Is religion going away?

[bandXtrb]

Do you think the amount of religious people in the world is going to decrease in the future, maybe even to a minority? Or do you think people will always need an answer to "Why?"

I think its possible that the religious belief will decrease over the next thousand years and then maybe the world will experience an "awakening." Maybe science will advance so much, so many diseases will be cured, that people may think a higher intelligence guided it.

 

[dullard]

Somewhat. In many places there are no more nuns. The number of priests per capita has dwindled significantly in the last few decades.

A large number of all world religions have gone into virtual extinction - no one currently worships them anymore.

Signs are pointing towards an asymptotic decline to a small positive number. It will never decline to zero, but it is going to a small number.

Some things will temporarily boost religion (such as wars and Sept. 11). But there are no signs of a big return to religion.

 

[kulki]

if by religion u mean Christianity I think ur right. I cant say the same about islam thought.

 

[Optimus]

Over 2 million Roman Catholic youth are going to Toronto this summer for World Youth Day 2002. They are from every part of the world, and the number attending gets significantly larger every time.

My Church and faith aren't going away.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Actually, the number of Christians world-wide is increasing. The difference is that the "centers" of Christianity are shifting from 1st world countries to 3rd world countries like Africa. There is also huge growth in countries like Korea and China.

My campus ministry at GA Tech started with 8 people about 10 years ago. Over 500 attend weekly now.

 

[Elledan]

It appears like it. A thesis I developed tells us that theists will become a minority in the next couple of centuries.

The same thesis also states that religious ideologies are the 'framework' of civilizations until they become self-supporting, then the ideology/ideologies will have no more use and will fade to the background.

 

[b0mbrman]

There will always be stuff we don't understand (i.e. what happens to your soul after you die) so there should always be a need for religion...

 

[lebe0024]

Real Christianity is almost always shifting away from 1st world countires to 3rd world countries. It's the nature of the Kingdom of God. Please don't bring up "crusades". I'm talking about Christianity as in the faith of treasuring and following Christ, not the forced culture.

 

[Elledan]

<< There will always be stuff we don't understand (i.e. what happens to your soul after you die) so there should always be a need for religion... >>


Soul? You mean it has been proven that souls exist? Why haven't I heard anything about it?

 

[docmanhattan]

in the U.S. it seems that popular culture has moved to a more secular nature. Although it's still okay to thank God in award ceremonies and sporting events, funny hey?

 

[roboninja]

Hopefully...

 

[Capn]

Doubtful

The religious status of the U.S. for example has not really changed that much over the years.

 

[Elledan]

<< Doubtful

The religious status of the U.S. for example has not really changed that much over the years. >>


Try looking at other countries than the US. The US is much like most countries in Europe around 1940/1950 regarding religion. Perhaps even further back.

 

[schdaddy]

<<

<< There will always be stuff we don't understand (i.e. what happens to your soul after you die) so there should always be a need for religion... >>


Soul? You mean it has been proven that souls exist? Why haven't I heard anything about it? >>



Do you believe that since something isn?t proven scientifically that there is NO way it exist?

 

[Capn]

"Try looking at other countries than the US. The US is much like most countries in Europe around 1940/1950 regarding religion. Perhaps even further back. "

Europe, where protestants and catholics kill each other to this day?

If anything the percentage of the world that would be considered religious will go up due to increased birthrates in third world countries. People have historically said religion is going away, and historically they have been wrong.

 

[mithrandir2001]

<< I think its possible that the religious belief will decrease over the next thousand years. >>


Oh, most definitely, assuming humans still exist then. The foreseeable and unforeseeable advances of science and technology over the next 1000 years boggles my mind. People will come to terms that ancient holy texts are irrelvent and remain figments of historical human culture, not fact.

I am not suggesting that man will prove/disprove the existence of a supreme being, but rather, organized religions with creeds and unwavering beliefs will be put on the terminal list...because they will be trumped by modern discoveries and insight. Genesis, Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark and the flood? I mean, in the year 3002, this will be very quaint...just as we consider Zeus and greek gods as quaint.

 

[Mookow]

<< Doubtful

The religious status of the U.S. for example has not really changed that much over the years. >>



Yeah, I gotta watch what I do, the Puritans are all over the place.

Seriously, if you meant the number of people who believe in God vs the number of people that dont, its a declining ratio, but not a quickly declining ratio.

 

[Elledan]

<<

<<

<< There will always be stuff we don't understand (i.e. what happens to your soul after you die) so there should always be a need for religion... >>


Soul? You mean it has been proven that souls exist? Why haven't I heard anything about it? >>



Do you believe that since something isn?t proven scientifically that there is NO way it exist? >>


Of course not, but one has to remain realistic: if there is no evidence to support a thesis, it has no right to exist.

Souls and gods are part of metaphysics, not science. For neither is reason to assume that they exist.

 

[docmanhattan]

<<

<< I think its possible that the religious belief will decrease over the next thousand years. >>


Oh, most definitely, assuming humans still exist then. The foreseeable and unforeseeable advances of science and technology over the next 1000 years boggles my mind. People will come to terms that ancient holy texts are irrelvent and remain figments of historical human culture, not fact.

I am not suggesting that man will prove/disprove the existence of a supreme being, but rather, organized religions with creeds and unwavering beliefs will be put on the terminal list...because they will be trumped by modern discoveries and insight. Genesis, Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark and the flood? I mean, in the year 3002, this will be very quaint...just as we consider Zeus and greek gods as quaint. >>



You can easily argue the opposite: that religious beliefs will increase.

Science and logic [ as much a religion as anything else, IMHO ] explains the physical realm. It doesn't account for things it can't quantify in some way. IMHO, it seems that as much as humans discover, explain, invent, and destroy, a whole new set of unexaplainable things are uncovered. That, as well, may be part of the misunderstanding that people have with religion versus science. Religion (in this case it seems to be point ing to Christianity) doesn't seek to weigh, measure, calculate, and record the world. In fact, as far as Christianity is concerned, it's not about the physical world. It's about relationships.

But I digress. I'm not even sure where i'm going with this..

Oh, new and exciting unexplained things... the short of what I'm saying is that the more you explain, the more you'll probably not understand. Why? Because it's naive of us, as humans, to think we can possible understand every facet of everything. Maybe in the physical, knock on wood, world, but certainly not beyond that.

I suppose that assumes in a beyond, but that's the whole idea in a belief in God. whatever.

Think about this: You're rich, you're old, you're retired, and you have everything you can possibe buy. what then? I'm sure there are a lot of witty comments that can be made, but really for me that seems to be where religion comes in.

*whew* sorry for being wordy.

 

[Elledan]

<< "Try looking at other countries than the US. The US is much like most countries in Europe around 1940/1950 regarding religion. Perhaps even further back. "

Europe, where protestants and catholics kill each other to this day? >>


Don't be ridiculous. the current situation in Northern Ireland is more related to a misplaced kind of nationalism than religion.

 

[Elledan]

<< Science and logic [ as much a religion as anything else, IMHO ] (..) >>


Science and logic are not even closely related to religious ideologies. Neither is an ideology.

 

[Alienwho]

I've never been to china, so I don't believe it exists. Sure, there are books written about china, and even people from china that i've talked to, but that still doesn't prove anything, I need to go to China to make sure it exists. And even if you take me to china and I stand on chinese soil, how do I know this is china? For all I know you took me to southern california and called it china.

 

[Capn]

"Yeah, I gotta watch what I do, the Puritans are all over the place. "

I was speaking of more recent history than that. It had been my belief that in the 40's or 50's the country was more religious than this day. However, that is unfounded. The percentage of the country which would call themselves christian and the percentage who attend weekly services has not significantly changed since then.

 

[InfectedMushroom]

<< Is religion going away? >>



I hope so.
I personally don't see the point of organized religion anymore, especially in the modern countries. I understand that religion was needed very much 1000-2000 years ago since it was basically the only method of providing people with education and a code of laws, but I no longer see the point of it now. Everyone in the modern world can receive some eduction through the public school system and there are plenty of laws and people to model your life by (even if they are not always the best role models).

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Religion, maybe. A personal relationship with God, no.

nik