Many people raised as atheists end up becoming something else (hell, Islamic)

[sanspeur]

The religious are leaving in droves....A lot more than those that convert from atheism....I was one of many on this very forum that kicked Christianity to the curb.... You may not like it punk, but the tide is unstoppable...

"Churches in the US are losing up to 1 million members every year. In Europe, secularization has advanced even further. The number of non-religious people, those who do not believe in God or any higher power, has reached approximately 40 percent in France and about 27 percent in Germany." Non-belief on the rise worldwide - New Humanist Blog (Rationalist Association)

[Ceece]

LOL. Nobody is trying to GROW the atheist brand or anything. Plus you do know everyone lies in polls right?

[victorianpunk]

Originally Posted by sanspeur

The religious are leaving in droves....A lot more than those that convert from atheism....I was one of many on this very forum that kicked Christianity to the curb.... You may not like it punk, but the tide is unstoppable...

"Churches in the US are losing up to 1 million members every year. In Europe, secularization has advanced even further. The number of non-religious people, those who do not believe in God or any higher power, has reached approximately 40 percent in France and about 27 percent in Germany." Non-belief on the rise worldwide - New Humanist Blog (Rationalist Association)

As I said already, organized religion is losing members...what so many religion-haters fail to realize is that most of the people who leave religion still believe in divinity of some kind or another. Atheism, as in disbelief in all divinity and spiritual death, is not rising and in fact its growth has stalled.

As for Europe, majority of people in every European country believe in some higher power.

Also, the "tide" of secularization was actually bigger in the later years of the 20st century than today. What happened?...the Iron curtain fell. Even years of state atheism wasn't able to wipe out religion. Look at Poland: it is not the most Catholic country on Earth even after years of anti-religious crusading.

You may not like it, but the fact is that majority of people always have and always will believe in something.

Number of pagans has doubled in the past decade | This is Bath

[manderly6]

What a wacky way to approach the topic of "the future of atheists". Why wouldn't you actually look at change in the number of atheists over time? Who cares how many born in to atheists households remain atheists?

[Mr5150]

All I have to say in this matter is I was raised in an atheistic home and I became a Christian in college.

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by victorianpunk

I know atheism is not really a religion. Still, it is SHOCKING that only 30% of children raised atheist remain atheist as they get older. Most become Christian or Jewish, while others become Pagan. So, why do atheist have so much trouble keeping young people in their ranks, and what does this say about the future of atheism in America?

Doesn't really matter. When religion is eventually taken as seriously by society as astrology is today, then the goal will be accomplished.

That's all we ask for. :-)

[TRANSPONDER]

If it is true that 30% of atheists are joining a religion as they get older, it just means that we have more work to do.

It may be (statistical confirmation is awaited) that atheism is making great strides and irreligious theism even greater ones. It doesn't matter to me what charts are presented trying to show that we are losing ground or Christianity is recruiting huge numbers (in China). We have, as it were, just got off the beach. The drive to the capital is just starting.

Attempts to make us give up by telling us that we can never win or are losing ground have no impact on our determination to spread the good News. The probably ain't no God, so stop worrying and save your tithe money.

P.s the Nazis tried the same propaganda trick.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8...6e9622df_z.jpg

[rifleman]

http://madmikesamerica.com/wp-conten...urchbrains.jpg

Originally Posted by hiker45

We don't have any "ranks". We tried to raise our kids to be good people and, not to brag, we succeeded far beyong what we had ever hoped.

Both of our kids are Theists. So what?

I am very happy with my complete lack of religious beliefs. Why should I care about the future of Atheism in America?

Exactly. Who cares if some percentage number is changing up or down? Of course, I am confident in the FACT that by far the massively huge majority of those who have accreditation in logical thinking (viz: scientists, engineers and other critical-thinkers..) are atheist. They were either converted as I was when I started thinking things through, or because their parents simply did not force them to Official Brainwashing School, complete with hilarious comix showing the village kids petting a T-Rex, and with Jesus looking on with a nice smile.

http://img.dooyoo.co.uk/GB_EN/orig/0/8/2/3/9/823967.jpg

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/image...3f3fd110.L.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0npZfuCqA3...sDinosaurs.jpg

http://sillylittlegiggles.com/wp-con...e-atheists.jpg

But why is that do you suppose, vp? Why because under ANY sort of logical scrutiny, and just looking at the debunking of literally every single biblical magic trick attributed to all the thousands of God versions over the millennia since tribal with doctors held sway by the campfire and did the necessary theatrics (now done with pointy hats by, for example, the RC Church's high priesthood, even to the point of speaking in Latin to keep it all fairly hard to understand...), they ALL FAIL on their faces. Totally.

So, when your kid is "miraculously cured" of what a single doc concluded (based on massive statistical background info, is a terminal case...) this is NOT a sign from God, because the kid who is in the bed in the next room, and 25 others in the same ward, were seemingly sacrificed to a God "who worketh in mysterious ways!" What if those kid's parents were even more religious than you might be, and tithed more than the "suggested" 10%, and prayed their butts off?

In other words, believers go immediately to their Intransigent Beliefs of Convenience.

Btw: if you insist on statistics as The Answer, try this one on:

http://philhemsley.files.wordpress.c...-in-church.jpg

Even so, you do, I assume, remember the old adage about "if everyone goes and jumps off that cliff, would you?" Well, vp, would you? Hmmm? It's a majority after all. A majority of stupidity.

Originally Posted by victorianpunk

As I said already, organized religion is losing members...what so many religion-haters fail to realize is that most of the people who leave religion still believe in divinity of some kind or another. Atheism, as in disbelief in all divinity and spiritual death, is not rising and in fact its growth has stalled.

You may not like it, but the fact is that majority of people always have and always will believe in something.

You know they still believe in "some divinity"? how pray tell?

Yup: and here are some examples of those beliefs and who drives them, all of these faiths being presented as a means to avert an "afterlife FAIL", but are in fact designed to line the pockets of someone. Like the richest organization in the world, the RC Church.

So do, for sure, join the surging yowling ranks in the streets, and then go burn down some supposed atheistic icon, like a library of science or engineering. Damn those truths anyhow!

http://godsofart.com/wp-content/uplo...rain-dance.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/6...f99dbcb6_b.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...jnUouBejoCjAPg

versus...

http://hurstrobert.files.wordpress.c...pg?w=300&h=225

http://blog.easytobook.com/wp-conten...2012/06/09.jpg

http://www.slapupsidethehead.com/wp-...d-carolers.jpg

Originally Posted by manderly6

What a wacky way to approach the topic of "the future of atheists". Why wouldn't you actually look at change in the number of atheists over time? Who cares how many born in to atheists households remain atheists?

Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer

Doesn't really matter. When religion is eventually taken as seriously by society as astrology is today, then the goal will be accomplished.

That's all we ask for. :-)

Agreed. Facts are that, any modern society that has a free interchange of ideas, debates over basic philosophies and an open exchange of ideas across a global community, will no longer cling to a spiritual life-raft of any mandated and disciplined structure. One whose sole intent is to prey on the congregation's fears, and to simultaneously ensure a well-funded power structure with the chosen few at the top.

Wake up and think, you un-thinking fundamentalist theists! You'll also discover that "those atheists" are not some unitized mass of Zombie-Droids, but rather an intellectual bunch who will enjoy having meaningful and honest discussions with you.

Or, you can keep on "dissing" them (as you've been instructed to do whenever and wherever...) as morally bankrupt, ethically bereft and essentially evil drone!

Here's your typical imagined atheist(s):

(Honey! There's some atheists at the door. Answer it, would you please?")

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/image...aunzombies.jpg

[manderly6]

[mordant]

Originally Posted by manderly6

...

What this fails to control for is population increases. It would be more meaningful as what percentage of the total population at each data point were (a)theists and therefore what percentage of that percentage are atheists over time.

According to the graph below, US population has increased by about 90 million since 1976, and manderly's graph shows about 90 million more unbelievers, so controlled for population increase her graph would basically flatline as to believers and then what are we left with? Atheists going from about 6.5 million in 1976 to 24.7 million in 2011. That's an increase of more than 3x during a period when the general population went up about 1.5x. In other words unbelievers are growing in numbers about twice as fast as believers.

Democratic Underground - Not so. Here's a chart showing US population over time. - Democratic Underground