Dear Peter,

«why a very religious country has such inadequate social practices»

Why do you call the USA a religious country?
It is true that as part of their history and culture they have a high rate of participation in churches and church services, but since when has this been an indication of religiousness?

If you are after an answer to the American cults issue, you really need to look at social issues rather than at religion.

So Yuyutsu,go for it,,, What are "the social issues rather than ..religion"?. And why do I call them religious? More of them believe in God than any other nation,,80% vs 40% in Australia, , More of them pray,,, more of them go to church than any other developed country ,,,By a substantial margin,,

So comment with knowledge please

Dear Peter,

As for the social issues in America, I am ignorant, I never studied them and so I urge you to ask others who know more than myself.

Why do you call them religious?

- Because it is a myth, all too common that you fell for it too, as if those who claim to believe in God and pray in churches are supposedly more religious than others.

"By their fruits you shall know them" [Matthew 7:16]

Hi PeterBo,

Why do you think America has produced more religious cults than Australia?

Australia has heaps of radical, extreme religious cults, they're just not Judeo-Christian cults.

100% of all Australians who claim to not be Christian, believe in something else other than Christianity.

Look no further than the radical, extreme zealotry in the comments of people claiming to be secular, humanist atheists, or the cultish behaviour of Extinction Rebellion.

Australia lead the world for producing foreign fighters in the Middle East by a country mile.

I tell you what else makes Christianity a cult.

This whole idea surrounding forgiveness.
Christians are taught to forgive the rapist and the murderer.

- At the funeral, it would somehow be God's will that these things happened
- Instead of separating God's will from Man's will that caused the problem...
Don't people have their own freewill?

Christians are taught to have 'unconditional forgiveness'.
They become so diluted with 'unconditional forgiveness' that they end up inadvertently give all sins a free pass

By the same token it's as though they also expect 'unconditional forgiveness'
No matter what they do wrong, they just pray and let God do the worrying.
There's no need to ask forgiveness from the person they themselves harmed.
Just ask God or Jesus for forgiveness and you're covered for everything, all brand new.

Hi Armchair Critic, The Bible NEVER said anything about forgiveness being "unconditional".

Genuine repentance is also required.

You are speaking about radical, extreme leftist re-interpretation of Christian morals, ethics & principles for the purpose of attacking straw men.