Why Is Theism Waning And Atheism Growing?

[Delta4Embassy]

Inspired by Guno's thread about declining 'religious affiliated' people the question occurs, why is one declining in popularity, and the other increasing?

Atheism doesn't promise good stuff for good people but rather absolute nothingness. Not much of a selling point there, yet it's becomming more popular, and the ones that do promise heaven or paradise are in their declines. Why would that be?

Might think because people gravitate to the truth, but I wouldn't agree they do that as evidenced by Christianity and Islam's 3.5 billion followers where Judaism, the initial religion latter ones are built from have only 14 million. If truth were always more attractive, there should be 3.5 bn Jews and only a few million other faiths.

Maybe it's the constant assertions of there's this being we call God who loves you, is all-powerful, and will reward you when you die...But we can't prove a word of it. GIven the choice between identifying as someone who believes that versus 'there is no God' maybe people are just choosing the more sensible option at last? Not necessarily the better option, just the more sensible one.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

So what to do? If interested in getting more religious people and less non-religious people, how do we do that?

One of many suggestions I"ve shared with theologians is this: be more honest. If you don't know the answer to someone's question, say "I don't know." As with "Is there an afterlife?" My best answer has been "I don't know - I've never died before."

Think a lot of people are dissatisfied and put off when people answer questions like that with absolutes absent any evidence or proof. An old book isn't proof any more than Harry Potter novels proves the existence of centaurs. Isn't humility and being humble supposed to be a virtue? How humble is it to assert you know what happens when we die if you've never died before?

If religion incorporated more science into itself I think it'd be vastly more attractive to many people stuck believing there's only one of two possible choice: religion OR science. Science is just the explanations for how things work. Religion is just the abstract philisophical things. But as Dr. King Jr. said, "the two are not rivals."

We know religion evolves and changes hence the thousands of different BIblical versions. And thousands of different versions of Christianity. If a new denomination were founded incorporating science and a more humble approach to the religious stuff it'd be incredibly popular as right now there's nothing like that.

 

[Moonglow]

People are tired of being tied down to a religion that is goofy..anyone with half a brain can see the inconsistency of religion..

 

[TheOldSchool]

Actually theism is growing very quickly in many parts of the world. Just look at any country that republicans hate and you'll see.

 

[koshergrl]

Theism, and specifically, Christianity, is growing by leaps and bounds.

As we proved and discussed in guano's retardothread.

 

[guno]

Theism, and specifically, Christianity, is growing by leaps and bounds.

As we proved and discussed in guano's retardothread.

What a low IQ buffoon, not in educated counties its not , In the US its shrinking

 

[koshergrl]

Where it is exploding is in the anti-Christian shitholes, where the first acts of kindness people have ever witnessed come to them at the hands of Christians, who have risked their lives to be there.

And you do know that the better educated, the more likely a person is to attend church..right?

That tells us all we need to know about you, guano.

 

[koshergrl]

"
While overall church attendance has declined slightly in the United States in recent decades, a new study says attendance at religious services among white Americans who did not go to college has fallen more than twice as quickly as it has among more highly educated whites.

The study, released Sunday by the American Sociological Association, draws on decades of data from the General Social Survey and the National Survey of Family Growth to conclude that "moderately educated whites," defined as people with high school degrees, attended religious services in the 1970s at about the same rate as whites with degrees from four-year colleges. In the last decade, however, they attended much less frequently.

“Our study suggests that the less educated are dropping out of the American religious sector similarly to the way in which they have dropped out of the American labor market,” says researcher W. Bradford Wilcox, a professor of sociology at the University of Virginia."

Ouch, guano. That has to hurt.

Church Attendance Falling Among Less-Educated Whites Study

 

[koshergrl]

Imagine that, uneducated welfare loons aren't going to church.

Go figure.

 

[guno]

Where it is exploding is in the anti-Christian shitholes, where the first acts of kindness people have ever witnessed come to them at the hands of Christians, who have risked their lives to be there.

And you do know that the better educated, the more likely a person is to attend church..right?

That tells us all we need to know about you, guano.

That's we we Jews laugh at you trailer dwelling white trash goyim

 

[koshergrl]

Laughing uncontrollably and inappropriately is just a symptom that you need to adjust your meds.

 

[koshergrl]

Meanwhile, irresponsible, criminal, ignorant, and depraved low-lifes don't go to church much.

Surprise!

"Religious institutions typically uphold and encourage conventions such as getting married, having kids and maintaining stable jobs, which could make them less appealing to the moderately and least educated, he says.The study also shows that Americans who make more money attend religious services more frequently, and that Americans who have been unemployed at any point in the past 10 years attend services less frequently."

Church Attendance Falling Among Less-Educated Whites Study

 

[guno]

Laughing uncontrollably and inappropriately is just a symptom that you need to adjust your meds.

we mock and laugh at your kind

 

[koshergrl]

You are only one person, guano. Don't listen to the voices.

 

[lizzie]

Maybe it's the constant assertions of there's this being we call God who loves you, is all-powerful, and will reward you when you die...But we can't prove a word of it. GIven the choice between identifying as someone who believes that versus 'there is no God' maybe people are just choosing the more sensible option at last? Not necessarily the better option, just the more sensible one.

I think much of it is just dependent on changes in what is acceptable in any given society. It's also that we are living in a technological and scientific age. People want proof, and without it, they scoff. It's also much more convenient to live however you like, if you have no belief system. Iow, if there is no afterlife, no God, and nothing to fear from acting like an asshole, and doing whatever the hell you like, then it just makes it easier to live a more hedonistic lifestyle. We have had such a life of relative ease in this part of the world, for so many years, that we've become self-centered and complacent, and anything goes.

 

[guno]

You are only one person, guano. Don't listen to the voices.

really? Jews think you goyim are not too bright

 

[guno]

You are only one person, guano. Don't listen to the voices.

really? Jews think you goyim are not too bright

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Maybe it's the constant assertions of there's this being we call God who loves you, is all-powerful, and will reward you when you die...But we can't prove a word of it. GIven the choice between identifying as someone who believes that versus 'there is no God' maybe people are just choosing the more sensible option at last? Not necessarily the better option, just the more sensible one.

I think much of it is just dependent on changes in what is acceptable in any given society. It's also that we are living in a technological and scientific age. People want proof, and without it, they scoff. It's also much more convenient to live however you like, if you have no belief system. Iow, if there is no afterlife, no God, and nothing to fear from acting like an asshole, and doing whatever the hell you like, then it just makes it easier to live a more hedonistic lifestyle. We have had such a life of relative ease in this part of the world, for so many years, that we've become self-centered and complacent, and anything goes.

Well we've had sufficient science to refute religious assertions like in the Bible for over a hudnred years but religion was becomming more popular, not less. Could be though that the internet has made such scientific information more widely available now though.

There's certainly a marked decline in unity in the US. Compared to the previous generations, the government isn't the all-powerful, ever-respected instutition it used to be. Perhaps there's alink to the decline of a government (as determined by approval polls and ratings,) and religiousity? If we loose respect for government and our leaders, maybe God gets lumped in with them like? As respect for authority like governments goes up, so does obediance to reliigous authorities?

 

[lizzie]

Maybe it's the constant assertions of there's this being we call God who loves you, is all-powerful, and will reward you when you die...But we can't prove a word of it. GIven the choice between identifying as someone who believes that versus 'there is no God' maybe people are just choosing the more sensible option at last? Not necessarily the better option, just the more sensible one.

I think much of it is just dependent on changes in what is acceptable in any given society. It's also that we are living in a technological and scientific age. People want proof, and without it, they scoff. It's also much more convenient to live however you like, if you have no belief system. Iow, if there is no afterlife, no God, and nothing to fear from acting like an asshole, and doing whatever the hell you like, then it just makes it easier to live a more hedonistic lifestyle. We have had such a life of relative ease in this part of the world, for so many years, that we've become self-centered and complacent, and anything goes.

Well we've had sufficient science to refute religious assertions like in the Bible for over a hudnred years but religion was becomming more popular, not less. Could be though that the internet has made such scientific information more widely available now though.

There's certainly a marked decline in unity in the US. Compared to the previous generations, the government isn't the all-powerful, ever-respected instutition it used to be. Perhaps there's alink to the decline of a government (as determined by approval polls and ratings,) and religiousity? If we loose respect for government and our leaders, maybe God gets lumped in with them like? As respect for authority like governments goes up, so does obediance to reliigous authorities?

Actually, I suspect that as God gets less popular, government gains in popularity, not as an object of respect, but as a caretaker of sorts. People rely on government much more than we did in generations gone by. Why trust in God when you don't need him. That's how shallow many people have become.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Inspired by Guno's thread about declining 'religious affiliated' people the question occurs, why is one declining in popularity, and the other increasing?

Atheism doesn't promise good stuff for good people but rather absolute nothingness. Not much of a selling point there, yet it's becomming more popular, and the ones that do promise heaven or paradise are in their declines. Why would that be?

Might think because people gravitate to the truth, but I wouldn't agree they do that as evidenced by Christianity and Islam's 3.5 billion followers where Judaism, the initial religion latter ones are built from have only 14 million. If truth were always more attractive, there should be 3.5 bn Jews and only a few million other faiths.

Maybe it's the constant assertions of there's this being we call God who loves you, is all-powerful, and will reward you when you die...But we can't prove a word of it. GIven the choice between identifying as someone who believes that versus 'there is no God' maybe people are just choosing the more sensible option at last? Not necessarily the better option, just the more sensible one.

Because it isn't?

Pew Americans want more religion in their politics Hot Air