Atheism: On The Rise?

Many more people are becoming atheists

23 (48.9%)

On the net, atheism is coming out ahead, but not by much

7 (14.9%)

There's not really all that much change

10 (21.3%)

Religion is getting converts a little faster than atheism

1 (2.1%)

Religion stands to crush atheism soon if nothing changes

0 (0%)

Other

6 (12.8%)

Total Members Voted: 25

[Zhwazi]

In communities centered around atheism, people seem to hold these two contradictory positions at the same time:

1. That atheism is becoming more acceptable as more people turn to freethought over the narrow-mindedness and hostility of the religious
2. That atheism is becoming less acceptable as the church grows louder and louder in it's condemnations of atheism and atheists, and rallies it's troops

Atheist David Mills has said we're on the verge of an atheist revolution, whereas a poster on his forum once tried to convince me that the apparent surge of atheism is "a last gasp, not a new wave". I personally think what we're witnessing is a kind of last gasp of religion, that will eventually subside. As Ghandi says, "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." I think religion has started fighting atheism now, and what we're seeing is the product of it's struggles.

To be clear, I don't expect belief in god to go away anytime soon, I mean more a general abandonment of "Big Religion".

Your thoughts?

[Ecolitan]

what he said

[pinkiemarie]

My stance is that although MAINSTREAM society is more accepting of atheism, fundamentalist religions are gaining a much stronger footing lately (probably due to 9/11 and the whole fear factor).  It's kind of both sided, IMO.

[Lindsey]

I think that people are growing more and more accepting of new ideas.  Hundreds and thousands of years ago, if you spoke out against whatever religion may be prevalent in your area, you suffered a fate far worse than dirty looks.  I would agree with the individuals that said organized religion is on the decline.  As our contemporaries grow more accepting of new ideas, they certainly begin to embrace some of them.  This may or may not lead to an increase of individuals with atheistic beliefs. 

However, I agree a bit with pinkiemarie.  The Christian following, particularly in our country is not only growing, but intensifying as well.  Those that believe hold fast to their beliefs, and are determined to raise their children that way.

I believe in open-mindedness.  I support an individual's beliefs.  I may not agree with them, but that isn't my business until it is made so. 

[Puke]

Burn in hell spawn of Satan!

[Ed]

I think secularism is on the rise. Secularism and atheism are two different things. I wouldn't call myself an atheist, but by no means am I religious.

Atheism and religion shouldn't be a person's only choices.

[Lindsey]

I think secularism is on the rise. Secularism and atheism are two different things. I wouldn't call myself an atheist, but by no means am I religious.

Atheism and religion shouldn't be a person's only choices.

He makes an excellent point.  A lot of religious people seem to think that if you don't believe in God, you're a Satanist anyway.  This is most assuredly not a black and white issue, there are many shades of gray, and not all of them have a name. 

[mikehz]

I don't know. It seems as if everywhere I look, I encounter fundamentalists. I don't recall so many being around in the Fifties and Sixties. Christians were so well mannered then. I was taught evolution in high school, and even grade school. There was no prayer in school, and no one much worried about it. Most believers considered things such as heaven and hell to be allegorical. Politicians didn't drag God into every debate.

Now, we have the Christian Taliban to worry about.

[hellbilly]

-and you have the real taliban to worry about as islamic religions are the fastest growing. read a little bit of the bad shape parts of michigan is in.. i recently read they are broadcasting calls to prayer over public loudspeaker systems.

i wonder how many people in the libertarian scene are believers. im surprised each time i encounter one, because we all seem to have a keen ability to see through all the bullshit.

[mikehz]

The only thing keeping Christian fundies in check is that they are not yet in full control. Once that happens, watch out!

[Ceon]

Religion is on the decline, although I can only speak for the UK. If anyone wants me to I can dig out a short article I wrote with some stats on the decline.

New age rubbish seems to be on the rise mind. You know like crystal healing, speaking to the dead , rolling around in horse shit etc

[Hologene Relapse]

I think religion is dying, but violently so. We're seeing the last two big boys of religion, Christianity and Islam, squaring off with their own advantages and disadvantages. The advantage for Christianity is the fact it relaxed its doctrine to open the way for science and technology, thus Christians have the best toys in any war by default. Its disadvantage for Christianity is that due to this advancement of technology and science fewer people feel the need to breed, thus fewer Christian households to extract soldiers for wars. The flipside, Islam has a higher convert rate than any religion to date, among developing and developed nations as well as a higher birth rate. The downside for Islam is that the lack of any significant pro-science-education basis makes it slow to acquire technologies it can manipulate and reproduce, which is why you seen nations like Iran trying to come out as a "veiled secular" society (the clerics rule, but don't make the gears of civilization turn).

Atheism is on the rise because of many factors: longer lifespans, better education, and more knowledge as three major ones. As we get older and live well into our 80s (and possibly 100s in the next two decades), questions arise as to what we are as individuals, our individuation that start in our first two decades of life continue to branch out more (due to a third chance at neuro-genesis (starting in our 60s)), thus we learn more about ourselves individually and more about the world around us (more elderly people today are going back to college to finish degrees to to add to their existing base of knowledge with another degree or an upgrade to it (BA to an MS or MS to a PhD)). For better education, the Internet has become the source for new knowledge on Earth. No school text book can beat the speed of a worldwide mesh network in the transmission of such knowledge whether it be trivial stuff like celebrity news or news about a brand new scientific discovery, the Internet has become the means by which arguments for atheism (and reason) have seen a second chance than ever before, despite all the modern mystical hoodoo of post-modernism (which is on the decline from what I've seen, even in France), religions can't confuse an informed population. And for more knowledge, scientific and technological knowledge now double at nearly exponential rates (approximately 12 to 24 months, depending on the field, for medicine it's much slower possibly as slow as 48 months for a doubling), so the more we know the more we understand our place on Earth and in the Multi/Uni-verse. And to which, religions cannot replace the ever able ability of an engineering or medical staff.

-- Brede

[Beef Supreme]

I don't think Athiesm is on the rise, but I do believe that more and more people are rejecting the ideas of Organized Religion.

I know I sure have.  I was raised a Catholic, but don't practice anymore.
 I consider myself more of Universalist these days, minus the hippy B.S.

[Andy]

So that's Agnostic/Deist right?

[One two three]

Who gives a fuck.  I don't care about other person's religion.