

[Shirosaki]

Americans may have low taxes, but it shows through by their need of insurance for everything. They have a horrific health care system for example, from the view of outside Britons, and probably Swedes.

 

[Tsuyu]

Exactly.

Taxes are good.

 

[Shirosaki]

In France taxes are very high but the Government does a hell of a lot for you, for example free nanny services for families with new-born babies, who even help out with meals and laundry. All because French citizens pay their high taxes, with little complaint might I add.

 

[Necromancer]

Being anti-taxes is so stereotypically American and I just don't get it; don't the public know how the government uses the tax money at all? They are not stealing from you.

Not stealing? Well, that's debatable. I mean, I want higher taxes just as much as the next socialist, but the US government does not make good use of our tax dollars. They're cutting education while doing nothing of the sort to the Pentagon's budget, and they're giving billion dollar bailouts to massive corporations just so rich corporate executives can keep their jets and yachts.

Thing is, I take offense to the bible, but I fully believe in a higher power.

Then why are you thinking of going back to christianity? You sound more like an Agnostic Theist than anything else.

That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

It's -

Capitalism -> Elitism -> Fascism (Right Wing)
Socialism -> Communism (Left Wing)

Why would a capitalist society evolve in to communism?

Indeed. However, you're referencing the political spectrum. I prefer the political compass. It separates political ideologies from economic ideologies, so it's much less confusing and makes much more sense. On the compass, fascism wouldn't be considered "right wing" like capitalism would. It'd be at the top.

 

[Zarkes]

Yeah, I even read somewhere (can't remember, sorry) that America has amongst the lowest taxes on Earth. (If so, they have no right to whine.)



I also believe in some sort of higher power, but our definitions may differ. I, for one, don't believe in a sentient guiding deity that judges us for what we do, although I allow a small chance to exist that the universe was artifically created. But that we don't know. Anyway, our universe obiously couldn't have come from nothing. I don't know where it came from and how, but it did. There must be something that caused it, that if we find it out it all makes sense. Be it some physical fundamental law on which the very fabric of reality is built.

We have indirect taxes and hidden fees for everything so those satistics are probably far from the truth. We need permits for every action except breathing. Our unemployment rates are also misleading. They only take statistics from people recieving unemployment checks so once you stop getting checks you are employed again.
I believe in higher truth I imagine everyone must. I believe you have to dig through trainloads of dirt until you find one piece of gold. The usual case for me is that there is an ego in my way, humbling myself is the hardest thing Ive ever had to do. If there is a God he will reveal to you anything you ask Him, ask and you shall recieve. I believe God or not people go where they are meant to go. The usual bieng you go where you need to and not where you want too. The universe is far to complex and organized to be only chaos. Chaos fuels evolution. Things are so dirty in this world its hard to tell white from black sometimes. All I can say is dont except a doctrine of I dont believe dont dont dont. That can only exist if the true belief exists not to believe in. If you must not believe in anything then be like water.
Whatever I say religously wont matter much I am like a drop of water compared to the ocean. Id just rather swim then sink is all.

 

[Tsuyu]

Zarkes, anyone ever told you how insane you sound at times? I cant make any sense of what you just wrote...