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Religion in Decline

Dan4reason

Facts not Faith
The topic of this forum is about religious decline in and any particular aspects of this decline. This forum asks why religion is in decline and what are the implications of this decline.

This graph shows that religion is in decline in the US.
r23235jxbuuc7z7_ywneqq.gif

This Easter, Smaller Percentage of Americans Are Christian

This graph shows that religious affiliation is falling in the US.

Here are some related links.
In U.S., Increasing Number Have No Religious Identity
Religion Among the Millennials - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Religion Most Important to Blacks, Women, and Older Americans
Statistics on Religion in America Report -- Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
What Alabamians and Iranians Have in Common
File:Eurobarometer poll.png - Wikimedia Commons
Belief in God Far Lower in Western U.S.
File:Bsa-religion-question.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

here are some facts about religion. Not only has religion been falling in the US but secularism is on the rise. The younger an American is, the less religious he is. The more educated an American is, this less religious she is. The richer an American is, the less religious she is. Men are more likely to be religious and so are minorities. One exception are the Asians who are less religious than white people. The US and Europe are less religious than average and this is a trend we see all over the industrialized world. Those nations that are poorer and less educated are far more likely to be religious. One notable exception is the US which is generally richer than Europe but is also more religious than it.

There are some reasons people are becoming less religious. First, as people become more educated, they are more likely to throw off faith-based superstitions. They learn to have better critical thinking skills and are exposed to a wider view of the world. As people become more comfortable and rich, they have less of a need for a meaning beyond death and can enjoy this life more making religion less necessary. A lack of a belief in religion can be a cultural thing but also a logical thing. A religious belief is bound to be more emotional and intuitional and a secular world view is more likely to be logical and fact-based.

As people become less religious there will probably be more crime and depression and society will have to deal with these problems in a different way that just superstition. Non-religious societies will be more scientific, logical, materialistic, and tolerant. Religious bigotry will wither with the withering of religion. These are my ideas. What are yours?
 

Wannabe Yogi

Well-Known Member
This forum asks why religion is in decline and what are the implications of this decline.

I believe that there has always been great numbers of humans who did not care that much about religion, they were not given a choice. Since science has come up with a workable cosmology that needs no God it is only natural that religion would become less popular. I hope this decreased interest in faith will reduce the power of religions in our culture. This will help both people of faith and secular folks by getting the lowest form of religion out of public power.
 

mickiel

Well-Known Member
The graph is also a future gague of what will happen to Atheism.

Atheism will follow the suit of religion, because it too willnot solve the problems of man. Atheism is just religion turned inside out.

Peace.
 

no-body

Well-Known Member
Religion might be on the decline but that doesn't mean spirituality and pseudoscience are. I'd like to see stats on that, don't really see much on it with a cursory Google search. I think a large part of it is the anti-authoritarian culture of today realizing how cultish or out right cult most organized religions really are. But I wager people still want to believe in things that make them feel better.
 

Dan4reason

Facts not Faith
I believe that there has always been great numbers of humans who did not care that much about religion, they were not given a choice. Since science has come up with a workable cosmology that needs no God it is only natural that religion would become less popular. I hope this decreased interest in faith will reduce the power of religions in our culture. This will help both people of faith and secular folks by getting the lowest form of religion out of public power.

I do agree that this is a factor. Many don't care for religion and science has given them a way to have a consistent world view and be non-religious. It is also a way out for people who are uncomfortable with the ideas of believing in the most specfic things about the universe without a shred of evidence. Religion has an enormous impact on politics and I find it uncomfortable when laws are being based on ideas that have little evidence. Why do you what less religion in politics?
 

David69

Angel Of The North
Wait until the day of Lucifer when Religion comes to an end. Or at least the evil manipulators of it fall.
 

it's_sam

Freak of Nature
It shows to me that both sides are comming together. It isn't that religion is declining it's that it's growing wich means it is reaching other minds bringing them closer to a middle ground. They are a steady incline right toward eachother and like everything will come to a peak. This isn't the first time these statistics have been a reality but i do think it might be the first time that a middle ground might actualy be reached within a mostly peace enviroment. I can only hope it ends well but the signs are good since it is religion as a whole and out for the greater good of their people. The only thing holding us back is ourselves, because we are all a part of the whole.
 

Dan4reason

Facts not Faith
The graph is also a future gague of what will happen to Atheism.

Atheism will follow the suit of religion, because it too willnot solve the problems of man. Atheism is just religion turned inside out.

Peace.
That projection is based on the idea that people retain or change their religious ideas to try to solve their problems. This may be a big reason that people are religious and some people may have become non-religious because religion is not solving their problems, but a big reason people are secular is because the evidence does not support religion and a more scientific view is more logical. They generally see the biggest problem with supernatural claims as a lack of evidence to support it.

pr061129biv.gif


One major wish for people is to understand the world. Atheism which is a denial of God is better at that than theism which has no evidence. In my opinion, as science advances, so will atheism.

Very few Americans are atheist, according to polls only about 1.6%. Compare that to the 78.4% of Americans who are Christian.

Atheism is not like religion at all. Atheism is the lack of belief in God or the supernatural. For practical purposes atheists assume that there is no supernatural when living their lives until they see some evidence. Compare that to the many faiths of religious people.
 

it's_sam

Freak of Nature
Im sorry david69 was that your idea of a scare tactic? Who are trying to "scare" anyway? Is there something you know about satan that hasnt been said before? If you follow satan you are also accepting the pressence of God as your reality, and the side of evil is prophesied to be destroyed from every other side that has a faith. So you actively chose the losing side? and for what? Do you honestly see yourself benefiting better in hell then in heaven? attention is easy to accomplish be carefull what you have to apoligize for once your done wanting it.
 

Dan4reason

Facts not Faith
Religion might be on the decline but that doesn't mean spirituality and pseudoscience are. I'd like to see stats on that, don't really see much on it with a cursory Google search. I think a large part of it is the anti-authoritarian culture of today realizing how cultish or out right cult most organized religions really are. But I wager people still want to believe in things that make them feel better.

Organized religion is faltering in the US but non-religious groups are growing very quickly. See the graph below.
zkhxmzvbekozvpl6obartg.gif

The number of non-religious people is increasing while the number of Christians is decreasing. Remember that Christians include both those who go to churches and those who are more individualistic in their beliefs. The catholics are far more authoritarian than the protestants yet it is protestantism that has seen far larger declines. Spirituality and pseudoscience may not be declining but the fact still remains that religion in general is decreasing while non-religion is making strong gains.
 

Dan4reason

Facts not Faith
It shows to me that both sides are comming together. It isn't that religion is declining it's that it's growing wich means it is reaching other minds bringing them closer to a middle ground. They are a steady incline right toward eachother and like everything will come to a peak. This isn't the first time these statistics have been a reality but i do think it might be the first time that a middle ground might actualy be reached within a mostly peace enviroment. I can only hope it ends well but the signs are good since it is religion as a whole and out for the greater good of their people. The only thing holding us back is ourselves, because we are all a part of the whole.
What is this middle ground? Is there any evidence that more people believe this than they used to? The number of non-religious people in America is increasing while that of the religious is decreasing. Is seems that the middle ground for many are secular beliefs.
 

Revasser

Terrible Dancer
The graph is also a future gague of what will happen to Atheism.

Atheism will follow the suit of religion, because it too willnot solve the problems of man. Atheism is just religion turned inside out.

Peace.

Since when does "atheism" encompass any attempt to solve the problems of man? Certain religions have made the claim that they can, but history has shown us that is an empty boast.

Human problems will only be solved by human problem-solvers making the effort, not by mass adoption of this or that philosophy or religion. But perhaps more being people being less beholden to strict religious doctrine will make them more open to that idea.
 

mickiel

Well-Known Member
They generally see the biggest problem with supernatural claims as a lack of evidence to support it.

pr061129biv.gif


One major wish for people is to understand the world. Atheism which is a denial of God is better at that than theism which has no evidence. .


An Atheist couldn't see evidence if it slapped him in the face.

Peace.
 

mickiel

Well-Known Member
Since when does "atheism" encompass any attempt to solve the problems of man? Certain religions have made the claim that they can, but history has shown us that is an empty boast.

Human problems will only be solved by human problem-solvers making the effort, not by mass adoption of this or that philosophy or religion. But perhaps more being people being less beholden to strict religious doctrine will make them more open to that idea.


Human problems cannot be solved by humans. How much more time of this do you need? All these years and humans have not done it yet.

Fantasy island man, your thoughts suggest a fantasy.

Peace.
 

it's_sam

Freak of Nature
Dan4reason if the middle ground was known there wouldnt be a debate about it. The reason it's hoped for is so that people won't judge due to their beliefs and if they did a wrong it was because it was wrong and not because of what they believe. It's also a hope of peace in religions as well as politics and both working together for a common goal. These are hopes because it CAN be a reality and it can be a reality because people want it for their loved ones as much as themselves. This consolidation of religion and beliefs has been a long time comming and has been opressed because of who will lose power. No matter what, it will happen. As the bible said best, "the truth will set you free" and we debate and fight for this peace of mind everyday.
 
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