Christianity in America Debate

History tells us that when two men are passionate about the subject at hand, a lively debate is about to ensue. That was certainly the case late last week when religion and culture expert, author and talk show host Dr. Alex McFarland debated David Silverman, president of the American Atheists, at the Church For All Nations in Colorado Springs, Colo., on the topic of “Is Christianity Good for America?” McFarland and Silverman, keeping the debate lively, entertaining and respectful, presented arguments for Christianity’s place according to McFarland—or lack thereof according to Silverman—in America.  McFarland centered his arguments on nine main points of why Christianity is good for America, which included Christianity’s:  Shaping of U.S. history, Presence in U.S. polity, and Protection of human rights.  McFarland also pointed to the research that found that America is 80 percent Christian. “This is not ‘fringe,’ he said, “this is the majority.” An American Religious Identification Survey found that, from 2001 to 2008, the Christian population has grown in the U.S. from 159,514,000 to 173,402,000, while the American atheist population sits at about 1.6 percent.