The incredible shrinking religion

[xpastor]

Christian Right Has Major Role in Hastening Decline of Religion in America

Every piece of social data suggests that those who favor faith and superstition over fact-based evidence will become the minority in this country by or before the end of this century. In fact, the number of Americans who do not believe in a deity doubled in the last decade of the previous century according to both the census of 2004 and the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) of 2008, with religious non-belief in the U.S. rising from 8.2 percent in 1990 to 14.2 percent in 2001. In 2013, that number is now above 16 percent.

If current trends continue, the crossing point, whereby atheists, agnostics, and “nones” equals the number of Christians in this country, will be in the year 2062. If that gives you reason to celebrate, consider this: by the year 2130, the percentage of Americans who identify themselves as Christian will equal a little more than 1 percent. To put that into perspective, today roughly 1 percent of the population is Muslim.

My only regret is that I won't be around to see it. I guess I should celebrate now.

[tor]

Christian Right Has Major Role in Hastening Decline of Religion in America

Every piece of social data suggests that those who favor faith and superstition over fact-based evidence will become the minority in this country by or before the end of this century. In fact, the number of Americans who do not believe in a deity doubled in the last decade of the previous century according to both the census of 2004 and the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) of 2008, with religious non-belief in the U.S. rising from 8.2 percent in 1990 to 14.2 percent in 2001. In 2013, that number is now above 16 percent.

If current trends continue, the crossing point, whereby atheists, agnostics, and “nones” equals the number of Christians in this country, will be in the year 2062. If that gives you reason to celebrate, consider this: by the year 2130, the percentage of Americans who identify themselves as Christian will equal a little more than 1 percent. To put that into perspective, today roughly 1 percent of the population is Muslim.

My only regret is that I won't be around to see it. I guess I should celebrate now.

There are so many thinks we will not see. Science has reached it's boom. The civilization is developing faster than ever before.

[pocaracas]

Statistics are magical...
Statistical projection is proven not to work everyday in every stock exchange

[My imaginary friend is GOD]

Hmmm... reads: "The incredible shrinking dick" *SIGH* OMG STILL?!

[bladevalant546]

I think religion as an organized entity is shrinking. I however still find myself spiritual, however in the sense I find solace in our humble place in the universe and how many things had to come together for our existence. Only difference I believe nature did this and not a deity. If there is a deity then its purpose is not what religions say it is. So in short, I think the human race is growing up, and the need for personal friend that is always there is shrinking. However, I think the "spiritual" or philosophical nature that religion will leave behind will remain. Even myself still find some peace and wisdom in Jesus's words. Religion played an important role, and its philosophy is still important even if it is without a deity.

[tor]

I think religion as an organized entity is shrinking. I however still find myself spiritual, however in the sense I find solace in our humble place in the universe and how many things had to come together for our existence. Only difference I believe nature did this and not a deity. If there is a deity then its purpose is not what religions say it is. So in short, I think the human race is growing up, and the need for personal friend that is always there is shrinking. However, I think the "spiritual" or philosophical nature that religion will leave behind will remain. Even myself still find some peace and wisdom in Jesus's words. Religion played an important role, and its philosophy is still important even if it is without a deity.

Jesus also preached the doctrine of eternal punishment. Salvation which depends on faith. Thought crime.
In fact disbelief is the worst crime in christianity and is punishable by hell.

[max-greece]

Hmmm... reads: "The incredible shrinking dick" *SIGH* OMG STILL?!

I think there is more than one conversion going on on this forum today.

[My imaginary friend is GOD]

How'd you know?!

---

Wait... maybe this thread would be better if it were called... "The Incredible Fucking Religion"... Because such a religion does not EXIST! LOL

[max-greece]

As for the shrinking of religion, which, I expect to be an accelerating phenomenon up to a point where only the real hard liners are left, there might be several reasons.

To me its like watching an extended suicide.

September 11 must have played a major role. It was such a culmination of the horrors religion can bring, confirmation that God, if he exists, was happy to sit on his hands, the pathetic site of some loonies attempting to claim a miracle when an iron cross appeared in the wreckage.

Whatever the number of Christians (and Jews) in America they got confirmation that a religion they "know" to be wrong can kill 3000 with impunity - right in the heart of the most important city in the States.

The aftermath of failure in the war on terror - the inability to get Osama Bin Laden (for a decade - until a democrat "got" him), the empty, useless rantings of the Christian right - all combined to set the scene.

Follow that with the paedophilia scandal in the Catholic Church - that simply grew and grew exposing a deliberate and methodical attempt to hide and protect the perpetrators by the Church with total disregard for the well-being of the children of their own followers.

All of this against a background of continuous scandals amongst the tele-evangelists.

Then there's the whole gay marriage thing with the Church totally mis-judging public opinion.

(You know I keep trying to finish this list and then another thing springs to mind)

OK - hopefully finally - there are the bible literalists with their insistence that the world is 6000 years old and their denial of evolution. The sneaky desperate attempts to sneak their lunacy into science classes.

Amazes me anyone can really believe anymore.

Good riddance I say. I won't be here to see its end but it is enough to know it will happen.

OH shit - just thought of something else - fuck it. This will do.

[bladevalant546]

I think religion as an organized entity is shrinking. I however still find myself spiritual, however in the sense I find solace in our humble place in the universe and how many things had to come together for our existence. Only difference I believe nature did this and not a deity. If there is a deity then its purpose is not what religions say it is. So in short, I think the human race is growing up, and the need for personal friend that is always there is shrinking. However, I think the "spiritual" or philosophical nature that religion will leave behind will remain. Even myself still find some peace and wisdom in Jesus's words. Religion played an important role, and its philosophy is still important even if it is without a deity.

Jesus also preached the doctrine of eternal punishment. Salvation which depends on faith. Thought crime.
In fact disbelief is the worst crime in christianity and is punishable by hell.

I would like to point out, since I am an individual I can choose what I read and what I take away from. So of course I do not believe in the whole judgment stuff. (which can be taken as the destruction Israel by Titus, and the fact that Jewish tradition does not have a hell only a place call Sheol) I do that with most philosophy, I take what I find logical and either adapt it to my ethics, or use it has a road map to my own thinking pattern.

Just as a friendly observation I noticed with most who change belief systems through emotional, physical pain, or just a strong desire of truth. The first acting out is usually of anger and its pattern typically is to go against literally everything the former belief stood for, regardless of content and context. Which is okay, as that is a typical emotional response, and actually does benefit you as it highlights the negative aspects of that belief. However, you have to reach a state of mind where you move past raw emotion and then examine it objectively and intellectually. That is when you really have free thought. I went through a similar cycle and sometimes it is different from person to person.

Organized religion however is dying, this is evident by their struggle to maintain power. That is all an organized religion is for, is for power. However, I do not think the personal beliefs and convictions will ever go away. It is part of human nature, while it will mature into more ethics rather than real believe. It will always be around in some shape or form.