Does anyone else see this

[dyresand]

I mean well in most first world countries religion to me looks like its on life support. I mean look at the statics more churches are closing than opening. Bible thumpers are jumping ship Evangelicals are pretty much going to places in third world countries and are causing more harm than good. Well i wouldn't be so surprised if religion was quietly snuffed out from the norm any time soon.

I mean you could blame this on various factors and the fact even war and even ISIS.
Religion is getting a very bad reputation and most people nowadays would rather have a personal relationship with
sky daddy rather than follow a mindset that caused so much issues. I guess people are starting to finally grow the hell up
rather slowly though.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

True in some, but not it all I think. It's hard to get statistical data for a lot of western countries, but I'd agree there is a general trend of decline amongst most Christian sects in the west. Even in places like Ireland, historically very strongly aligned to Catholicism, has seen major declines following on from the child abuse scandals and the selling of children to America by nunneries (fully supported by the cardinals and Irish government of the time).

Unfortunately religion has always been prevalant most in places where poverty is greatest, and LEDCs for as long as a state system has been in use have been dominated by them. Missionaries have been in Africa, Asia and South America for as long as the abrahamic religions have been around, so those regions are pretty much saturated. 'Get em while they're Young' and all that.

I don't think we'll see religion disappear , though. Mainstream Christian sects are, in general, on the decline, but other minority sects and religions are on the up (in the UK; islam, minority black Christian churches and so on).

[dyresand]

True in some, but not it all I think. It's hard to get statistical data for a lot of western countries, but I'd agree there is a general trend of decline amongst most Christian sects in the west. Even in places like Ireland, historically very strongly aligned to Catholicism, has seen major declines following on from the child abuse scandals and the selling of children to America by nunneries (fully supported by the cardinals and Irish government of the time).

Unfortunately religion has always been prevalant most in places where poverty is greatest, and LEDCs for as long as a state system has been in use have been dominated by them. Missionaries have been in Africa, Asia and South America for as long as the abrahamic religions have been around, so those regions are pretty much saturated. 'Get em while they're Young' and all that.

I don't think we'll see religion disappear , though. Mainstream Christian sects are, in general, on the decline, but other minority sects and religions are on the up (in the UK; islam, minority black Christian churches and so on).

The thing is with Black Christian churches though i have my friends who don't believe in any of it but choose to stay and fake their beliefs out of fear of being shunned and disowned.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

True in some, but not it all I think. It's hard to get statistical data for a lot of western countries, but I'd agree there is a general trend of decline amongst most Christian sects in the west. Even in places like Ireland, historically very strongly aligned to Catholicism, has seen major declines following on from the child abuse scandals and the selling of children to America by nunneries (fully supported by the cardinals and Irish government of the time).

Unfortunately religion has always been prevalant most in places where poverty is greatest, and LEDCs for as long as a state system has been in use have been dominated by them. Missionaries have been in Africa, Asia and South America for as long as the abrahamic religions have been around, so those regions are pretty much saturated. 'Get em while they're Young' and all that.

I don't think we'll see religion disappear , though. Mainstream Christian sects are, in general, on the decline, but other minority sects and religions are on the up (in the UK; islam, minority black Christian churches and so on).

The thing is with Black Christian churches though i have my friends who don't believe in any of it but choose to stay and fake their beliefs out of fear of being shunned and disowned.

That might be true, but they're still adding to the statistics, in an official capacity anyway.

[dyresand]

The thing is with Black Christian churches though i have my friends who don't believe in any of it but choose to stay and fake their beliefs out of fear of being shunned and disowned.

That might be true, but they're still adding to the statistics, in an official capacity anyway.

At least the mainstream christianity will be faded out and be a minority.
Then fox news becomes a even greater comedy show with them panicking on live TV and over dramatizing everything with their religion.

"This just in the great freeze over of Christianity in America this is a troubling time for America as it becomes godless." - Fox news

[Exian]

In my area, there are still a lot of religious people going to church, but what I see more and more of is people turning to the Internet to search for their answers. I don't think this is surprising among the 20-something's and younger, but I am always surprised to have discussions with the 30 and 40 year olds who have thrown away their religious views for something else less structured, if not atheism.
It's not easy putting a number on this because its viewed as impolite to talk about religion on a general non-political, non-world stage level in my area.

As for these people who go searching for answers and end up at some vague definition of a personal god that has nothing to do with any organization, I say more power to them. I view them in the same way I used to view religion when I first became an atheist, which was "well they aren't hurting anybody" (before I did the research) and I won't question their belief in a ridiculous god. In fact, as unlikely as it is, if all organized religion is pushed out and replaced by each individual having their own personal definition of god, I would call that a win and call a time of death on religion.

[dyresand]

In my area, there are still a lot of religious people going to church, but what I see more and more of is people turning to the Internet to search for their answers. I don't think this is surprising among the 20-something's and younger, but I am always surprised to have discussions with the 30 and 40 year olds who have thrown away their religious views for something else less structured, if not atheism.
It's not easy putting a number on this because its viewed as impolite to talk about religion on a general non-political, non-world stage level in my area.

As for these people who go searching for answers and end up at some vague definition of a personal god that has nothing to do with any organization, I say more power to them. I view them in the same way I used to view religion when I first became an atheist, which was "well they aren't hurting anybody" (before I did the research) and I won't question their belief in a ridiculous god. In fact, as unlikely as it is, if all organized religion is pushed out and replaced by each individual having their own personal definition of god, I would call that a win and call a time of death on religion.

I am all for personal god or god(s). But i am not for is leading people into one world view like religion is doing. Its time that people made up their own god(s) instead of teaching one of hate and violence. All in all i agree with you there needs to be a time were all religion that is structured to go away.

[abaris]

Its time that people made up their own god(s) instead of teaching one of hate and violence.

Hate and violence will always be part of any ideology. It's about exclusiveness and if the mainstream religions vanish, the void will be filled with something different but not less vile. It's human nature and that's why religions were created that way in the first place.

And Fidel, there is the worldwide religious index that gives a pretty good picture of how religious people are in any given country.

[Roxy904]

I'm glad religion is declining; look at all the conflict caused by religion:
9/11
Spanish Inquisition
Holocaust
Persecution of several groups:
Black people
Gay people
Women (to name a few)
Crusades
And those are only the ones I can name off the top of my head.

[Tonus]

I mean well in most first world countries religion to me looks like its on life support.

I don't think it's anywhere close to that. We're nowhere near a tipping point even in countries where a majority of people are not affiliated with any religion. I think that there will continue to be an increase in the number of people who express belief in god but do not practice religion (or do so only sparingly, like attending church only on holidays), and that will erode the influence of religion. But I don't expect to see religion gone in my lifetime.