Mike Pence Lies in Commencement Speech, Saying "Faith is Rising Across America"

[trotsky]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2018/05/14/mike-pence-lies-in-commencement-speech-saying-faith-is-rising-across-america/

On Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence delivered the commencement address at Hillsdale College, a private Christian school in Michigan. While much of what he said was cheerleading for this administration, he also repeatedly made the bizarre claim that faith was on the rise in the country, a “fact” that has no basis in reality.

...

And while in some places, deeply held religious belief is becoming more rare, leading some to claim that America’s rich faith tradition will soon be a relic of our nation’s past, it just isn’t so. Facts are facts. Faith is rising across America. I see it everyday. In communities large and small, in the way Americans respond in good times and in great hardship, the faith of the American people shines forward…

...

Mike Pence may want to believe that faith is on the rise in America, but believing something is true doesn’t make it so. It’s a perfect metaphor for this administration that they would lie about faith just to make themselves look better.

If anything, the damage this administration is doing to the nation — with the strong backing of white evangelical Christians — will ultimately lead more people away from religion altogether. We saw that happen in the George W. Bush era. I suspect it’ll happen in far greater numbers with this administration.

Well, at least those few individuals here on DU who scoff at the suggestion that religion is declining can know they have an ally in Mike Pence.

[MineralMan]

1. And what an ally Mike Pence is, too.

With allies like him, no enemies are needed.

[hlthe2b]

2. I don't think taking God's name in vain to "pray" for Mueller to hurry up and clear the decks counts

If so, they might be counting a lot of lapsed, agnostics, and atheists.

[rgbecker]

6. This! LOL.

If praying for Trump to keep his finger off his Big Button counts...faith across America is off the charts.

[FiveGoodMen]

3. Right along with, "every day, more scientists are realizing that god is real"

They live in the bubble they've made for themselves.

[msongs]

4. he's talking to the creator crowd nt

[Blue Owl]

5. He's a D-ist

D as in:

A) Douchebag
B) Dipshit
C) Deploreable
D) All of the above

Hint: the correct answer is D

[Voltaire2]

7. Hot air rises.

[guillaumeb]

8. What was the lie?

[trotsky]

9. You should click the link and read.

You'll find out what it was.

[trotsky]

10. From the Washington Post fact checker site:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/05/15/pences-claim-that-religion-in-america-isnt-receding-its-just-the-opposite/

Pence has latched onto one specific study to make the claim that the percentage of truly religious in the United States have remained consistent in recent decades and that “faith is gaining new life across America.” But that study actually undermines his point, as it demonstrated that except for a core group, religion is fading away for other Americans. Other studies back up those trends. Pence earns Two Pinocchios for his cherry-picking. He’s also simply wrong to claim that weekly attendance has been consistent; it’s been dropping for years.

Go ahead and dispute the Washington Post and defend Mike Pence. I'd LOVE to see that.

[guillaumeb]

12. Organized religion is not the same thing as spirituality.

[trotsky]

13. So you finally admit Mike Pence lied.

Thank you.

[trotsky]

11. From the BBC:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44113040

...According to Greg Smith, associate director for religion research at the Pew Research Center, Mr Pence's claims do not appear follow the numbers.

"The data we do have do not suggest a recent increase in the share of Americans who are highly religious," Mr Smith told the BBC.

"The vast majority of Americans do say they believe in God, but those numbers are ticking downward," he added.

As for Mr Pence's suggestion that more Americans are going to church in modern times? Aside from sheer population differences from 1776 to now, the figures do not support that claim either, according to Mr Smith.

Has your question been answered yet? Do you see what the lie was?

Or are you going to attack the BBC too, as you defend Mike Pence?