Christianity Continues Decline in America: Pew Survey Results

[Quintessence]

I think that, as much as I enjoy PEW research, it doesn't tell us much about something as complex and nuanced as religions and the relationship people have to them.

 

[leibowde84]

When do you suppose the earth had it's first atheists?

As soon as sentience/reasoning came about. All that is required is a lack of belief in the existence of God.

 

[MD]

When do you suppose the earth had it's first atheists?

Always. There has always been a fight in each and every human mind between the belief that there is nothing and that there is something divine. Most of us pick one side or the other.

For centuries the church (and the mosque) was powerful enough to suppress atheism as a movement. For decades atheism was pushed and rammed down people's throats in Communist country.

I think we will eventually reach an equilibrium point. But I do think that the atheist movement is in many ways as non-rational as the religious movements that preceded it.

 

[leibowde84]

Actually, that was a literal question.

You might want to work on your commenting demeanor then. Came across as derogatory ... usually does.

 

[leibowde84]

Always. There has always been a fight in each and every human mind between the belief that there is nothing and that there is something divine. Most of us pick one side or the other.

For centuries the church (and the mosque) was powerful enough to suppress atheism as a movement. For decades atheism was pushed and rammed down people's throats in Communist country.

I think we will eventually reach an equilibrium point. But I do think that the atheist movement is in many ways as non-rational as the religious movements that preceded it.

I would say only the strong atheistic position fits that description.

 

[Desert Snake]

You might want to work on your commenting demeanor then. Came across as derogatory ... usually does.

who cares is a simple question. If someone actually does care, they are free to answer it.

 

[Jumi]

Yes, there's nothing new about atheism. The communists worshiped their leaders as gods and had a non-scientific worldview about "progress". I guess some theists are still wary of those as much as some atheists remember things done to atheists by compulsion to religion or death.

 

[leibowde84]

who cares is a simple question. If someone actually does care, they are free to answer it.

Why would anyone be commenting on this thread if they didn't care? Seems like kind of a stupid question if it wasn't meant to stir people up.

 

[Marisa]

while Christianity grows in Russia, China, it's interesting how faith tends to track with a nation's ascendancy and decline

I think it's more interesting that these are countries which have traditionally discouraged religion. A pendulum swings in 2 directions.

 

[lovemuffin]

I care about it. To give a very brief explanation of why, it has to do both with my own felt need to reconcile my religious impulses, experiences, ethics, and general perspective with science, reason, the plurality of religions and cultures, and etc. The Pew polls seem to demonstrate empirically something that I feel in my own experience, that the Christian institutions in the US are (speaking broadly) failing in some way to address the issues that are important in our culture. They are failing to make the tradition meaningful, especially to younger Americans. To the extent that I feel that within Christianity there are perspectives that are worth preserving, it worries me. To the extent that I feel that the largest obstacle to handing down those traditions in a meaningful way are the churches themselves as institutions, I think the "rise of the nones" is a good thing. In any case, the polls point to fairly rapid changes in our culture concerning issues that are important to me, both for myself but also in the part of my life that I wish to share with others.

 

[Desert Snake]

Why would anyone be commenting on this thread if they didn't care? Seems like kind of a stupid question if it wasn't meant to stir people up.

commenting on a thread does not mean necessarily that someone actually cares about the premise. If someone actually does care, they can simply answer my question, VERY SIMPLE.

 

[leibowde84]

I think it's more interesting that these are countries which have traditionally discouraged religion. A pendulum swings in 2 directions.

That is what I was trying to get at. Great point.

 

[Marisa]

Who cares.

I suppose that depends on whether you want to fill the pews or not.

 

[leibowde84]

commenting on a thread does not mean necessarily that someone actually cares about the premise. If someone actually does care, they can simply answer my question, VERY SIMPLE.

So, can you answer the question of why someone would comment on a thread if they weren't interested in the topic?

 

[MD]

Yes, there's nothing new about atheism. The communists worshiped their leaders as gods and had a non-scientific worldview about "progress". I guess some theists are still wary of those as much as some atheists remember things done to atheists by compulsion to religion or death.

To be honest, I have no problem with atheism in general or atheists. I do have a problem with philosophical materialism (as it was this position which justified the horrors of Communism by Marxists), and I worry that an atheist movement will commit the same mistakes Marxists did. The atheist movement holds on to philosophical materialism the same way Marxists did.

It was not simply that the leaders were gods, Marxism devalues individual human life for the collective good.

 

[Desert Snake]

So, can you answer the question of why someone would comment on a thread if they weren't interested in the topic?

That's not my responsibility.

 

[leibowde84]

To be honest, I have no problem with atheism in general or atheists. I do have a problem with philosophical materialism (as it was this position which justified the horrors of Communism by Marxists), and I worry that an atheist movement will commit the same mistakes Marxists did.

I think the variety of atheistic views will prevent this. Atheism was hijacked by Marxism/Communism in the same way that Islam is being hijacked by extremists. it was used as an instrument to control. Doesn't say anything about a lack of belief in the existence of God in general.

 

[leibowde84]

That's not my responsibility.

That leads me to believe that you too cannot think of a reason.

 

[MD]

I think the variety of atheistic views will prevent this. Atheism was hijacked by Marxism/Communism in the same way that Islam is being hijacked by extremists. it was used as an instrument to control. Doesn't say anything about a lack of belief in the existence of God in general.

The current atheist movement accepts the position of matieralism without question and many are becoming as fundamentalist as the religions they criticize.

But anyways I am derailing the thread, this is about Christianity's decline more than philosophical perspectives.

 

[Desert Snake]

That leads me to believe that you too cannot think of a reason.

A reason for what?