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When will Atheism become mainstream. Not IF, but WHEN.
Such unbridled optimism is to be expected from my old friend, rifle . . . but it is misguided. It completely discounts the power of experience over intellect. I agree that the many (and absurd) intellectual beliefs ABOUT God will suffer a natural erosion from our increased knowledge and understanding . . . and not just from science. The signs are already there as so many leave formal religions . . . but NOT God. Too many religions depend on the ignorance and lack of critical thought of their followers as they continue to perpetuate the ancient ignorance of our ancestors as a sign of Faith. The newer generations will see right through them. The failure to adapt to our expanding knowledge and understanding will be their downfall . . . but God will weather the intransigence of His so-called representatives. More and more will realize God would never require complete understanding of complex belief systems ABOUT Him. The mantra of "love God and each other" daily and repent when you don't . . . will be seen for the truth it contains. Its simplicity is exactly what a benevolent God would require of us . . . nothing more sophisticated or complicated or difficult to believe. God would not imbue us with the intellect and capabilities to learn and know so much and then require us to ignore it all and accept primitive nonsense that directly contradicts that knowledge.
With respect to the previous posters, I think the OP was wondering when declaring oneself an atheist would occasion only a shrug - as one of many acceptable beliefs, or non-beliefs - not when atheism will predominate amongst a majority of the earthly population.
I'm not saying the latter will never happen. It may well. But I suspect it'll take longer than a couple of generations.
Ahhh gwahn back to your darkened cave, WhyDohnChah, Viz? Philosophical jealosy is such a pitiful emotion, esp. from Christians!
() After all, who gave them a monopoly to rant and rave the impossible from their churchly rooftops? At least our solutions are provable in any lab or field!
Plus, from thee we learned! (Not to mention, it's always nice to dream about a future filled with educated, thoughtful and literate people, as opposed to the current Bronze-Age religion's inertial carry-over of formularized parrot-chanting!)
PTL! God Luvz Yah! Seek Salvation! Pray to avoid Hell.
Agreed, TroutDude. Currently, we're admonished, with a certain level of barely-contained and rather malignant glee, that to be an atheist is to be a member of one of the more reviled and disrespected cohorts in North America. Talk about bullying, eh?
Whereas, we atheists know full well that our enhanced and embraced higher levels of education, independent thinking and overall knowledge are generally far superior to the equivalent values of your basic fundy theist, who regularly prefers to have others do his or her thinking for them! (on spiritual perspectives at least).
So be it. But only for now, as I'm predicting. That antiquated paradigm and epoch is quickly passing, soon to be replaced by Neo-Modern Man, a paradigm of thoughtful considerations, peer-review of new ideas before they are engrained as some out-of-place factoid to be swallowed without any chocolate milk or good Bourbon, just forced down by churchly happenstance, and a ready acceptance of "not yet knowing all the answers", as most Christians seem to require in order to be at peace with their world.
Yikes! Talk about spiritual indigestion, huh? (<cue the burps!>)
I think that once issues like teh ghey and abortion are no longer wedge issues and seeing that these seem to predominate the thinking there, religion will go from what it is to irreligious as it did here in SA on similar lines. There will always be a minority subset that will somehow manage to dupe a few unsuspectants.
In my town that was once very religious (or so I thought) there is a marked decline in the church attendance.
A lot bought into the woo of the US church dogmas but when the sky did not fall in 94, well it simply declined and now the reality is that the 25 odd churches here are sparsely attended and most now simply have a single Sunday service. Realistically <3% of the town can claim to be "true believers™" by way of regular attendance.
Some chose to leave the mainstream religions and started home cell groups but these too have diminished and there is only negative growth. Once in awhile there will be some charismatic guy that excites the base and there is an exodus to that particular church and then months later it fades away.
What I see is folk mostly paying lip service to religion by way of self identification on census and polls which are far and few between these days.
Probably one significant difference here was the govt's declaration of all religions being equal. NM allowed a religious component to the opening of parliament the year he was elected but insisted all faiths participate not just xian. It took two hours and ended off with a black witch doctor type in traditional skins as the encore. That was the last time parliament opened with a religious component.
The practice of religion was not stopped by the incoming "evil commies" and is protected in the constitution which answers ultimately to the constitutional court should amendments be required.
Once folk saw there was no threat, the fervour died off.
I suspect the next generation are going to be less observant, my kids both have said they do not want any of the traditional weddings, christenings etc.
I liken it to the 'atched mindset that most will observe.
The gays faded into obscurity once the got their rights, abortions are on the decline with proper sex ed and gratuitous availability of condoms from schools, the post office, filling stations, hotels, employers etc.
Next year it is 20 years since it changed. We have a long way to go on other socio-political issues but as the only country with a modern constitution (that I know of), we do seem to have a workable solution.
The only recent objections we had was to do with a 24/7 porn channel on the DSTV network. It did not get stopped despite appeals. Boils down to personal responsibility and choice. You pay extra to have it anyway.
In the years just before Christ's return there will be a great "falling away" from faith, an apostasy that sweeps the world.
Christians have been parroting that old bs for 2000 years, and things are a lot better today than they have ever been.....Oh, I guess you are trying to say that us unbelievers will be responsible for Christs return....Not a chance.
In the years just before Christ's return there will be a great "falling away" from faith, an apostasy that sweeps the world.
Been saying that for centuries and yet nada. IMO you are waiting in vain. Every generation thought they were the one. It is pretty easy to interpret the bible that is so poorly compiled to match current world events.
Considering jesus probably never existed, the expectation is the god you hold between your ears is the only one able to "come back". It is only that god between your ears that is "real" Jesus gets reinvented each generation. Do yourself a favour and look up commentary on the Blue Letter bible from a scholar pre 20th century. See how radically it differs from current dogmas. Read Matthew Henry's commentaries on the book of Revelation.
Were any of it true, then the commentaries from back then should be identical to today's snake oil salesmen's ones. They are not.
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When will Atheism become mainstream. Not IF, but WHEN.
) After all, who gave them a monopoly to rant and rave the impossible from their churchly rooftops? At least our solutions are provable in any lab or field!
