The interesting thing to me here is I've always felt in the minority by believing in God. The more I've thought about this though, I think that belief in God and no belief in God are two extremes that do end up being minoritys. I now this sounds silly, but of all the poeple I meet, very view care one way or the other: They don't belive in anything.

Well, it doesn't sound silly, but it is surprising to me -- that you have a serious feeling of minority. Guess that says something about respective vantage points. I saw a reference to this House Bill 459 which essentially denounces the PoA ruling. I don't know what the spread will be if and when it comes to a vote, but I assume that it will pass quite handily with many of the few reps who don't support it vanishing into the woodwork of abstention. If that's how it goes, I guess I'll say "Yep, I'm in the minority!" How about you? Seriously?

At least an athiest believes something: that there is no God.

That intro link I posted in response to Bitt deals with this issue in a way I agree with. I think that there are lots of things that I don't believe in but which I don't consider positive beliefs.

You are in the minority because you claim this belief, but almost everyone I meet lives this way. I live in the south, where most people seem to be born religious, but in the end most of these poeple are functionally atheist if not ones in belief.

Again, this surprises me but I guess it might come down to how strict your standards are and what people project (perhaps versus how they really behave). Example: I didn't know that the rather priestly priest who married me back in the early 1980s would turn out to be the life partner of the other priest now being tried in Boston for serial child abuse; my sister probably couldn't know that the very sanctimonious priest who indignantly *refused* to marry her (to a non-catholic) would later be convicted of multiple charges of child molestation! (edit: The point being that they all seemed pretty religious to me!)

I must admit I'm not so sure why that song would upset you, as most music out today (aside from some country and Christian music) outrightly defy's religion and Christian teaching in specific. I find little comfort in hearing such a song on the radio because the singer has other songs that go the other way (I much prefer a group like Rush: though I may completely disagree with them, at least thy are honest and engage the mind).

Different songs may upset me for different reasons. I'm a stong free-speech, anti-censorship kind of guy, but I have to say that I get really steamed (and write my local radio station to ask that they improve their playlist) when I hear a lot of the horribly misogynous music (rap, mostly) that gets airplay (this is *another* thread). But the fact that some music upsets me for one set of reasons doesn't help me not get offended by different songs for different reasons. The smug, insulting JM Montgomery song basically implies that if you don't subscribe to his particular religion that you are "lost" and that you are doomed to a life of drug abuse abuse and child neglect. That's enough for me to get insulted!

I guess my point is that if you want some comfort in your minority state, most people live like there is no God, even if they won't admit it to themselves. The thought is much to heavy for a culture that cares not to deal with consequences.

Thanks. This sounds like small comfort all the way around!