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I doubt that it will happen as rapidly in America as it did in Ireland. Ireland was overwhelmingly a country whose citizens were mostly Catholic.* When the truth about the Catholic Church came out I think it turned a lot of people off and that's all it took. Here in the U.S., we have half a million denominations of Protestants, we have Catholics, and just about everything else on the fringe and in-between. So, for example, when a bunch of evangelical ministers who speak out against gay people are found out to be homosexual themselves (usually from some embarrassing situation too - like giving hand jobs in the stall of a meth-riddled truck stop) the parishioners just jump ship to the next closest thing. I suspect that in Ireland there wasn't as much diversity as there is in the U.S. so when the Catholic Church collapsed so did A LOT of people's faith.
*Although, I am reminded of the atheist journalist traveling through Northern Ireland when the conflict with England was very intense. Stopped at a checkpoint, he was asked what religion he was. He replied "Atheist." The man at the checkpoint responded "Protestant Atheist or Catholic Atheist?"
you have it wrong
a guy was walking down the main st of belfast one night late when someone puts a gun to the back of his head and asks him the following
" what religon are you "
guy answers = jewish
gunman = are you a protestant jew or a catholic jew
typical gallows northern irish humour , thats one thing both communitys in northern ireland have in common , black humour , much more so than us softies down south , they say if a mugger ever tries to rob you , put on a northern irish accent and most of them get sh1t scared
A survey I read recently said that 75% of people under thirty consider religion as not important to them and 80% of Christian college freshman become atheists or agnostics by the time they get out of college. I didn't have a single friend who remained Christian through college, and they all started as Christians. This is happening in America. Go to any church and you'll find it's mostly people aged 40+. The younger people who are there are generally ones who got married and started having kids at a very early age. I live in the buckle of the Bible Belt in probably the most religious city in the country and even here it's hard to find young people in church. If you were born in 1980 or later, more than likely you don't believe in God or if you do, do not hold to Biblical literalism. People have the right to believe as they choose, but what's alarming is the hatred towards Christianity that comes from most young people. Millennials are the largest generation in American history and when they reach the age where they start gaining political power, true oppression of believers in America could come about.
America will become a majority atheist nation in the next 50 years. The older generations in America are still very religious but once they die off so will Christendom in America. Europe got a good head start on losing their religion.
A survey I read recently said that 75% of people under thirty consider religion as not important to them and 80% of Christian college freshman become atheists or agnostics by the time they get out of college. This is happening in America. Go to any church and you'll find it's mostly people aged 40+. The younger people who are there are generally ones who got married and started having kids at a very early age. I live in the buckle of the Bible Belt in probably the most religious city in the country and even here it's hard to find young people in church. If you were born in 1980 or later, more than likely you don't believe in God or if you do, do not hold to Biblical literalism. People have the right to believe as they choose, but what's alarming is the hatred towards Christianity that comes from most young people. Millennials are the largest generation in American history and when they reach the age where they start gaining political power, true oppression of believers in America could come about.
We certainly don't want that - unless 'oppression' means not allowing the religious tail to wag the doggie politic. I would like to see secular states helping believers; repairing churches, funding religious schools,all paid from the taxes levied on religious like any other organization. While at the same time weeding out religious influence in public institutions: it would be usual to affirm in court while anyone who wanted to swear a religious oath could do so if they wanted.
A survey I read recently said that 75% of people under thirty consider religion as not important to them and 80% of Christian college freshman become atheists or agnostics by the time they get out of college. I didn't have a single friend who remained Christian through college, and they all started as Christians. This is happening in America. Go to any church and you'll find it's mostly people aged 40+. The younger people who are there are generally ones who got married and started having kids at a very early age. I live in the buckle of the Bible Belt in probably the most religious city in the country and even here it's hard to find young people in church. If you were born in 1980 or later, more than likely you don't believe in God or if you do, do not hold to Biblical literalism. People have the right to believe as they choose, but what's alarming is the hatred towards Christianity that comes from most young people. Millennials are the largest generation in American history and when they reach the age where they start gaining political power, true oppression of believers in America could come about.
America will become a majority atheist nation in the next 50 years. The older generations in America are still very religious but once they die off so will Christendom in America. Europe got a good head start on losing their religion.
As much as I would like the numbers you are providing to be true, I think they are way to high (hopefully not). The studies I have read is that young people are leaving religion in big numbers but not that 75% consider religion not to be important. If you can find that survey please create a new post and link it in there.
My take on it is that a person should view everything in a skeptical manner, not just religion but everything, and then after being showed evidence each person should come to their own conclusion after applying Reality, Critical thinking and Reason. You were born with a brain right...use it.
If I do it for everything else why should I not do it with religion? Reality, Critical thinking and Reason are important in all aspects of life here on earth and it should be applied to religion as well.
I also think that Ireland after reading all posts is different than America because the Catholic church is the "state church" in Ireland has has much bigger negative effect when things like the pedophile scandal happened compared to the many different denominations there are in America.
Yes, while the reports are encouraging,if only because it is great propaganda, frankly we can't slack off and let the avalanche roll. It could be a temporary reaction to the Scandal or flavour of the month reporting. If not, I shall still not let up until it is clear that the balance has tipped, there is no way back, belief is in the minority and Goldenrule has followed his own dictum on the mandate of the majority and joined us. If so, we have never had a better opportunity to hammer the case home and never has it been more necessary to give some thought to what a free, just and tolerant secularist society should be like and what it should do.
The fact is that government, where not actually driven by religious values, has been driven by people who deal in PR,not in rationality. And an atheist society needs to be rational, not expert in ways of bamboozling the people. If we can't do that, then the world might revert to the 'me first, grab what you can' social instinct without the (sometimes) ameliorating effect of the Divine CCTV.
A survey I read recently said that 75% of people under thirty consider religion as not important to them and 80% of Christian college freshman become atheists or agnostics by the time they get out of college. I didn't have a single friend who remained Christian through college, and they all started as Christians. This is happening in America. Go to any church and you'll find it's mostly people aged 40+. The younger people who are there are generally ones who got married and started having kids at a very early age. I live in the buckle of the Bible Belt in probably the most religious city in the country and even here it's hard to find young people in church. If you were born in 1980 or later, more than likely you don't believe in God or if you do, do not hold to Biblical literalism. People have the right to believe as they choose, but what's alarming is the hatred towards Christianity that comes from most young people. Millennials are the largest generation in American history and when they reach the age where they start gaining political power, true oppression of believers in America could come about.
America will become a majority atheist nation in the next 50 years. The older generations in America are still very religious but once they die off so will Christendom in America. Europe got a good head start on losing their religion.
Can you provide a source of your information? Anyway I live in a country more secular than your country and it not too difficult to find churches that have many young people that are single. Yet of course a large majority of young people in my country don't go to church and at least 8% of the total population in my country goes to Church every Sunday.
Millennials are not the largest generation. It is the Baby Bombers.
Yes, while the reports are encouraging,if only because it is great propaganda, frankly we can't slack off and let the avalanche roll. It could be a temporary reaction to the Scandal or flavour of the month reporting. If not, I shall still not let up until it is clear that the balance has tipped, there is no way back, belief is in the minority and Goldenrule has followed his own dictum on the mandate of the majority and joined us. If so, we have never had a better opportunity to hammer the case home and never has it been more necessary to give some thought to what a free, just and tolerant secularist society should be like and what it should do.
The fact is that government, where not actually driven by religious values, has been driven by people who deal in PR,not in rationality. And an atheist society needs to be rational, not expert in ways of bamboozling the people. If we can't do that, then the world might revert to the 'me first, grab what you can' social instinct without the (sometimes) ameliorating effect of the Divine CCTV.
I found a good video with exactly what my post was all about. A Catholic priest interviews around 24 people and only 1 say they are religious. Enjoy...There is hope for Ireland:
The reasons they are stating are pretty good as well I think. One younger lady says she believs in Science now and another one says he would like to find out himself about religion and not from his parents forcing him. My next vacation is booked..I will go to Dublin....They seem to be pretty smart and have finally "woken up" and they know think that reason, common sense and reality is important.
Last edited by johnsweeting; 02-07-2013 at 01:55 PM..
I may have coined that term ...reporters are free to use it.
Thinking over that vid. while the people it talked to were saying what they thought, I had my doubts about that Atheist. The 'I don't believe in anything' phrase just sounded unlike what a card -carrying atheist would say and more like the misconceptions of a catholic scriptwriter.
Honestly, I doubt religion will go extinct. I think it is the nature of many - if not most - people to find some sort of greater meaning beyond their own internal dialogue with themselves.
I think that the current organized religions may go extinct. But there will always be a mythology to take its place. It's naive to assume the scientific materialism view of the world will ultimately prevail. There are too many people who are willfully ignorant. Stupid people make babies, too.
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we can't slack off and let the avalanche roll. It could be a temporary reaction to the Scandal 
or flavour of the month reporting. If not, I shall still not let up until it is clear that the balance has tipped, there is no way back, belief is in the minority and Goldenrule has followed his own dictum on the mandate of the majority and joined us. If so, we have never had a better opportunity to hammer the case home and never has it been more necessary to give some thought to what a free, just and tolerant secularist society should be like and what it should do. 
The Atheist Avalanche
