PERSPECTIVE
POl YCi RAPH Honesty & integrity are at
■ ' 11: ‘ i -1 the heart of our business.
Is your partner
cheating
on you?
Polygraph (aka Lie Detection or Truth Verification)
provides a unique opportunity to establish ground-level
truth'from which you can make educated decisions.
There is no such thing as a “One-Size-Fits-Ali” poiygraph test
Select from a vast array of categories to meet your requirements.
If you are ready to sch^ule a test or have immediate questions,
call our Polygraph Exam Hotline anytime.
Criminal Defense
False Allegations
Witness Integrity
Convicted Sex Offenders
Missing Deposits
Inventory Shortage
Embezzlement
Police & Sheriff’s Departments
Rre Departments
Corrections
Sexual HIstoty
Periodic Maintenance
Instant Offense
Teens in Trouble Confirmation of Catch
Missing Money or Property Performance Enhancement Drugs
Family Accusations Illegal Steroid Use
Other Testing: Armored Car and Pharmaceutical Companies; Companies with classified
Government Corrtracts; plus Custom Polygraph, designed to test almost any situation.
Call Our
Polygraph Information Hotline
704-252-0991
to schedule an appointment
or email andrew@thepolygraphexaminer.com
or visit our website to learn more about our services
www.thepoiygraphexaminer.com
Days • Nights • Weekends • Major Credit Cards Accepted
Time to vote for the best!
Q-Notes'first annual QList voting begins April 4
the first annuo/
List
Hot bars. Cool clubs. Great food. Influential
community leaders. Who is the best and the
hottest of the LGBT
Carolinas? You get
to decide!
The QList, Best
of the LGBT * The best of the LGBT
Carolinas is your Carolinos Readers’ Pick
chance to have a say
in the who, what,
when and where of North and South Carolina.
Starting April 4, log on to www.q-notes.com/qlist
to vote for the best Carolinas bars arid clubs,
restaurants, coffee shops and cafes, retail shops,
faith institutions, non-profit community groups,
community leaders and more.
Here’s the cool part — Submit your ballot
and be entered in a chance to win a free iPod
Shuffle and other great prizes!
The QList has two ballots; one
for Carolinas-wide voting and
another for specific, geographic vot
ing. You can vote in both. In fact, we
encourage you do. Two ballots,
means two chances to win that
iPod!
So, grab your friends and all your club
buddies and fellow non-profit volunteers and
let the battle begin] I
Vote online April 4 through May 13
www.q-notes.com/qlist
Editor’s Note
by Matt Comer . Q-Notes staff
Dying faith
In the past month, a lot has been made
of religion and its place in America. While the
religious right continues along their delusional
path of believing our country is a “Christian
nation,” new information from the American
Religious Identification Survey (ARIS), as
reported by USA Today, shows a surprising
drop in numbers for those Americans claim
ing to belong to traditional systems of faith
and belief. Even more surprising was the jump
in those claiming to be atheists, avowing a
belief in no greater being or religion at all.
At its most simplistic level, religion exists
to offer humanity two things: first, hope and,
second, explanations for what we fail to
understand or explain ourselves. Humans seek
out religion to answer a myriad of questions,
from simple issues of everyday life to more
perplexing issues of eternity: Is it wrong to
ste^? Is it wrong to He? How should I treat my
brothers and sisters? How should I live my life
in a way that is best for me, my family, my
community and my world? Why are we here
and where did we come from? What does life
mean? What happens to us when we die?
When religion can longer answer these
questions, or when the available answers no
longer make sense or fail to apply to the
everyday lives of those who are asking them,
religious systems and faith traditions falter.
In the ARIS survey, researchers found that
since 1990 the number of those claiming to be
atheists had risen from 8.2 percent to 15 per
cent. Atheism is now the third largest “reli
gious group” in America, following
Catholicism (25.1 percent) and Baptists (15.8
percent). Other Christian denominations have
also seen decreases in membership.
The reasons for the decline in Christian
belief, I think, are simple enough. In the last
issue’s column, I said that the religious right in
North Carolina was digging its own grave.
Likewise, the radical and hate-filled theology
of fundamentalist Christians nationwide is
fueling an exodus. People are leaving the
Christian church in droves. Some of them, no
doubt, continue to believe in Christ but can’t
bring themselves to be labeled as “Christian.”
Even I find it hard to label myself a
Christian, at times. The word has been co
opted by the reHgious right and has
come to symbolize everything that is
wrong with America, Uiiking it to our
segregationist past and our homopho
bic, anti-LGBT present. It seems more
and more people are finding it harder
to affiliate themselves with
“Christians” — a group the religious right has
turned into a powerful and ever-present repre
sentation of division, bigotry and stupidity.
Whether it’s the Pope condemning condoms
in Africa, Focus on the Family or the American
Family Association telling people their gay
brothers and lesbian sisters are derang^ and
evil or “family” and “American” values groups
trampHng centuries-old American ideds and
constitutional principles — there’s no doubt
that ftmdamentaHst Christianity is taking over.
The end result, however sad it might be to those
who still profess faith in Christ, is that
Christianity is on the outs. The faith is slowly
dying, and it is headed toward its grave because
of the actions of none other but its own,
arguably misguided adherents.
But, for progressive and compassionate
Christians who have yet to jump ship, the faith
is still a comfort and an aide. There are even
those who are slowly changing the faith from
one of condemnation and fear to a more
inclusive and tolerant one. Take, for instance,
the story of Episcopal priest and ordained
Buddhist lay leader Kevin Thew Forrester. He’s
up for ordination as the Bishop of the
Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan.
That’s managed to draw the ire of radical, fun-
damentaHst Christians across the globe.
I find it amazing that Forrester is able to
blend his peaceful, meditating Buddhist prac
tices into his traditional Christian theology. It
makes sense, really. Two religious and faith
traditions that, at their core, teach peace, love,
forgiveness and humfiity.
It is a shame fundamentalist Christians
can’t get with the program. I can only imagine
Christ looking down on his followers with
blushed cheeks of shame and embarrassment.
If fimdamentaHst quacks would take the time
to focus on the true tenets of their faith, per
haps its coming death would be staved off.
It takes an awful long time for religions to
die out. So, if you’re among the compassionate
faithful who want to see your great faith tradi
tion stay around for another couple thousand
years, you’ll have a long time to get the prob
lems fixed. The first step: reclaiming the word
“Christian” from the loonies. I
APRIL 4.2009