Why is Confidence in Organized Religion At All Time Low?

[Shadow Wolf]

The West has it good, has it a thousand times better than the rest of the world, and the rest of the world's faith is growing, not declining. I think that says it all.

Actually, even in Japan people are identifying less-and-less with their traditional religious labels (such as Buddhism) and considering themselves agnostics and atheists.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/world/asia/14japan.html?_r=0
While interest in Buddhism is declining in urban areas, the religion’s rural strongholds are being depopulated, with older adherents dying and birthrates remaining low.
A View of Religion in Japan: Articles: Multimedia: Japan Society
The "old religions" are increasingly marginal in the lives of most people. Many are overseen by insular priesthoods preoccupied with making money and passing it on to the next generation. "New Religions" that prospered in the postwar period have hit a slump. And many "New New Religions" are viewed with suspicion, as potential Aum Shinrikyos [cult/doomsday cult/terrorist groups].
"Japan is becoming more and more secularized...

 

[jeager106]

Because everything is exactly as it's supposed to be.
This "greater falling away" was predicted in scripture and it's only going to get
worse.
For a while.

 

[LuisDantas]

@Shadow Wolf : Japan's history with Buddhism has ever been , shall we say, complicated. I think you need to consider its relationship with Shinto in order to gauge how it is dealing with religion proper.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

@Shadow Wolf : Japan's history with Buddhism has ever been , shall we say, complicated. I think you need to consider its relationship with Shinto in order to gauge how it is dealing with religion proper.

I'm aware of the relationship. However, it still stands that even in Japan we find the same trend of gradual decline in those who consider themselves religious.

 

[LuisDantas]

I'm aware of the relationship. However, it still stands that even in Japan we find the same trend of gradual decline in those who consider themselves religious.

Does it? I guess I would not know.

Between the simple lack of choice of voicing discordance just a few decades ago and my lack of information worth that name about how trends regarding Shinto have developed as of late, I have no idea.

Besides, I personally see raises in the proportions of agnostics and atheists as very much a non-indicator of how more or less religious a society is becoming.

 

[Thana]

Actually, even in Japan people are identifying less-and-less with their traditional religious labels (such as Buddhism) and considering themselves agnostics and atheists.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/world/asia/14japan.html?_r=0
While interest in Buddhism is declining in urban areas, the religion’s rural strongholds are being depopulated, with older adherents dying and birthrates remaining low.
A View of Religion in Japan: Articles: Multimedia: Japan Society
The "old religions" are increasingly marginal in the lives of most people. Many are overseen by insular priesthoods preoccupied with making money and passing it on to the next generation. "New Religions" that prospered in the postwar period have hit a slump. And many "New New Religions" are viewed with suspicion, as potential Aum Shinrikyos [cult/doomsday cult/terrorist groups].
"Japan is becoming more and more secularized...

Mmm.. I'm not so sure, But then I haven't really looked into it that much, especially not Japan.
According to Pew though, Atheists/Agnostics and unaffiliated are actually going to decline in the coming 50 years (On a global scale that is).

And as Luis said, You'd want to consider Shinto in your research.

 

[bobhikes]

Per Gallup, American confidence in organized religion has hit its lowest point since the organization began tracking in 1973:

Americans' confidence in the church and organized religion has fallen dramatically over the past four decades, hitting an all-time low this year of 42%. Confidence in religion began faltering in the 1980s, while the sharpest decline occurred between 2001 and 2002 as the Roman Catholic Church grappled with a major sexual abuse scandal. Since then, periodic improvements have proved temporary, and it has continued to ratchet lower.

...

The church and organized religion is losing its footing as a pillar of moral leadership in the nation's culture. Once reliably at the top of Gallup's confidence in institutions list, it now ranks fourth behind the military, small business and the police, and just ahead of the medical system. The good news for the church is that it still ranks among the more well-respected institutions at a time when fewer than one in four Americans have confidence in several others, including Congress and the media.

Poor behavior on the part of some religious leaders has caused serious self-inflicted wounds for the church and organized religion -- damaging its image among Protestants and Catholics as well as among non-Christians. At the same time, the nation is becoming less Christian and less religious, and those outside of Christianity naturally view the church with less respect. Any progress that organized religion can make in restoring confidence among the faithful may help stabilize its numbers, and perhaps soften others' skepticism.

So what do you think? What's behind the newest drop?

People have changed dramatically in the last 100 years and the religions haven't. Look at the population of the world and their lives in 1915 and then today. Look at your respected religion in 1915 and then today. People are dramatically different your respected religion isn't.

 

[ChristineES]

There are reasons why this kind of thing would happen: There is much more information out there that we are exposed to. When I was in high school, we had no internet. What we had were outdated encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines and the evening news on TV and radio. Until I was in about 10th grade, we only had 4 or 5 channels on our TV set (it was actually longer than that in my household, my parents refused to get cable until years later).

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Mmm.. I'm not so sure, But then I haven't really looked into it that much, especially not Japan.

I have. I've seen it several sources. From the East to the West, people are becoming less religious.

According to Pew though, Atheists/Agnostics and unaffiliated are actually going to decline in the coming 50 years (On a global scale that is).

That seems very doubtful, and those those groups have been gradually increasing in numbers.

And as Luis said, You'd want to consider Shinto in your research.

As I said, I am aware of the relationship, and it doesn't matter any ways because the number of Japanese who identify as agnostic or atheist is on a gradual increase.

 

[Thana]

I have. I've seen it several sources. From the East to the West, people are becoming less religious.

That seems very doubtful, and those those groups have been gradually increasing in numbers.

As I said, I am aware of the relationship, and it doesn't matter any ways because the number of Japanese who identify as agnostic or atheist is on a gradual increase.

I don't know what you've been reading, And you quoted a news article to me so I'm not going to put my trust in that. But according to the Pew Research Centre (Whom I generally trust) you've got it backwards.

I don't know though..... Have a look at the site and tell me what you think. The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050 | Pew Research Center

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I don't know what you've been reading, And you quoted a news article to me so I'm not going to put my trust in that. But according to the Pew Research Centre (Whom I generally trust) you've got it backwards.

I don't know though..... Have a look at the site and tell me what you think. The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050 | Pew Research Center

Actually, that shows the number of unaffiliated to continue to increase, going from 1.13 billion to 1.23 billion.

 

[Thana]

Actually, that shows the number of unaffiliated to continue to increase, going from 1.13 billion to 1.23 billion.

Yeah but it also says this -

So compared to the growth of religion, the unaffiliated will actually be in decline. Atleast that's what I got from it, Am I wrong?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Yeah but it also says this -

So compared to the growth of religion, the unaffiliated will actually be in decline. Atleast that's what I got from it, Am I wrong?

Yes, you are. It shows the unaffiliated making up a smaller percentage of the global population on the right, but, on the left it shows their numbers increasing overall.

 

[psychoslice]

I personally believe that we are all becoming more aware of what is in scripture, and we are questioning it more than ever, we are realizing that it is more metaphorical and not literal, we also are beginning to see that the concept of a god is, well, ridiculers, ..........so we are looking for something else that is deeper than mere scripture, with a god that just wants his own way. Many are Waking up, and realizing that we are all One, that we are not divided, and that the concept of god has done nothing more than divided us, so yea, I think we are becoming more aware and we are questioning more than ever, we have a long way to go, but we will only get there when we drop the old backward thinking of a god in the sky, the words of John Lennon, "imagine no heaven" is becoming true, for we are realizing that heaven is here and NOW.

 

[Thana]

Yes, you are. It shows the unaffiliated making up a smaller percentage of the global population on the right, but, on the left it shows their numbers increasing overall.

So essentially, Religion isn't declining and Atheism is never, ever going to compete.
Atleast, according to these predictions.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

So essentially, Religion isn't declining and Atheism is never, ever going to compete.
Atleast, according to these predictions.

It is 50 years out, so I wouldn't hold my breath.
I put more faith in the studies that measure these things on a year-to-year basis, and these studies do show religion is in decline. It's not a big decline, but it a gradual and steady decline nevertheless.

 

[Unification]

Per Gallup, American confidence in organized religion has hit its lowest point since the organization began tracking in 1973:

Americans' confidence in the church and organized religion has fallen dramatically over the past four decades, hitting an all-time low this year of 42%. Confidence in religion began faltering in the 1980s, while the sharpest decline occurred between 2001 and 2002 as the Roman Catholic Church grappled with a major sexual abuse scandal. Since then, periodic improvements have proved temporary, and it has continued to ratchet lower.

...

The church and organized religion is losing its footing as a pillar of moral leadership in the nation's culture. Once reliably at the top of Gallup's confidence in institutions list, it now ranks fourth behind the military, small business and the police, and just ahead of the medical system. The good news for the church is that it still ranks among the more well-respected institutions at a time when fewer than one in four Americans have confidence in several others, including Congress and the media.

Poor behavior on the part of some religious leaders has caused serious self-inflicted wounds for the church and organized religion -- damaging its image among Protestants and Catholics as well as among non-Christians. At the same time, the nation is becoming less Christian and less religious, and those outside of Christianity naturally view the church with less respect. Any progress that organized religion can make in restoring confidence among the faithful may help stabilize its numbers, and perhaps soften others' skepticism.

So what do you think? What's behind the newest drop?

The gradual revelation of the truth and life into human beings consciouses.

 

[Unification]

Because everything is exactly as it's supposed to be.
This "greater falling away" was predicted in scripture and it's only going to get
worse.
For a while.

People are being "called out," called out of organized religion for truth. The scriptures primarily discuss how the physical church buildings and all of its doctrines are false, lies, and myths. . Not as much people "of the world," but the people who speak lies about "God," the religious leaders and people who condition and doctrine others with bible literalism and make them a deceived outward and vain hell-child as most of themselves, the ones who cause great divide and separation from the rest of humanity with inequality, rules, false judgements on others, and dogma. The ones who take money and make "God" a career through lies. The ones who use the bible as a weapon of oppression instead of a deeper, internal, spiritual, individual book.

 

[LuisDantas]

I don't expect religion to survive indefinitely while presenting itself as opposed to atheism, personally.

 

[mystic64]

Yeah but it also says this -

So compared to the growth of religion, the unaffiliated will actually be in decline. Atleast that's what I got from it, Am I wrong?

Thank you Thana for posting the graph, I found it very helpful. What I find interesting is that the world's two most agressive religions are projected to have fifty percent of the world's population as followers over the next fifty years. And these two religions are also, for the most part, the only religions that have after death rewards. Christians have Heaven and Muslims have Paradise. And also these two religions promote their validity with the miracles performed by their Prophets and others that were close to their God. You have help from a higher being, the emotional security of belonging to a group, and the promise of an afterlife reward, and all of that along with an agressive attitude. The problem with that long term forecast as far as I can see is that Christianity is fighting amongst itself and Islam is fighting amongst itself and of course they are fighting each other. That infighting within those two religions and the fighting between these two religions creates too many unpredictables to attempt a fifty year forecast. The other organized religions are pretty stable so one could predict their long term trends, but Christianity and Islam are in a state of flux which can make things difficult when it comes to predicting long term trends. With that said 50% of the world's population might actually be a conservative estiment, because if these two religions can find a way to get along with each other and get along within themselfs no other of today's religions can compete with them in the long haul.

Is confedence in organized religion at an all time low? I do not think so , I think that it just appears to be because the anti religious are noisier than the religious are and because the two biggest of the organized religions are in a quiet transition as they study more effective ways on how to approach people relative to the changes in the world of today and tomorrow. And after all guys God is envolved here, they can't lose?!