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European Theists

Rival

Diex Aie
Staff member
Premium Member
I might move this thread elsewhere, we'll see.

To those theists in Europe, how do you feel with the overwhelming unbelief in this sphere? Christianity as default is gone, especially in places like GB, Czech Republic, France, etc. belief is nominally dead. How do you deal with this in your lives, how do you talk to the unbelievers you encounter and does it ever frustrate you?

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These are the European countries where young people are least religious | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
 

Gargovic Malkav

Well-Known Member
How do you deal with this in your lives, how do you talk to the unbelievers you encounter and does it ever frustrate you?

It sure can frustrate me at times.
But not as much as it used to.
I've noticed that my time spent on RF has made my skin thicker.
Regarding irreligiosity in my personal life...
There was a period of time I felt the need to shout from the rooftops that I believed in God and that I was not afraid to be ridiculed and judged for it.
I like to see it as my version of "coming out of the closet".
The responses I provoked with that made me very paranoid and hateful though, and it had a bad effect on my sanity.
I'm glad I've grown more relaxed and confident about it.
Nowadays I don't talk about it much anymore.
 

Gargovic Malkav

Well-Known Member
Not sure it would necessarily be better if the majority was still religious though, since my beliefs would likely be considered too unorthodox to be accepted as valid by the more militant ones, as Christianity would be the status quo.
 

Rival

Diex Aie
Staff member
Premium Member
Not sure it would necessarily be better if the majority was still religious though, since my beliefs would likely be considered too unorthodox to be accepted as valid by the more militant ones, as Christianity would be the status quo.
Imagine, for example, it weren't that way though; that Pagans, Christians, Gnostics, Jews etc. lived in harmony and no-one were bothered by it so much. Basically, if everyone in Europe were theistic in some sense, would that be better for you?
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I might move this thread elsewhere, we'll see.

To those theists in Europe, how do you feel with the overwhelming unbelief in this sphere? Christianity as default is gone, especially in places like GB, Czech Republic, France, etc. belief is nominally dead. How do you deal with this in your lives, how do you talk to the unbelievers you encounter and does it ever frustrate you?

This is good news for me. Without a dominant religion,
there's less theocracy. As Christianity faded here in
Ameristan, public schools stopped requiring us to recite
daily Christian prayers. (Of course, I was always a refusenik.
I wouldn't say the Pledge Of Allegiance either.)
 

Gargovic Malkav

Well-Known Member
Imagine, for example, it weren't that way though; that Pagans, Christians, Gnostics, Jews etc. lived in harmony and no-one were bothered by it so much. Basically, if everyone in Europe were theistic in some sense, would that be better for you?

Possibly.
Imo, atheism tends to lack a dimension in its perception of reality that can be found in theism or at least something that can be considered spiritual.
 
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Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
Actually even in traditionally religious countries such as Spain, Greece or Italy, the percentage of atheists among young generations is on the rise.
And as a result (I can speak for my country), Catholic becomes synonym of "ancient, unmodern", so I guess being atheist is considered cool, modern, especially among young generations.
 

Gargovic Malkav

Well-Known Member
I might move this thread elsewhere, we'll see.

To those theists in Europe, how do you feel with the overwhelming unbelief in this sphere? Christianity as default is gone, especially in places like GB, Czech Republic, France, etc. belief is nominally dead. How do you deal with this in your lives, how do you talk to the unbelievers you encounter and does it ever frustrate you?


How would you answer your own questions?
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
Actually even in traditionally religious countries such as Spain, Greece or Italy, the percentage of atheists among young generations is on the rise.
And as a result (I can speak for my country), Catholic becomes synonym of "ancient, unmodern", so I guess being atheist is considered cool, modern, especially among young generations.
Or realistic perhaps. :oops:
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
I might move this thread elsewhere, we'll see.

To those theists in Europe, how do you feel with the overwhelming unbelief in this sphere? Christianity as default is gone, especially in places like GB, Czech Republic, France, etc. belief is nominally dead. How do you deal with this in your lives, how do you talk to the unbelievers you encounter and does it ever frustrate you?

Yes, one could move it to the religious debate forum. The hold of Christianity is loosening in the Europe. Paul who was a Hellenist, cunningly moved people away from the truthful path of Jesus to Hellenism. Jesus was born a Jew and died a Jew and his message was only for the Jews . Jesus' claim was of a Jewish-Messiah and not of the mythical Hellenist (born of a virgin, dying rising ascending to heaven) Christ.
People have just come out of this mythical spell of 2000 years. Right?

Regards
 

Altfish

Veteran Member
I might move this thread elsewhere, we'll see.

To those theists in Europe, how do you feel with the overwhelming unbelief in this sphere? Christianity as default is gone, especially in places like GB, Czech Republic, France, etc. belief is nominally dead. How do you deal with this in your lives, how do you talk to the unbelievers you encounter and does it ever frustrate you?

These are very encouraging figures; especially for the UK where children are undergoing religious indoctrination at school. (Perhaps that is the reason, they are clever enough to see right through it)
 

Rival

Diex Aie
Staff member
Premium Member
These are very encouraging figures; especially for the UK where children are undergoing religious indoctrination at school. (Perhaps that is the reason, they are clever enough to see right through it)
Not for me. I see my whole way of life being dismantled and trodden upon. It's very upsetting.
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
My thought is that Christianity is antiquated and dying off. I think this is the natural progression of things as a newer spiritual thinking is needed by people today. As a believer in the spiritual I would probably have identified with the 'not religious' position in this survey.

The question that really needs to be asked is what do these people think about the spiritual and reality? These surveys seem still stuck in the first half of last century's debate of "Christianity versus Atheist-Materialism". I would answer 'neither of the above'.
 

JustGeorge

Imperfect
Staff member
Premium Member
Why, as a non-believer, I'm not treading on any theists. Are you being persecuted?

You might not be, but there are non-believers out there who do persecute theists. It exists.

There are plenty of friendly atheists(as there are plenty of friendly folks in any worldview), but as a group tends to take over as 'majority', they increasingly become more intolerant of differing views. We've seen it with other groups; I don't suspect atheism will be any different. Human is human.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
This is good news for me. Without a dominant religion,
there's less theocracy. As Christianity faded here in
Ameristan, public schools stopped requiring us to recite
daily Christian prayers. (Of course, I was always a refusenik.
I wouldn't say the Pledge Of Allegiance either.)

I think for me it was the 2nd or 3rd grade they removed the word God from the pledge of allegiance.
No doubt the start of the down-fall of America. :D
 
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