The article titled God Would Be an Atheist makes some sweeping conclusions and takes some large liberties with the data presented in the paper it references. Statements such as "a correlation so strong that there is good reason to suppose that religious belief does more harm than good" are almost as unscientific as the religion he is denouncing. Correlation, no matter how strong, does not equal causation.

I say this only with respect to his statements about antisocial and violent behavior, as STD rate has been shown to increase with abstenance only sex education. Possibly in the future (maybe now, as this article and its corresponding journal article were written in 2005) studies will show that religious adherence causes violent and anti-social behavior instead of other plausable factors in US society such as class disparity or the lack of economic and educational opportunities. Until then, Martin Foreman's conclusions should be taken with a grain of salt.

So I guess an apple is just like a piece of cake, right? After all they both contain sugar.

To help clarify the confusion, let me explain some of the differences between 'our' fundies and 'their' fundies:

1. Ours are mostly lip service.
2. Ours do not control the government and hold the country in a grip of iron terror-based fear complete with death squads.
3. Even when 'our' fundies do get uppity they don't usually strap on an explosive vest and drive into a crowded theater/shopping center/church/school etc.
4. Nor do the stone, shoot, or behead people for having the audacity to go to school.

Now I'm sure that some cute, precious person will be sure to respond to those points with "Sounds just like the US!". Which, of course, is exactly the problem with cute, precious liberals.

Oklahoma City

Hi, having been living in Japan now for almost 9 years after 10 years in the States, i can tell you how great it is to be in a place free of religion, in daily life, media, TV, conversations, aso. There are surely aggravating things that can be said on these matters here, but as much as i enjoyed my life in the US (and most American people are truly friendly and wonderful), there is in the USA no freedom FROM religion. i seem to remember that it used to give Lieberman (that Joe) an orgasm. Here in Tokyo, walk, breathe, live: no religion (i mean no religion that invades you). As Lennon sang in 'Imagine'… So you nice Mormon bicycle riders in white shirts and ties pedaling through the streets of my suburbs, and smiling Jehovah Witnesses knocking at the door every 3 months, you are courageous people, but i think Japan is in no need of your superstitions, thank you.

"10. That Muhammad, a delusional first century Arab who thought the God of the Jews was speaking to him, was not a Muslim."

Silly me, and here I thought he lived in the 7th century. Can't wait until CNN clears that one up.