how long before christians are minorities

[TheHeretic]

Lets face it, religion is inherited. There are hundreds of religions out there but one almost always shares the same religion as their parents. And when a parent doesn't force their religion on a child they ussually become atheist. This does ussually isnt the case for the atheist parents. You hardly evey see and atheist turning christian. So my question is how long before Atheists become the majority religion in the U.S.

 

[locknroll]

I hate to break it to you, but Atheism is not a religion. It is simply the lack of belief in God/Gods. Most people in the world are religious, however as science marches on, religion will slowly die out - my best guess would be 300-400 years from now, perhaps when enough people realize that religion just doesn't make sense. Or maybe we will find something just as inane to replace religion with?

"For the price of just one coffee a day, you can make sure you and your loved ones are cryogenicly preserved in our state of the art labaotories. The CryoLife Group" :m:

 

[Aborted_Fetus]

The faster religion dies out, the better. We can't handle much more of these religious fundamentalist groups and their jihads.

 

[Joeman]

Religion will never die out. The percentage of religious people have been declining but is now flattening out. beliefnet.com has that info.

Traditional religions will go away, and new age will take their place. Mankind has already been inventing religions. Some even argue that science is like a fundamental religion by itself because science doesn't bring you truths. All the premises that science is based on cannot be proven.

Some dead religions like Greek Gods and Gnostics are coming back.

 

[Aborted_Fetus]

Yeah I guess you're right Joeman, there will always be people stupid enough to buy into the illogical mind-controlling idea of religion.

 

[TheHeretic]

Yeah i know Atheisim is not a religion. Its kinda like the color black its not really a color but we call it a color thats what so f*ckin cool about it.
Yeah your right there always be religion in the world but someday they will just be a minority. I have a feeling christianity will go the fastest though

 

[Leo Volont]

Arnold Toynbee, perhaps the greatest Historian who ever lived, examined the dynamics of Religion. At the height of Civilization it is usual for secular institutions to come to the fore. But as Civilizations collapse, typically the last remaining Organizations will be Religious in character. And then it is likely for some sort of Dark Ages to continue indefinitely until Social Conditions are again conducive for Civilization, and THAT requires the rise and general acceptance of Religious Principals and Institutions.

You see, you Barbarians are great at feeding off the carcass of Civilization, but once it is totally consumed, you have nothing but to degenerate into small time warring factions and bandit tribes. It is only by Religion that Society can re-congeal into a Civilization.

So, ultimately, we will ALWAYS have Religion, or we will have nothing but hell on earth. Read Thomas Hobbes. He was more a philosopher and a thinker, and didn't even consider himself a Religious Man, but he had enough sense to know that without Religion, the life of men on earth would be no better than "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short".

 

[Adstar]

True Christians have always been a minority. And a small one at that.

All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[Tezcatlipoca's Hat]

That was a very cogent and well-supported reply, Leo. Even if one relegates religion to the category of "societal mechanism," it is still an essential part of our checkered past and hazy future. After all, there are many, many individuals who are not at all invested in the spiritual who are devoutly religious. It would seem that the world's truly unifying religion is Tradition, i.e. "My folks did it this way, so that's how we're doing it, by gum!" The benefits afforded by adherence to such traditions are well-documented, of course, but then again so are the drawbacks. It amazes me that the same people who will loudly denounce you for violating some tenet of the Bible will laugh in your face if you suggest they live by, say, The Code of Hammurabi.

Not that I'm spoiling for a feud with the devoutly religious, mind you. I am certainly in no position to prove/disprove the veracity of statements made in the Bible (or the Koran, or the Book of Mormon, or even "Gilgamesh." How the hell do I know if some giant bearded dude with a mean streak killed a tree-hugging monster, effectively pissing off his own Dad and wrangling a death sentence for his best friend in the process?), and I personally believe that faith and interaction with the deity of one's choice to be a personal matter. Religion happens in the church, faith happens in the heart.

Back to the original topic - I think Christianity is in no immediate danger, given the rabid mobilization of the fervently conservative in the last U.S. election. I often wonder about Christ's take on the modern version of the religion that bears his name (I'm leaning toward bemusement lightly seasoned with confusion and outrage).

As for the fate of religion in general - well, come on, folks, let's face it; some people are always going to need to feel they're better than other people, and these same people almost invariably indulge this need communally. So whether it's Christianity or Science or Trek Fandom (Reformed), there is always going to be rich soil in the human heart for the thorny vine of religion. We're not only wired to believe, we're wired to express that belief, even if what we believe in seems completely irrational (e.g. "Tlatl, there's a scary pink-faced man with metal skin and four legs walking toward the village! He wants to give us smelly blankets and borrow some of the shinier temple artifacts - he must be a god!")

 

[Cris]

Religions will die out when the gene pool improves, educaton standards rise appropriately, and science provides more facts about our universe. Religious beliefs are largely based on ignorance and confused thinking, or simply low inteligence.

 

[Cris]

Leo,

The mistake you make here and I notice have made before is to confuse the absence of a moral system with a secular system and claim that only a religious system can be moral and have the organizational influence needed. All that religious systems offer is a common idealistic goal centered on a particular fantasy. Whichever mythical deity or prophet or imaginary afterlife concoction is chosen is largely irrelevant providing a relatively large group want it to be real. The natural human social and group mentality kicks in and religion then rules. Truth and facts are also irrelevant here since emotions are far more powerful in such religious scenarios.

What we have lacked in the past is, the scientific discoveries that are slowly emerging now that are beginning to reveal some real truths about our universe, and a rational system of thought based on reality rather than fantasy. Unfortunately cold hard facts often do not stimulate the emotions in the same way as the fanaticism of religious fantasies.

The challenge and question we must face is how do we develop a moral system and civilization based on reality and reason rather than the more comfortable emotional desires of religious fantasies. The conclusion you attempt to draw is that what has always occurred will continue to occur but that is a logical fallacy. The recent and new appearance of scientific facts and real knowledge now significantly distort the algorithm you quote and for the first time in human history offer us a chance to escape the tyranny that only religions can exhort.

Thomas Hobbes. He was more a philosopher and a thinker, and didn't even consider himself a Religious Man, but he had enough sense to know that without Religion, the life of men on earth would be no better than "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short".

And from the perspective of such a 17th century philosopher that is understandable. Unfortunately he lacked the knowledge that recent science is now providing and which does inspire many to seek a future based on reality rather than the ultimately destructive superstitions offered by religion.

Cris

 

[Tezcatlipoca's Hat]

Excellent points, Cris.

Do you think there will ever be a moral and informed system of religion-free civilization that will capture the heart as well as the head? I find this possibility intriguing, but I don't know if we could or even should achieve such a goal. The same imagination and intellect used to peel back the skin of the universe, laying bare its innards with science, may also be inspired by religious fervor to create artwork of heartbreaking beauty. Is either of these things less valid than the other? More to the point, is either of them less <i>human</i> than the other?

I ask not to incite an argument, but to discuss the possibility that we are prone to "irrational" belief for a reason, and that perhaps the comfort drawn from the notion of a benevolent creator is as essential to peace of mind as focusing the sharp eye of science on the world that surrounds us. Perhaps the best civilization would be one that allows for enrichment of the spirit AND fully informed development of the mind and body. <i>Mens sana in copore sanum</i>, and all that.

Thoughts?

 

[Yorda]

The borders between the 3 major religions will dissapear within the next world month. A great teacher of this age will prove with his own person that the heart of all religions is one and the same truth - one and the same God. Also the border between science and religion will fade away, since people will realize that everything is motion, waves; also energy, matter and spirit are all manifestations of the forces of the "primal origin" (God). The radiation of Aquarius (the next world month) works at full power after 160 years, but we have already entered this age, since the border between the world monts is not sudden, but the transition is smooth, like in a color circle.

 

[Cris]

Yorda,

The borders between the 3 major religions will dissapear within the next world month.

There are no meaningful borders between religions – they are all just variations of the same deceitful dream.

A great teacher of this age will prove with his own person that the heart of all religions is one and the same truth - one and the same God.

The eternal wish that has been made since man could think and this time just as vaporous as all those that have passed.

Also the border between science and religion will fade away, since people will realize that everything is motion, waves; also energy, matter and spirit are all manifestations of the forces of the "primal origin" (God).

Opposites can never merge but truth might eventually emerge from the struggle.

 

[Cris]

Tez,

Do you think there will ever be a moral and informed system of religion-free civilization that will capture the heart as well as the head?

Only if wisdom can endure instead of superstition. And there is no strong evidence that that will occur.

I find this possibility intriguing, but I don't know if we could or even should achieve such a goal.

This is the first step to civilization; once it is achieved we can then give some thought to creating a purpose for ourselves.

The same imagination and intellect used to peel back the skin of the universe, laying bare its innards with science, may also be inspired by religious fervor to create artwork of heartbreaking beauty.

I somehow doubt that artistic inspiration will disappear when religion finally loses its credibility.

Is either of these things less valid than the other? More to the point, is either of them less human than the other?

Imagination is very human – mistaking imagination for truth is tragic.

I ask not to incite an argument, but to discuss the possibility that we are prone to "irrational" belief for a reason, and that perhaps the comfort drawn from the notion of a benevolent creator is as essential to peace of mind as focusing the sharp eye of science on the world that surrounds us.

Just as a child draws comfort from knowing its loving parents are close. But when we grow up many of us cherish independence. Perhaps others simply never grow up and create dependent fantasies for comfort.

Perhaps the best civilization would be one that allows for enrichment of the spirit AND fully informed development of the mind and body. Mens sana in copore sanum, and all that.

I think perhaps I have no idea what is meant by spirit if it is not the mind.

 

[okinrus]

The mistake you make here and I notice have made before is to confuse the absence of a moral system with a secular system and claim that only a religious system can be moral and have the organizational influence needed.

It's not the position of having moral values but of justifying those moral values. Anyone can say murder is wrong, but when it comes to an individual justifying his or her beliefs, secularism has little to offer, side communal benefit. But when individual's persuits outwiegh the communal benefit, most will choose those individual persuits unless there's a sufficient cause. Secularism doesn't say why the community is better than the benefits of the individual. For that matter, who's at fault if they rationaly conclude murder has the most benefit, for themselves and society at large?

 

[divine sapience]

where is the spirituality?

 

[Yorda]

Cris,

There are no meaningful borders between religions – they are all just variations of the same deceitful dream.

Once I thought so too.

The eternal wish that has been made since man could think and this time just as vaporous as all those that have passed.

There have been many great teachers on earth, it's nothing new.

Opposites can never merge but truth might eventually emerge from the struggle.

Stars can merge with their "opposite" (gravity) and a new reality is born from this balance. Even a man and a woman can "merge" and become "one".
If you want truth, never be for or against.