The ironic end of chrisitianity

[Lek]

I haven't been alive long enough to see what change christianity dying off has had since I've never felt oppressed as an atheist. I certainly believe it would be a worse place with the kind of christianity hold there is in the US.

This country is far from perfect of course. If you have any reason to think things would be better or haven't got better with specific examples or evidence that relate directly to religion, I'd be interested to hear them.

I don't know for sure if it is the cause or one of the causes, but I see the western world in decline and it coincides with the move away from christianity. I view the US's heyday as being in the 1950s when we had the highest percentage of christians in our history. Asia is moving upward these days, where christianity is growing at a remarkable pace. China is moving away from communism, growing economically, and has the fastest growing christian population in the world. Personally, I see a connection there. Of course, you're right about the Scandinavian countries. I guess time will tell.

[Elskidor]

It'll happen but it won't die completely. It seems every few years they give an estimate for when it will be overthrown according to statics by country, yet every time it is done the supposed year drops lower and lower. It was predicted that it would take until 2060 for America some years back, while in 2012 they claimed 2040. I am guessing the number of non-believers just continue to rise at such a pace they have to readjust the chart. At this rate we can expect some massive changes in the states by, at least, 2030 imo.

Die completely though? Nah.

[genkaus]

I don't know for sure if it is the cause or one of the causes, but I see the western world in decline and it coincides with the move away from christianity.

Western world is in decline?

I view the US's heyday as being in the 1950s when we had the highest percentage of christians in our history.

You mean a time of period of cold-war, communist witch-hunts, McCarthyism, racial segregation and conservative social values?

Asia is moving upward these days, where christianity is growing at a remarkable pace. China is moving away from communism, growing economically, and has the fastest growing christian population in the world. Personally, I see a connection there.

There is a connection. The Chinese economic reforms of late 1970 also eased the restrictions on religious activity. Those reforms are responsible for both China's economic growth and for growth of religious population.

Of course, you're right about the Scandinavian countries. I guess time will tell.

Its telling right now.

[FatAndFaithless]

I don't know for sure if it is the cause or one of the causes, but I see the western world in decline and it coincides with the move away from christianity.

Western world is in decline?

I view the US's heyday as being in the 1950s when we had the highest percentage of christians in our history.

You mean a time of period of cold-war, communist witch-hunts, McCarthyism, racial segregation and conservative social values?

Asia is moving upward these days, where christianity is growing at a remarkable pace. China is moving away from communism, growing economically, and has the fastest growing christian population in the world. Personally, I see a connection there.

There is a connection. The Chinese economic reforms of late 1970 also eased the restrictions on religious activity. Those reforms are responsible for both China's economic growth and for growth of religious population.

Of course, you're right about the Scandinavian countries. I guess time will tell.

Its telling right now.

Not to mention that the 50s was a period in which America was pretty much the only developed industrial nation that hadn't been bombed to shit in the war. Basically the entire world (including the Soviet Union for a while) was paying us out the ass to rebuil everything. No wonder our economy experienced such a swell.

[Mr Greene]

Religious groups have always screamed that their world is in decline whether it's now, the Victorian period, the Renaissance or any other point where we have documentary evidence. indeed the format is almost identical.
i figure it's something to do with the depressing perspective of life fostered by religion.

[robvalue]

I'm pretty sure stuff is better now people aren't being killed for not being a certain religion. Well, in some countries.

[The Grand Nudger]

Ah yes, the glory days of the 50's - when most of my family were either dead or sharecroppers about to be evicted by a combine. If only I had a time machine.....

[Mister Agenda]

If current trends continue (I know), religion will have nearly died out in Europe by around the end of the century, but it will take about another century for the USA to catch up. Meanwhile Africa and South America and the Middle East will remain highly religious, but will allow religious diversity and atheism, so maybe another century beyond that before the whole world is mostly irreligious. The year 2300 seems a long way off to me.

Of course, it's possible the trends leading to less religion could accelerate.

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I think the most we can hope for is for a huge growth of atheism to the point that it becomes on par with the Abrahamic religions. Not as a religion itself, but as a group with similar numbers. In my opinion, it's inevitable. In the States, our politicians are already begrudgingly agreeing to things that they never would have if it weren't for the Civil Rights movement. Bigots are forced to be sensitive when cameras are rolling and thats at least a step.

What we need is huge growth in freethinking humanism. Atheism without a concommittent rational worldview is vulnerable to all kinds of woo.

The easiest kind of atheist to convert is one who was never religious and never thought about it much.

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Yes that makes sense, humans seem to need to believe in something beyond themselves, be it football and the gods that play it, and yes I think in time even atheism will become a strong belief system, it could even become a dogma, and hence fundamentalism will sneak in.

Neither atheism nor theism can be dogmas in themselves, and freethought doesn't allow dogma.