(February 2, 2016 at 2:32 pm)GodCherry Wrote:

(February 2, 2016 at 2:15 pm)Ivan Denisovich Wrote: Christianity dying of old age. It's not a bad vision, sadly though it's impossible or at very least improbable. As for young people we can hope that education will have some results. Reduction of poverty also would help with secularization but it's easier said than done.

All religions follow a standard death curve.  Eventually the christian god will go the same way as Zeus,  Thor or Ra.

Then some guy will rip off all the religions before him and create a new one for the sheep to bleat at.

I actually enjoy religion though.  I find them the tenants of them very amusing.  Mormonism being among my personal faves....its just hilarious.

I love the magic underwear.

Despite the obvious history of modern abrahamic religions having cannibalized now-dead pagan ideas, I don't see it as history repeating itself. Human political history certainly does repeat of course, but religions evolve like the cultural viruses which they are. Say what you may of Dawkins, but on this he truly nailed it when he coined the original definition of "meme" in his book The Selfish Gene.

Anyway, the Christianity meme is exists today because it has numerous advantages over those of the ancient, pagan world. They appealed to the wealthy landowners, of whom pricey sacrifices were demanded if they wanted to ensure a continued, and bountiful harvest. While the gods appeared to be receiving such sacrifices with favorable reciprocation, they remained powerful, but when drought and pestilence hit the land or wars were lost, such gods's followers were as likely to trade them for other gods than resort to making even bigger sacrifices when they were already facing ruin. Also, the ancient gods didn't give two shits about the poor and the slaves.

Enter abrahamic monotheism, especially Christianity. There is only one god, who cares about everyone, so they were sold. You don't have to be wealthy, and you don't need to make outrageous sacrifices to gain his favor. If you live according to the prescibed standards for your station, then an eternal reward awaits you at the end of it all. Therefore, the market for monotheism quadrupled in comparison to that for previous gods - it simply appealed to more people, and they all contributed to the income of the apostles or served them in some way.

Now, the best reason why Christianity (which is directly responsible for the existence of Islam) exists today: god is so fucking good at squeezing the believer's mind from every conceivable angle! If he fails you, you won't go and seek a different god, you will understand it as A Test Of Your Faith....YEAAAAH!!! You may be suffering as a believer, but since that god suffered for you, then What a Glory It Is To Suffer For Him...uUh-HUH!!! The Lawrd Giveth, and The Lawrd Taketh Away, it's all for the greater good according to His Devine Plan. You may not understand what he's doing, you may find it utterly perplexing, but The Lawrd Worketh In Mysterious Ways, yah. If you ever come to the point where these mysterious ways appear to be less of a mystery than of nature taking its course without any divine interaction at all, then once again it isn't the god, it's Ye Of Little Faith - get thee quickly to the next faith renewal weekend, pray more, go to prayer group meetings, and don't miss any more church services! Oh, and The Devil Planted the Fossils To Trick You On Evolution!

Think about it - 2000 years ago, very few had any good reason to doubt the existence of supernatural powers, the concern of most was whether their gods were powerful enough. Now that nobody in their right mind has any good reason to see anything other than a logical explanation for things that happen, there are more people in the US who are stupidly religious than there were when the Constitution of the United States was drafted. Reason has been challenging the minds of believers for over 500 years, and the more they look at such challenges, the more their leaders adjust their grip on their heads. Just as humanity has evolved on this planet, our religion is on a one-way course to perfect the domination of our minds, and Christianity is the most frightful juggernaut yet next to its offspring, Islam!

I don't think it's accurate to say religion becomes mythology all the time as a fact.
Some religions have existed since written history, Judaism and Hinduism. I don't see how you can prove for certain that religions do all turn into myths.

(February 2, 2016 at 4:03 pm)God of Mr. Hanky Wrote:

(February 2, 2016 at 2:32 pm)GodCherry Wrote: All religions follow a standard death curve.  Eventually the christian god will go the same way as Zeus,  Thor or Ra.

Then some guy will rip off all the religions before him and create a new one for the sheep to bleat at.

I actually enjoy religion though.  I find them the tenants of them very amusing.  Mormonism being among my personal faves....its just hilarious.

I love the magic underwear.

Despite the obvious history of modern abrahamic religions having cannibalized now-dead pagan ideas, I don't see it as history repeating itself. Human political history certainly does repeat of course, but religions evolve like the cultural viruses which they are. Say what you may of Dawkins, but on this he truly nailed it when he coined the original definition of "meme" in his book The Selfish Gene.

Anyway, the Christianity meme is exists today because it has numerous advantages over those of the ancient, pagan world. They appealed to the wealthy landowners, of whom pricey sacrifices were demanded if they wanted to ensure a continued, and bountiful harvest. While the gods appeared to be receiving such sacrifices with favorable reciprocation, they remained powerful, but when drought and pestilence hit the land or wars were lost, such gods's followers were as likely to trade them for other gods than resort to making even bigger sacrifices when they were already facing ruin. Also, the ancient gods didn't give two shits about the poor and the slaves.

Enter abrahamic monotheism, especially Christianity. There is only one god, who cares about everyone, so they were sold. You don't have to be wealthy, and you don't need to make outrageous sacrifices to gain his favor. If you live according to the prescibed standards for your station, then an eternal reward awaits you at the end of it all. Therefore, the market for monotheism quadrupled in comparison to that for previous gods - it simply appealed to more people, and they all contributed to the income of the apostles or served them in some way.

Now, the best reason why Christianity (which is directly responsible for the existence of Islam) exists today: god is so fucking good at squeezing the believer's mind from every conceivable angle! If he fails you, you won't go and seek a different god, you will understand it as a test of your faith....YEAAAAH!!! You may be suffering as a believer, but since that god suffered for you, then What a Glory It Is To Suffer For Him...uUh-HUH!!! The Lawrd Giveth, and The Lawrd Taketh Away, it's all for the greater good according to His Devine Plan. You may not understand what he's doing, you may find it utterly perplexing, but The Lawrd worketh in Mysterious Ways, yah. If you ever come to the point where these mysterious ways appear to be less of a mystery than of nature taking its course without any divine interaction at all, then once again it isn't the god, it's Ye Of Little Faith - get thee quickly to the next faith renewal weekend, pray more, go to prayer group meetings, and don't miss any more church services! Oh, and The Devil Planted the Fossils To Trick You On Evolution!

Think about it - 2000 years ago, very few had any good reason to doubt the existence of supernatural powers, the concern of most was whether their gods were powerful enough. Now that nobody in their right mind has any good reason to see anything other than a logical explanation for things that happen, there are more people in the US who are stupidly religious than there were when Constitution of the United States was drafted. Reason has been challenging the minds of believers for over 500 years, and the more they look at such challenges, the more their leaders adjust their grip on their heads. Just as humanity has evolved on this planet, our religion is on a one-way course to perfect the domination of our minds, and Christianity is the most frightful juggernaut yet next to its offspring, Islam!

There is a serious generational gap for christianity though.

Younger people in America are not at all religious nor do I believe they will "grow" into it.

The religion is in decline in industrialized nations.  Its only growth is actually in 3rd world countries.

(February 1, 2016 at 2:32 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote: Let us talk frankly here. Most atheists are antitheist, as it is. If you're an atheist and you're not an antitheist as well, you're either ignorant or malicious.

Quit speaking for others EP. It make you look even more like an asshole.

(February 1, 2016 at 10:09 pm)Kitan Wrote: I have never felt the need to restrain myself from saying what others never state.  I have always stated what is on my mind, and that others would rather bottle it all up and pretend for the sake of societal obligations has always quite perplexed me.  

Why chain one's self to mask after mask, only to be less of an individual?

That you believe others secretly want christers dead says far more about you than it does those others.

(February 1, 2016 at 2:32 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote: Let us talk frankly here. Most atheists are antitheist, as it is. If you're an atheist and you're not an antitheist as well, you're either ignorant or malicious.

Let us not not talk non-sincerely here. Not all penguins are Excited unless they're on AF, and when such penguins make comments like in the above quote their logic has either massively failed to succeed or massively succeeded at failing.

(February 2, 2016 at 4:10 pm)paulpablo Wrote: Some religions have existed since written history, Judaism and Hinduism.

No, they haven't. Writing is older.

(February 2, 2016 at 4:50 pm)abaris Wrote:

(February 2, 2016 at 4:10 pm)paulpablo Wrote: Some religions have existed since written history, Judaism and Hinduism.

No, they haven't. Writing is older.

Shamanism doesn't count?

(February 2, 2016 at 4:56 pm)God of Mr. Hanky Wrote:

(February 2, 2016 at 4:50 pm)abaris Wrote: No, they haven't. Writing is older.

Shamanism doesn't count?

Shamanism is a religion the way monotheism is. A type of religion, not a specific religion with a set of tenants and dogmas.

(February 2, 2016 at 4:58 pm)SnakeOilWarrior Wrote:

(February 2, 2016 at 4:56 pm)God of Mr. Hanky Wrote: Shamanism doesn't count?

Shamanism is a religion the way monotheism is. A type of religion, not a specific religion with a set of tenants and dogmas.

The point I see is that that it seems to go a long way back, having followed the people who crossed the Bering Strait to become modern Eskimo tribes. Did they have writing 12,000 years ago? I find it a little hard to believe that the partnership between executive tribal chief and the spiritual leader who assures the people that he acts in their best interests, according to the will of one greater to whom he is answerable isn't older than well-defined and written language.