Why are least religious countries much better than religious ones?

[Rafius]

Originally Posted by Arach Angle

countries success is based on population, resources, and brainpower.

religion has nothing to do with it.

But like one atheists said,

' ... its not about truth, its about inserting doubt, the truth of the matter is irrelevant."

“For men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt. The more stupid the man, the larger his stock of adamantine assurances, the heavier his load of faith.”
― H.L. Mencken,

[lukas1973]

Originally Posted by Arach Angle

countries success is based on population, resources, and brainpower.

religion has nothing to do with it.

But like one atheists said,

' ... its not about truth, its about inserting doubt, the truth of the matter is irrelevant."

The number of residents doesn't make a country successful. It doesn't seem to contribute to a high standard of living. Just look at Denmark or Switzerland. Specific ressources can make a country rich (Norway or the Gulf States). But most important is the brainpower.
I do think that exaggerated religiosity can affect the brainpower of a country negatively. Religious people will more likely refuse scientific findings (because it's too complex for them) and try to explain phenomena with god, devil, angles or miracles, because it's more comfortable to find explanations where you don't need your brain. I think it's more difficult for religious people to think rationally. Religious people seem more vulnerable if someone promises absurd nonsense.
The higher level of religiosity in the U.S. could be one reason why the U.S. is lacking in some fields compared to e.g. Scandinavian countries.

[jeffbase40]

Originally Posted by mordant

My argument was not that wealth = happiness. Nor even that religion has no appeal to the wealthy. Rather my point was that poverty, want, sickness and ignorance tends to make people more vulnerable to the false promises and comforting lies that religious faith offers.

Where is the low-hanging fruit for conservative Christianity and Islam these days? The third world generally, for example, Africa.

Here again note, I am saying just that and nothing more. In no way am I suggesting that fundamentalism has no purchase in wealthy and educated populations. I am talking about where the easy pickings are.

There are more Christians worshipping in China than North America. How do you explain the explosive growth of Christianity in Asian nations such as China and South Korea? I wouldn't really consider those nations to be third world.

[mordant]

Originally Posted by jeffbase40

There are more Christians worshipping in China than North America. How do you explain the explosive growth of Christianity in Asian nations such as China and South Korea? I wouldn't really consider those nations to be third world.

All religious institutions in China exist by permission of the state, under conditions imposed by the state. They all are careful to describe themselves as "patriotic" and avoid subversive portions of the scriptures such as Daniel's refusal to obey governing authorities when it conflicted with god's law. In at least one major church, a closed-circuit camera observes what is preached from the pulpit and feeds that to government observers.

The church in China is seen at present by the government as something that can provide some augmentation of government social services and that will help to check lawlessness and crime. If it actually pulls that off without going to places the government doesn't want it to go, then it will continue to exist. If not, it will be ruthlessly repressed.

It is difficult to get accurate numbers out of China but best estimates are that Christianity represents between 2 and 3 percent of the population, about a third the number of atheists. Meanwhile both atheism and Christianity are dwarfed by the followers of various traditional Chinese religions.

As for South Korea, Christianity is an ideological foil to communism and therefore to the threat posed by North Korea, and it had a pivotal role in the independence movement from Japan as Christians refused the cult of emperor worship. However as others have pointed out, over half the South Korean population is religiously unaffiliated and Protestant faiths are around only 20%. So while you can point to large growth numbers that are an outlier in East Asia, it is also a long way from a majority religion like in the US.

[dillionmt]

Originally Posted by jeffbase40

There are more Christians worshipping in China than North America. How do you explain the explosive growth of Christianity in Asian nations such as China and South Korea? I wouldn't really consider those nations to be third world.

How do you explain the explosive growth in Buddhists in the USA??