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A few hundred years ago an outspoken agnostic like myself would have been stoned and put to death. Now the only locks the Christian faith has to continue the ancient god worship is brainwashing their infants and small children and their preachers. Thanks to the Internet that won't hold much longer.
Thanks to the Internet that won't hold much longer.
Yet it still amazes me, in 2010, how many people are not atheist or agnostic. I can see the people of the 15th century worshiping gods but considering how educated the US is today and since the the early 20th century, where virtually every adult has at least a middle school education and can reason fairly objectively, it is amazing people fall for all that stuff.
I think the brainwashing that occurred at a very young age by a person's parents is so strong, it can't be overcome with objective thinking.
However, one thing I can't explain is why some people (like me) rejected the brainwashing at about the age of reason (pre teens I suppose) and others didn't.
I guess it is the same reason some people are fat some people tall some people with brown eyes some people with blond hair etc.
I wonder if acceptance of god is is genetic. Meaning, do atheist breed atheists?
I'd say it is helped by evolved instincts. However, nurture rather than nature breeds atheists, though it won't always kep 'em atheist any more than Biblebreeding (TM no usage with royalties ) will always prevent deconversions.
I'd say it is helped by evolved instincts. However, nurture rather than nature breeds atheists, though it won't always kep 'em atheist any more than Biblebreeding (TM no usage with royalties ) will always prevent deconversions.
But is there a common link contemporary adult atheists have? It seems like their upbringings are all over the place: some raised in strict religious households, some in secular households, some in christian countries, some in muslim countries, some in free countries, some in repressed countries.
There are several positive correlations with atheism and IQ, atheism and education level and atheism with income (income probably correlates with education and IQ).
A few hundred years ago an outspoken agnostic like myself would have been stoned and put to death. Now the only locks the Christian faith has to continue the ancient god worship is brainwashing their infants and small children and their preachers. Thanks to the Internet that won't hold much longer.
Compared to hundreds of years ago? Yes. Are people who don't 'believe' the way organized religion wants them to a larger % of the population now? Probably not, IMO. It's just safer to say it now. Personally, I feel that the legitimization and politicization of extreme religious views makes being a non-follower more of an issue these days than it was when I was younger. And the internet works just as well, maybe better, to re-enforce fear as it does to debunk myths. So, I admire your optimism but don't share it.
Compared to hundreds of years ago? Yes. Are people who don't 'believe' the way organized religion wants them to a larger % of the population now? Probably not, IMO. It's just safer to say it now. Personally, I feel that the legitimization and politicization of extreme religious views makes being a non-follower more of an issue these days than it was when I was younger. And the internet works just as well, maybe better, to re-enforce fear as it does to debunk myths. So, I admire your optimism but don't share it.
Most of what I post is what I read:
ISS - Survey finds Christianity on the decline -- even in the South (http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/03/survey-finds-christianity-on-the-decline----even-in-the-south.html - broken link)
Percent Decline of Non-Catholic Christians, 1990 - 2008
Texas: -20%
South Carolina: -15%
Georgia: -14%
Florida: -13%
North Carolina: -13%
West Virginia: -13%
Kentucky: -13%
Tennessee: -13%
Virginia: -13%
Alabama: -9%
Mississippi: -8%
Arkansas: -6%
Louisiana: +8%
(CNN) -- America is a less Christian nation than it was 20 years ago, and Christianity is not losing out to other religions, but primarily to a rejection of religion altogether, a survey published Monday found.
Seventy-five percent of Americans call themselves Christian, according to the American Religious Identification Survey from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1990, the figure was 86 percent.
William Donohue, president of the Catholic League said he thinks a radical shift towards individualism over the last quarter-century has a lot to do it.
"The three most dreaded words are thou shalt not," he told Lou Dobbs. "Notice they are not atheists -- they are saying I don't want to be told what to do with my life."
At the same time there has been an increase in the number of people expressing no religious affiliation.
Yes, I've seen similar reports. I don't see that as relevant to either of the points I made, though - maybe I wasn't precise enough in my wording. Here's hoping, though, eh?
Well, 100 years ago if you were a homosexual you would have been taken out and killed too, or placed inside an insane asylum and allowed to die. Even in the 70's we had teachings in our church about how "sick" homosexuals are and that they should not be allowed in our society, rather they should be locked away for goo. (I had a sunday school teacher tell us this in high school)
That or "taken out and shot," which was a phrase that we also heard frequently.
I finally came to a realization of what hateful people these are......
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) will always prevent deconversions.
