Interesting National geographic article I found encouraging.

[☆ DarkBishop ☆]

I've asked the question before if anyone thinks that we will one day see a world without strong religious influences. Hopefully that day will be soon. But sadly probably not in our lifetimes. 

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160422-atheism-agnostic-secular-nones-rising-religion/

[Tsathoggua9]

Interesting article!

[TABA]

I think that in order for the decline of religion in the West to continue, several things have to happen.

 

The intellectual case against theism gains strength.  This has been happening for about three centuries now, as science has gradually closed the Gaps for God to hide in.  More recently, advances in scriptural history, archaeology and other fields have squeezed Christianity from other directions.  This looks set to continue.

 

What needs to happen next is the promotion of non-theistic alternatives to the human needs that are met by religion, and which lead people to stay with religion even in the face of the intellectual crumbling. There's little doubt that prayer makes people feel better, even if there is no god listening.  Various forms of meditation or similar practices seem well positioned to replace prayer in many people's lives.  And various forms of both Eastern and Western philosophies can help answer the question "How should I live my life?"  This area in particular interests me a lot right now.  I have started learning about different schools of Greek and Roman philosophy, and seeing that some of them provided valuable guidance that both predates Christianity and can outlast it.  The pre-Christian Stoics and others didn't need Judeo-Christian teachings to help them live worthwhile, fulfilling lives, and neither do post-Christian westerners.  And of course Eastern philosophies also offer lots of wisdom for living a "good" life.

 

I look forward to a time when children are taught not to pray, but to meditate, and where the question "what church do you go to?"  will be replaced by "what school of philosophy do you follow?".

I guess this may seem utopian to some, but Christianity would not be the first religion to outlive its usefulness and become a relic of the past.  And I hope it won't be the last, because Islam just as badly needs to meet the same fate.

[pantheory]

22 hours ago, DarkBishop said:

I've asked the question before if anyone thinks that we will one day see a world without strong religious influences. Hopefully that day will be soon. But sadly probably not in our lifetimes. 

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160422-atheism-agnostic-secular-nones-rising-religion/

 

I knew I wasn't a Nun, but didn't know I was a "none." Very interesting.

 

Good article.  My opinion is that the Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist non-religious movements are gaining momentum, but such a secular movement in Islam will probably take awhile. As you also suggest it will probably not be soon, not within the next, maybe 50 years concerning a similar movement as we presently see concerning other religions.

[☆ DarkBishop ☆]

40 minutes ago, pantheory said:

 

I knew I wasn't a Nune, but didn't know I was a "none." Very interesting.

 

Good article.  My opinion is that the Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist non-religious movements are gaining momentum, but such a secular movement in Islam will probably take awhile. As you also suggest it will probably not be soon, not within the next, maybe 50 years concerning a similar movement as we presently see concerning other religions.

I like the term "none" a lot better than athiest, secular humanist, or agnostic. I always feel like i need to explain what the others mean. And athiest seems to be met with the same reaction as if you had just told someone you were a convicted felon fresh ouut of prison. Lol.

 

Hopefully we nones in this generation can make a difference and lead the way so that future generations will not suffer the indoctrination that we've dealt with. This is a movement I would like to see to the end that means a lot to me, but I can be content with knowing the ball is rumbling in that direction in the next 30 or 40 years, even if I don't see the fruits of it. 😃.

 

DB

[pantheory]

20 minutes ago, DarkBishop said:

I like the term "none" a lot better than athiest, secular humanist, or agnostic. I always feel like i need to explain what the others mean. And athiest seems to be met with the same reaction as if you had just told someone you were a convicted felon fresh ouut of prison. Lol.

 

Hopefully we nones in this generation can make a difference and lead the way so that future generations will not suffer the indoctrination that we've dealt with. This is a movement I would like to see to the end that means a lot to me, but I can be content with knowing the ball is rumbling in that direction in the next 30 or 40 years, even if I don't see the fruits of it. 😃.

 

DB

 

I believe, as you and your link imply, that the ball is slowly rolling in the "none" direction.

[ag_NO_stic]

You're right, this is encouraging! One day at a time, people!

[Joshpantera]

The flying "none"....