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Maybe because they realize that religion is just a tool used to control the population and that there is no evidence that any religion is actually true.
Relgion and other superstitions are still all too prevalent, but the good news implied by this thread is that religion wanes as science explains. Have YOU heard the good news? LMAO!
I do not believe the OP will find any one answer to this question. In fact I think there are so many answers to this question the OP is not likely to find even a single manageable list of answers to the question.
The ready availability of counter arguments to theistic nonsense and/or the data with which we can evaluate our own conclusions where previously we might have been spoon fed them by churches is one great predictor of the demise of religion. Wherever religious claims and nonsense surface on the internet today the counter claims and arguments pop up close by.
The actions of people in the name of god or by people of god whether it be flying planes into civilian buildings, raping children or... as bad in other ways.... facilitating and institutionalizing that rape... to pontificating outdated morality on a modern world.... also serve to turn many away from it.
Access to the Bible has also eroded much in the way of faith. There was a time when the Bible was jealously maintained in languages only the clergy and higher educated could read. The people had it distilled to them in sermons and masses. Today however anyone can read it and many come away from that experience sickened. I have converted many people from religion and I did not do it with science or debate. I did it by making them actually read their own "good book" that they claimed to have faith in but never read. They came away from the experience less than impressed and in some cases horrified saying "I was meant to believe THAT crap?".
I could list this stuff all day but another interesting angle on the OP is to ask IF people are turning away from religion really or is it just that more and more people who already put no stock in that nonsense feel it is OK to admit it? Richard Dawkins book "The God Delusion" had only basic arguments in it. The real 101 stuff that anyone interested in the theist atheist debates know inside out for a long time. There was nothing special in or about that book. There are 100s better. But it successfully opened a door and as it and Dawkins became a household name more and more people have stood up and said "Actually you know what... I never believed that stuff either".
So while there are many who are turning away from religion and losing faith in the god hypothesis... one wonders what % of them were already so but only in recent years are admitting to it.
The fact remains that whatever people think they believe there simply is no arguments, evidence, data or reasoning on offer to substantiate the god hypothesis. Many people are starting to realize this while many others are starting to realize that it is ok to admit they have always realized this.
I would like to see the source for the statistic. I'll willing to bet they didn't bother to survey any young people in the Bible belt!
That's exactly what I was thinking. I'd be surprised if that many people in my current town are agnostic/atheist, and this is a pretty agnostic area compared to much of the country.
The more information the common man can get his hands on, the less you will see religion playing a role in his life.
It's about the world becoming more educated, not more spoiled.
Religion's nemesis is knowledge and as knowledge become more readily available and easy to obtain the more religion suffers.
My thoughts exactly.
Btw, I believe in god. But religion is not about god. It's about control and fear and herds.
There's a reason christianity kept people purposely illiterate for generations.
If all you really wanted was to truly love your god, you'd be able to shut up about it.
I do not believe the OP will find any one answer to this question. In fact I think there are so many answers to this question the OP is not likely to find even a single manageable list of answers to the question.
The ready availability of counter arguments to theistic nonsense and/or the data with which we can evaluate our own conclusions where previously we might have been spoon fed them by churches is one great predictor of the demise of religion. Wherever religious claims and nonsense surface on the internet today the counter claims and arguments pop up close by.
The actions of people in the name of god or by people of god whether it be flying planes into civilian buildings, raping children or... as bad in other ways.... facilitating and institutionalizing that rape... to pontificating outdated morality on a modern world.... also serve to turn many away from it.
Access to the Bible has also eroded much in the way of faith. There was a time when the Bible was jealously maintained in languages only the clergy and higher educated could read. The people had it distilled to them in sermons and masses. Today however anyone can read it and many come away from that experience sickened. I have converted many people from religion and I did not do it with science or debate. I did it by making them actually read their own "good book" that they claimed to have faith in but never read. They came away from the experience less than impressed and in some cases horrified saying "I was meant to believe THAT crap?".
Nonsense. People have had access to the Bible for many generations. They read the word, and certainly didn't lose faith. Going by your logic, we should be seeing Bible seminaries churning out hundreds of people leaving the Christian faith in despair because it all came apart when you read the entire Bible. Instead, you see Christians who study the Bible all their life with rock solid faith. There is an endless well of spiritual truth in the Bible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nozzferrahhtoo
I could list this stuff all day but another interesting angle on the OP is to ask IF people are turning away from religion really or is it just that more and more people who already put no stock in that nonsense feel it is OK to admit it? Richard Dawkins book "The God Delusion" had only basic arguments in it. The real 101 stuff that anyone interested in the theist atheist debates know inside out for a long time. There was nothing special in or about that book. There are 100s better. But it successfully opened a door and as it and Dawkins became a household name more and more people have stood up and said "Actually you know what... I never believed that stuff either".
There's a simple reason why people are turning away from religion. It's not because of atheist's arguments or having their eyes opened on the internet. The real reason is our busy day society. Our lifestyle is much different than generations past.
Life is much more complicated, many things to do on a daily basis, more things to worry about, most of us live a busy go go go lifestyle with the weekend being the only time we have to slow down and relax. We have become slaves to the clock. As a result, it's easy to stop going to Wednesday nite service, then no time for Sunday night, and finally you stop going altogether. Without a church life, your faith can certainly wither up and you stop caring about having a spiritual life.
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My thoughts exactly.
