(June 18, 2016 at 1:31 pm)madog Wrote: This really interests me, I see all the debates happening in Christian churches with atheists and have a sneaky feeling that those churches are using the debates to get more converts? I personally hope this is back firing on the churches, so would appreciate any thoughts or examples either way ...
Is religion growing or decreasing in the USA?
All religions in human history are self serving. Religions is an artificial construct that sets up social order. Every religion will point to advantages such as kind motifs, while pointing at the "disadvantages of others". It stems from evolutionary group survival.
Humans evolved to group and seek patterns, the problem is, at the same time, even today, most humans don't have the critical thinking skills to understand, while a group can be successful buying into an idea, that idea can be completely false. Just like the Ancient Egyptians were successful for 3,000 years in their belief in their polytheistic gods that in reality were never real.
Of course they do that. But not just with atheists, but anything they see good or bad. They point to Islam and say "I am not like them", they point to addicts who got sober. They point to survival of accidents or violence. But not just Christians, all religions do this to greater or lesser degrees. It amounts to our species not accepting that there is no magic to the good or bad that happen in life.
Our species behaviors are not in holy books or religions. There is no magic to life. Our species behaviors both good and bad are in our evolution. What you are talking about is mere marketing. And like any product, religions sell the same way, through narcissism and vanity "look how good I am", or fear "You need this anti wrinkle cream or people will think you are imperfect".
Religions, and I do mean all of them, work just like Coke vs Pepsi regardless of empty calories. Emotion sells.
