Social The fastest-growing religious affiliation in the United States is “no affiliation"

[Seano]

First of all I'm not a millennial boy I'm 36. And sure religion helped build up civilization. It's just that the world moved on but religion didn't. Talking snakes for fucks sake

And we've moved on to what? Gender confusion and mass shootings? yay!

 

[SL1200]

And we've moved on to what? Gender confusion and mass shootings? yay!

I'm not sure what that has to do with being non-religious but if you need that to validate your point. Be my guest!

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

Segregation had nothing to do with religion, but yes, even then, in their own communities. Blacks and whites.

church was a place where the whole community gathered. You went, your kids went. Your neighbors went, their kids went. You shared values. You shared morals. Everyone knew each other, everyone felt obligated to look out for and do things for each other. Its just not like that anymore in most places.

I'm not a church goer, BTW. I just see that it was the basis for a good community, something we're sorely missing today.

You dont think churches preached segregation was good? Come on man. I dont know where you live but there are good communities everywhere.

What? That's not even a reply. Try again. This isn't a Meme thread. Religious institutions have helped bring a sense of community, shared values and socialization. Getting rid of religion and replacing it with vapid pop culture isn't a good choice

How about getting rid of religion and replacing it with community groups. Where I live there are so manybchurches and religion they do nothing but segregate the community with heir own little events. The most attended and productive events are those sponsored by the local historic society, the town itself, neighborhood groups, etc

 

[Seano]

You dont think churches preached segregation was good? Come on man. I dont know where you live but there are good communities everywhere.

So long as they didn't preach violence. I mean, I don't agree with it myself but it was the norm at the time. In that particular aspect, the church evolved with the times.

Good communities are rare. Its why inner cities have turned to dumps. The areas with "good" communities aren't the ones that are an issue in most news stories.

 

[Voodoo_Child906]

You should use science that keeps changing every time it's wrong which is often and isn't close to explaining the origins of life or the universe.

Isn't the fact that when Science admits when it's wrong and discards or adjusts its theories that it gets closer to the truth? I don't know of anything other than Science that's really attempted to explain the origins of life or the universe in a methodical manner.

Also I'm not sure what you mean by 'close'. At what point would you concede that Science is close at finding these answers?

 

[ElKarlo]

How about getting rid of religion and replacing it with community groups. Where I live there are so manybchurches and religion they do nothing but segregate the community with heir own little events. The most attended and productive events are those sponsored by the local historic society, the town itself, neighborhood groups, etc

It's not just attendance level to measure by. I've met a few true believers who were amazing people. The churches that produce good people are the ones that matter. And there are some where they produce no more good people than society. Then there are the ones that produce a higher amount. Those are a net benefit to society as a whole

 

[WTF2008]

I still think a deity creating a man from dirt and a woman from the ribs of the man sounds retarted. I also think modern religion was very fast to forget that there where many more polytheistic religions loooong before these fairytales. But they where wrong and these are right correct?

And thanks for dragging my mom into this. Classy..

You're the one that brought up her bunched up panties. Go back and look, you dumb pansie.

You can't even spell retard you retart.

Nobody but you in our conversation brought up people coming from dirt or ribs. And how "modern" is this religion you think I believe in?
I'm of the belief that we don't and can't know, but you're throwing Bible stuff out little ho.

 

[SL1200]

You're the one that brought up her bunched up panties. Go back and look, you dumb pansie.

You can't even spell retard you retart.

Nobody but you in our conversation brought up people coming from dirt or ribs. And how "modern" is this religion you think I believe in?
I'm of the belief that we don't and can't know, but you're throwing Bible stuff out little ho.

Wow are you having a bad day or are you the proud owner of a micropenis because your tone is fucked up.

I brought up panties.. not my moms you sicko. And misspelling a word in a language that's not my native tongue? I'm so ashamed boohoo.. how many languages do you speak?

You said you are agnostic so I don't think you belief in a god. You don't know but you're not ruling it out correct?

 

[Voodoo_Child906]

You're the one that brought up her bunched up panties. Go back and look, you dumb pansie.

You can't even spell retard you retart.

Nobody but you in our conversation brought up people coming from dirt or ribs. And how "modern" is this religion you think I believe in?
I'm of the belief that we don't and can't know, but you're throwing Bible stuff out little ho.

What can't we know and why not?

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/progr...christian-lawmaker-resigns-sex-office-affair/

Ah yes the 1 year anniversary of Good ol Christians tricked by the devil! Amazing people are leaving these honest conservative folk.

 

[ShinkanPo]

So we are talking about Panties now?

 

[Codpiece]

I try not to judge but as humans we tend to anyway. When I do, I don't judge christians by jesus. I try judge people on individual merit without bias but am not always successful. I will be honest and say I judge christians on their (imo) lack of reasoning and hypocrisy in believing jesus rose from the dead for christians and was from a virgin blah blah blah fucking bullshit.
I suppose when you were fed religion from infancy, fed the fear of hell and sins, or told of the wonders of a city in the clouds where you hang out with your dead relatives, it must become difficult to think clearly.

Hey man, can you help me out? I bought the e-book for “Good Without God” by Robin Craig, which is really an essay and I must confess, is a little disappointing. Then I learned there is a book by a secular humanist which is also called something like “Good Without God - What A Billion Non Believers Do Believe.” It’s by Greg Epstien. Is that the book you were pointing me toward? I won’t buy it until I know for sure.

Also a follow up question: how is it hypocrisy to believe Jesus rose from the dead? There’s plenty of good reason to believe he did.

 

[MMAViewer]

Hey man, can you help me out? I bought the e-book for “Good Without God” by Robin Craig, which is really an essay and I must confess, is a little disappointing. Then I learned there is a book by a secular humanist which is also called something like “Good Without God - What A Billion Non Believers Do Believe.” It’s by Greg Epstien. Is that the book you were pointing me toward? I won’t buy it until I know for sure.

Also a follow up question: how is it hypocrisy to believe Jesus rose from the dead? There’s plenty of good reason to believe he did.

Yes the book by Gregg Epstein was the book I was referring to. To your follow up question, I was referring to christianity as a whole being hypocritical. Not specifically believing that he rose from the dead.
That said the chances that someone named jesus rose from the dead over 2000 years ago so that "god" his " father" wh is not a human could save us from the "original" sin is highly highly unlikely. I have not seen or heard nearly enough factual or reasonable evidence to personally believe it. I feel there are just too many inconsistencies and convenient interpretations in the bible for me to "worship" or have "faith" in its words.

 

[Codpiece]

Yes the book by Gregg Epstein was the book I was referring to.

Ah man. OK thanks. When I get through it I will come back to you.

 

[MMAViewer]

Ah man. OK thanks. When I get through it I will come back to you.

I added an answer to your follow up question. Also I'm sorry I didn't realize there was another book sharing the same title.

 

[Darth_Inv1ctu5]

Kinda makes me feel bad for the churches. Otherwise sounds like good news.

Wife is Catholic and goes every now and again, as is her mom (mom is Super Catholic). I went w wife a few times and while I'm an atheist/agnostic as the mood hits, I see value in the communal spirit the church can generate. I don't think it's the only force that can generate that spirit, but insofar as it does, and as long as it doesn't promote intolerance (e.g. Westboro Baptist ratfucks) toward other faiths, I think it's fine. It's really weird how I've mellowed out towards it as I've got older. Me of ten years ago was more adamant about trashing church and denying its positive aspects. Now, I don't care about what people believe, or don't believe in anymore. Life is so, so short. If a belief results in a modicum of good and nothing bad, it's alright in my book...

 

[cooks1]

It is unfortunate that religion is being so easily dismissed. There is much people can learn from religion and apply to their lives when it is studied critically and with an open mind. Philosophy and science have also influenced people in negative ways and caused a lot of harm in the world. I'm not sure why it is always religion that gets singled out for being the cause of the world's problems.

It is not just religions. Any ideology that relies heavily upon recruitment, 'conversion', and the suppression of alternative views to maintain their numbers will have an ever harder road to hoe, as information and discourse becomes ever easier.

Also, slowly disappearing are the days where religions can depend upon multi-generational affiliation.

If religion wants to maintain relevance in the long term, it needs to have a message and a value system people will identify with and gravitate towards on its own merits. Without heavy external influencers like parents and recruiting efforts ala LDS.

In the ultimate irony, the main thing keeping religions from continued relevance is their own rigid dogma. Convincing people to believe things that are shown to be more and more absurd with each passing year is going to get nothing but harder. But changing that Dogma is just so damn hard!!!

That is why the trend towards atheism and agnosticism is going to be so hard to stop. People are not being recruited. Their parents aren't making them atheists. They are coming to the conclusion of their own accord. It's organic. It's happening because it more closely approximates peoples value systems, and it is ever easier to shed ideologies that are foisted upon you.

 

[Langstarr]

I am no fan of religion myself. I realized a while ago that I don’t know anybody my age goes to church or is a very religious person. This always made me think that people are finally starting to see through the bullshit

 

[Devout Pessimist]

It is not just religions. Any ideology that relies heavily upon recruitment, 'conversion', and the suppression of alternative views to maintain their numbers will have an ever harder road to hoe, as information and discourse becomes ever easier.

Also, slowly disappearing are the days where religions can depend upon multi-generational affiliation.

If religion wants to maintain relevance in the long term, it needs to have a message and a value system people will identify with and gravitate towards on its own merits. Without heavy external influencers like parents and recruiting efforts ala LDS.

In the ultimate irony, the main thing keeping religions from continued relevance is their own rigid dogma. Convincing people to believe things that are shown to be more and more absurd with each passing year is going to get nothing but harder. But changing that Dogma is just so damn hard!!!

That is why the trend towards atheism and agnosticism is going to be so hard to stop. People are not being recruited. Their parents aren't making them atheists. They are coming to the conclusion of their own accord. It's organic. It's happening because it more closely approximates peoples value systems, and it is ever easier to shed ideologies that are foisted upon you.

My concern is not over people leaving their religions. I am not part of any religious group myself. My concern regards people completely dismissing religion and not reading or studying great religious thinkers like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Reinhold Niebuhr, Thomas Merton, Simone Weil and so on. There is a difference between not going to church and disregarding serious religious thinkers outright. There are many religious thinkers who should be taken just as seriously as great authors, philosophers and scientists. Dostoevsky's book The Brothers Karamazov is considered one of the greatest novels ever written and it essentially a religious novel. The problem is not religion, but a lack of serious and thoughtful religious education.

Alain De botton best captures my sentiment when he says:

"Religions are not just a set of claims about the supernatural; they are also machines for living. They aim to guide you from birth to death and to teach you a whole range of things: to create a community, to create codes of behavior, to generate aesthetic experiences. And all of this seems to me incredibly important and, frankly, much more interesting than the question of whether Jesus was or wasn’t the son of God."

Religion without God: Alain de Botton on "atheism 2.0."

 

[ShadBo]

Also a follow up question: how is it hypocrisy to believe Jesus rose from the dead? There’s plenty of good reason to believe he did.

If there was a good reason to think that Jesus rose from the dead, Christianity would not be faith based. Faith is not a good reason to believe in anything.

The only "evidence" that Jesus rose from the dead are the stories written by anonymous authors about people who believed alleged eyewitnesses. All of this appearing in a book of bronze age mythology about talking snakes and goats, and an awful god that couldn't beat a man in a wrestling match and failed to keep its plan on the rails so it had to wipe humanity out a number of times before sacrificing itself, to itself, to act as a loophole for the rules it is supposed to be the author of.

You can only believe Jesus rose on faith and faith can be used to justify belief in anything.

Can you think of any position you couldn't come to if you start with faith?

Personally, I believe every Sherdogger who claims they bench teh 275, are asthetic at 265lbs with 8% body fat and bang nothing but LA 10s, on faith.

The "none of the aboves" are growing because more and more people are giving up faith. We don't have faith that there is a prince in Nigeria that is going to give us his fortune, we don't have faith that we've won a cruise, and we don't have faith that these ancient texts are more than the obvious collection of stories that they are.