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Religion is evolving
#1
Religion is evolving
In recent years most mainstream Religions have changed in one way or another to suit modern society better. This has happened in the past obviously, but more recently issues such as gay marriage have seen more attention and overall then shift has been positive and is well on it's way for minorities such as these not being excluded and segregated. 

My question, is, however, who can we credit with these positive changes? Does it come from external pressure causing theists to change or is it from inside, people taking what could be seen as a more philanthropic view and deciding that is the route their religion should be taking?
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#2
RE: Religion is evolving
I think it's a little of both. Organizations change to suit the times, or they die off.  Some of this, even in the stuck-in-the-14th-century Catholic church, comes from a re-analysis of "the rules" as they go along.  But I think most comes from outside pressure.  In other words, "how can we keep butts in the pews and money coming in to the collection baskets".   (I just got a vivid mental image of a snake oil salesman. Con artist. You name it.)
"The family that prays together...is brainwashing their children."- Albert Einstein
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#3
RE: Religion is evolving
(October 31, 2015 at 7:00 pm)blahman212 Wrote: In recent years most mainstream Religions have changed in one way or another to suit modern society better. This has happened in the past obviously, but more recently issues such as gay marriage have seen more attention and overall then shift has been positive and is well on it's way for minorities such as these not being excluded and segregated. 

My question, is, however, who can we credit with these positive changes? Does it come from external pressure causing theists to change or is it from inside, people taking what could be seen as a more philanthropic view and deciding that is the route their religion should be taking?

Positive changes ??

Acknowledging God punted some topic earlier and it's been fixed now via the agency of the church hierarchy slapping a band-aid on it is in fact the church (willingly) falsifying it's tenets. In other words, the church poobahs know better than God.

While this is indeed a positive development for atheism, it certainly is bad from a big picture perspective for the religion monkeying around with it's scriptures.
 The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it. 




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#4
RE: Religion is evolving
Religion isn't evolving so much as circling the drain.
Thief and assassin for hire. Member in good standing of the Rogues Guild.
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#5
RE: Religion is evolving
When you are selling something, and the customers aren't buying it anymore, what do you do?
You change the product.

EG: The new improved "God" is now suitable with bacon lettuce tomato.
Why, because even gays can be gullible fools.
No God, No fear.
Know God, Know fear.
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#6
RE: Religion is evolving
(October 31, 2015 at 7:00 pm)blahman212 Wrote: My question, is, however, who can we credit with these positive changes? Does it come from external pressure causing theists to change or is it from inside, people taking what could be seen as a more philanthropic view and deciding that is the route their religion should be taking?

Mainstream protestanism - usually found in European denominations - always has been more liberal than the Evangelical movement in America. As far as Catholicism goes, they're losing ground rapidly in urban areas. So it's a PR move to steer the old bark in a slightly different direction. But they're hardly moving at all.
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#7
RE: Religion is evolving
I think it's almost all down to outside pressure. The gulf between scientific knowledge and simplistic fairy tale explanations is getting larger all the time. Those already totally brainwashed won't notice, but new generations will. The religions (where outright violent enforcement isn't an option) have to give some pretense of bridging that chasm or be lost into obscurity.

They're not far off calling the whole of their holy books metaphorical already, because of the increasingly obviously incorrect nature of their narratives.
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#8
RE: Religion is evolving
Secularism.

If Christianity had not been reigned in by secularism, it would still be burning people at the stake.

I think it's a common theme in the 21st century to attribute the West's "democracy" and "freedom" down to Christianity, and the Christian Right-wing have played right into this with their savvy co-opting of traditionally leftist language when opposing Islam, LGBT rights movements or reform they dislike. "Freedom of speech" is their favourite. It's important to realise that all these modern concepts of women's rights, children's rights, freedom of religion or lack thereof, free speech, these do not come from Christianity or any other religion. These are rights that have been hard earned through centuries of stripping back religious privilege.

Religion (Christianity in particular) has appeared to "evolve" because it simply has less room to be a rich man's plaything when he wants a power trip. It's not gone though, that religious challenge against human rights is still happening in many countries in the 21st century, and it's being brought back to The West with an Islamic face.
"Adulthood is like looking both ways before you cross the road, and then getting hit by an airplane"  - sarcasm_only

"Ironically like the nativist far-Right, which despises multiculturalism, but benefits from its ideas of difference to scapegoat the other and to promote its own white identity politics; these postmodernists, leftists, feminists and liberals also use multiculturalism, to side with the oppressor, by demanding respect and tolerance for oppression characterised as 'difference', no matter how intolerable."
- Maryam Namazie

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#9
RE: Religion is evolving
Definitely outside pressure. Churches certainly don't want to change but if the pews are empty when the collection basket goes around, how are they going to settle all those molestation lawsuits?
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.

Albert Einstein
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#10
RE: Religion is evolving
A lot of people seem to say it's not good change or it's only patched up, not much has been done basically. I agree not nearly enough has been done for it to be suitable for modern society, but there is certainly some positive revisions going on.
I think the comparison between Protestantism and Evangelicalism is fairly flawed since the latter aren't willing to develop at all, quite the opposite trying to maintain the gospels as they were original meant, to my understanding at least. But I guess that does show who within the same branches of Christianity are actually willing to accept change.
Yeauxleaux raised a issue I keep coming back to:

"...free speech, these do not come from Christianity or any other religion. These are rights that have been hard earned through centuries of stripping back religious privilege."

That is personally the opinion I hold. If it was written in holy scripture, why would someone question it, unless another who didn't agree with it told them that it was wrong? Also, I totally agree that religions as a whole haven't evolved nearly enough to fit in with the growing philanthropic ideals of most people. Another agreement as well is that the more traditional view has seen more popularity within Islam.

AFTT47, you staying they are changing because of monetary motivation, would that be the main cause in your view? There are people such as Ben Carson and Kenneth Copeland who are paid millions and hold very traditional ideals. I understand that not all of them can make that much money, but if its money that drives them why aren't they moving to sell books/DVDs ect? (Not saying that I want them to, of course I don't want any more Pastors making millions from others)
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