In America, saying
negative things about
religion raises very few eyebrows unless the speaker is someone who holds
public office. It seems to be a given in this country that politicians must mouth vague
religious platitudes regardless of their actual beliefs or practices - the Reagans never even went to
church, for cryin' out loud.
However, let someone like Ted Turner announce in a speech that "Christianity is for losers" or that the Ten Commandments should be edited to remove the bit about adultery, and most people will simply shrug. (The exception being, of course, those who take their religion seriously.) This in spite of the fact that Ted Turner has much more influence over how we transmit our culture's values to the next generation than, say Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura.