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Not necessarily, but I think some people need to believe in something after death to help them cope with that. I, and many others, don't need that wishful thinking and therefore can do what we like on Sunday mornings and not be tied to going to a building for two hours with other people who need the same belief.
Religion may be declining in certain areas of the world, but it is increasing in many others. Spirituality is on the increase, as people will always gravitate towards that.
As others have said, it is decreasing in some areas and increasing in others.
I suspect that the better educated people become, the more they will realise the fairy stories for what they are.
Also in repressive theocracy countries, it is sensible to appear religious, and go through the motions, even if you know or suspect it is all a load of cattle droppings.
This is all theory of course, I don't have the time or resources to do the necessary research.
Also the religions themselves make a difference, I suspect Islam and Roman catholicism is on the increase and protestant christianity is on the decrease, as the former too seem very keen to pass on their religion to all family members, where as others are more easy going. As with people in a theocratic country, kids in a religious family probably tow the line rather than risk disfavour, until they are old enough to make up their own mind, by which time the religion may well have become a "comfortable habit".
Parts of America seem to contradict these theories, as fundie christians are appearign all over the place, yet it is a generally well educated country. However there is evidence of religious views invading the education system, which may be partly to blame.
People are encouraged to believe in a mixture of supernatural creatures while growing up. They are usually discouraged from believing in most of them before they reach puberty. The most powerful of these supernatural creatures, the one whom they call "God," they encourage people to believe in all of their lives and they participate in many rituals that have great meaning in their lives, rituals used to mark every significant rite of passage in their lives. These rituals take on such great importance in themselves, it is considered a great sin by the believers to speak disparagingly of the supernatural being to whom all these rituals are dedicated, because without these rituals which act as markers of great significance in their lives many people would have trouble relating to the aging process and the fact of their limited mortality. For most humans the thought of an immortal afterlife in paradise is very rewarding, especially if their lives on earth are hell. For this reason it is good to encourage people to believe because it is a huge psychological crutch without which many people would see no reason for continuing. I totally approve and even send Christmas cards to help participate in the most sociologically balancing rituals most 21st Century Westerners believe in, which really, in one form or another, are believed in by the majority of human beings.
To tell the truth I envy people who lead very spiritual lives because they are invariably very happy people. I often bemourn the loss of the childlike belief I had in my youngest years before starting to ponder too deeply so many unanswerable questions, the bemusement of which robbed me of my ability to continue believing in the same way several decades into adulthood. If I could turn back the clock and start over I would, but I suppose it is too late and great spiritual leaders like St. Augustine were exceedingly lucky to have the good fortune to have life-changing experiences that enabled them to refocus and recenter their lives around an unshakable presence of divinity, a presence they had lost but found in time to comfort them and remove all of their doubts.
[2 points]3 years ago by ChipmonkReplyEdited 3 years ago by Chipmonk
United Kingdom
This comment was deleted.
[4 points] 3 years ago by deleted user ReplyNot necessarily, but I think some people need to believe in something after death to help them cope with that. I, and many others, don't need that wishful thinking and therefore can do what we like on Sunday mornings and not be tied to going to a building for two hours with other people who need the same belief.
The numbers are declining, but the intensity is increasing.
In Sweden yes.
you're right, i think it is declining, but it's intensity is definitely increasing... i think religion is in it's final death throes.
Yes, but not fast enough for the good of the world.
Religion may be declining in certain areas of the world, but it is increasing in many others. Spirituality is on the increase, as people will always gravitate towards that.
As others have said, it is decreasing in some areas and increasing in others.
I suspect that the better educated people become, the more they will realise the fairy stories for what they are.
Also in repressive theocracy countries, it is sensible to appear religious, and go through the motions, even if you know or suspect it is all a load of cattle droppings.
This is all theory of course, I don't have the time or resources to do the necessary research.
Also the religions themselves make a difference, I suspect Islam and Roman catholicism is on the increase and protestant christianity is on the decrease, as the former too seem very keen to pass on their religion to all family members, where as others are more easy going. As with people in a theocratic country, kids in a religious family probably tow the line rather than risk disfavour, until they are old enough to make up their own mind, by which time the religion may well have become a "comfortable habit".
Parts of America seem to contradict these theories, as fundie christians are appearign all over the place, yet it is a generally well educated country. However there is evidence of religious views invading the education system, which may be partly to blame.
People are encouraged to believe in a mixture of supernatural creatures while growing up. They are usually discouraged from believing in most of them before they reach puberty. The most powerful of these supernatural creatures, the one whom they call "God," they encourage people to believe in all of their lives and they participate in many rituals that have great meaning in their lives, rituals used to mark every significant rite of passage in their lives. These rituals take on such great importance in themselves, it is considered a great sin by the believers to speak disparagingly of the supernatural being to whom all these rituals are dedicated, because without these rituals which act as markers of great significance in their lives many people would have trouble relating to the aging process and the fact of their limited mortality. For most humans the thought of an immortal afterlife in paradise is very rewarding, especially if their lives on earth are hell. For this reason it is good to encourage people to believe because it is a huge psychological crutch without which many people would see no reason for continuing. I totally approve and even send Christmas cards to help participate in the most sociologically balancing rituals most 21st Century Westerners believe in, which really, in one form or another, are believed in by the majority of human beings.
To tell the truth I envy people who lead very spiritual lives because they are invariably very happy people. I often bemourn the loss of the childlike belief I had in my youngest years before starting to ponder too deeply so many unanswerable questions, the bemusement of which robbed me of my ability to continue believing in the same way several decades into adulthood. If I could turn back the clock and start over I would, but I suppose it is too late and great spiritual leaders like St. Augustine were exceedingly lucky to have the good fortune to have life-changing experiences that enabled them to refocus and recenter their lives around an unshakable presence of divinity, a presence they had lost but found in time to comfort them and remove all of their doubts.