Are the churches using atheists to gain more converts?

[madog]

How does 94% to 84% count as dying out?

Does actually beg the question if the drop is a move in the right direction or whether more people are prepared to admit their non belief?

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I don't know the answer, but for some reason shoving the church in a back cupboard of the state virtually castrates them, whereas separating the church from state causes them to be powerful, in the actual running of the state, to the point that to actually to be voted to become part of the state you must profess strong religious beliefs 

Make no mistake - many of the European churches are by no means castrated. They're able to reap huge profits and abuse political systems, only they do so without attracting much attention. American religious organizations on the other hand don't have much actual political power, because they're in competition with each other and highly localized. Sure - the word "god" is a prerequisite for any american political campaign, but it doesn't usually translate to any one particular church controlling the democratic process. It's the idea of religion (well - mainly christianity) that's powerful in US, not any one religion/denomination itself.

Mmm, they don't have much influence on stuff like gay marriage, abortion, etc. etc, in the UK. it appears to me they do in the USA ... Do I like them being anywhere in a civilized society ... no ..... but whatever influence they have doesn't appear to be as apparent as what I perceive to be the case in the USA ... As I said I am open minded on the issue.

What I can say is I got looked at stranger, when I declared I was a "born again Christian" than when I said I didn't believe in a God ... and that was 40 years ago, the church has lost even more influence in the UK since then .....