End of Religion

Hellm0

So I've been thinking recently, will religion ever die out? Growing up in Ireland during the 90's and 2000's, I saw how money and consumerism more or less destroyed Catholicism. A quick chat with my grandparents(who have now passed on) always used to highlight this for me, the devout subjects they were.

Of course capitalism alone cannot get all the glory for bringing us that one step further out of the stone age, but I fully believe that as a society becomes more educated and wealthy, superstition must decline. My only question is, will we ever be completely rid of it? And how long until we are?

Turtwig

Given that we have biological prediposition to believe and that religious church goers people tend to have lower mortality rates*.
Religion is going to be here for a long time to come.


*These surveys are a little dubious though*

Hellm0

Malty_T wrote: »

Given that we have biological prediposition to believe and that religious church goers people tend to have lower mortality rates*.
Religion is going to be here for a long time to come.


*These surveys are a little dubious though*

This is an unfortunate truth. If we make the assumption that poor people are also more likely to be religious then this becomes even more of a problem. Poor people have larger families:(

doctoremma

Hellm0 wrote: »

My only question is, will we ever be completely rid of it? And how long until we are?

If you follow the arguments of Dawkins (and I admit I find this one fairly persuasive), religion is a byproduct of our psychology. We might be "fitter" as individuals if we obey authority. In evolutionary terms, this means that when your mother tells you not to eat something because it's dangerous, you do so unquestioningly. In society, this means that children are very mouldable.

If you put an end to all religion right now, I don't think it would be too long before it popped up again.

Turtwig

doctoremma wrote: »

If you put an end to all religion right now, I don't think it would be too long before it popped up again.

It probably wouldn't be as stupid though.

liamw

doctoremma wrote: »

If you follow the arguments of Dawkins (and I admit I find this one fairly persuasive), religion is a byproduct of our psychology. We might be "fitter" as individuals if we obey authority. In evolutionary terms, this means that when your mother tells you not to eat something because it's dangerous, you do so unquestioningly. In society, this means that children are very mouldable.

If you put an end to all religion right now, I don't think it would be too long before it popped up again.

Given it is our natural predisposition to want to believe in the supernatural, I think Religion as it is currently defined may more or less die out but superstition and irrational belief will continue in my opinion.

ChocolateSauce

I think that as along as we exist, there will be religion.

fitz0

Malty_T wrote: »

It probably wouldn't be as stupid though.

Really? One of the newer religions, also one of the faster growing ones, is Scientology. Times may change but religions stay as nutty as ever.

GLaDOS

Can't see religion ever dying out, however I do hope that atheism/agnosticism becomes a lot more prominant and accepted

Sea Sharp

I'd also say it'll never completely die out completly.
Looking at the current generation. It seems to me that the vast majority of people under 35 really couldn't care less about religion.
When this age group are in their 50s and running the world then we might finally see an overwhelming percentage of the western world being atheists. (I'm also hoping that the sensible act of marijuanna legalisation will be on the cards then )
I'd say the middle east will take 30 - 50 more years to adapt. Religion really has a firm hold on the population in those areas.

2025 - 2035 = death of christianity (for all practical purposes).

Turtwig

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Can't see religion ever dying out, however I do hope that atheism/agnosticism becomes a lot more prominant and accepted

Well according to Dan Dennett,
Atheism is a chick magnet.

I don't see how that could possibly lose prominence.

GLaDOS

Malty_T wrote: »

Well according to Dan Dennett,
Atheism is a chick magnet.

I don't see how that could possibly lose prominence.

And any chicks you get with religion probably won't be much use anyway :pac:

Flamed Diving

Well according to recent polls, approx 107% of people in this country believe in God.

So, it's not very likely to happen, kid. Sorry.

nozzferrahhtoo

Apparently part of our evolution was to develop a habit to look for the “intention” in everything.

Why this would be of survival benefit is clear. If a rock suddenly falls, or a shadow suddenly moves, it is better to think “Who is that, what did they do that for and what do they want with me” before anything else. Explanations involving intentional deliberate action will always come to us before anything else.

It is a bit of a truism that one rarely mistakes an attacker for a shadow, but we often mistake shadows for attackers.

As long as this aspect of our nature is true, I cannot see any way to hope that people are not going to look out on the world itself and think “Who did this, what is it for, and what do they want with me?” and as long as they think that religion is going to be with us.

pinksoir

As soon as the oil and gas starts to run out and civilization as we know it begins to crumble, many people will turn back to religion. Future generations will look back at our age as one of enlightenment and unparalleled prosperity, culture, and freedom. It is a bleak but entirely realistic outlook.

We will revert to a religiosity comparable to that of the age following the fall of Rome. Religion offers so much comfort to those with tough lives, atheism is very much one of the luxuries of the industrial and technological age. This age is drawing to a close, it will be nothing but a blip in human history, and this brief period of reason and rationality will appear to have been the closest we got to utopia, however fleeting.

Grimly enough, all this will probably begin happening in this century. So, no, we won't see the end of religion any time soon...

Flamed Diving

pinksoir wrote: »

As soon as the oil and gas starts to run out and civilization as we know it begins to crumble, many people will turn back to religion. Future generations will look back at our age as one of enlightenment and unparalleled prosperity, culture, and freedom. It is a bleak but entirely realistic outlook.

We will revert to a religiosity comparable to that of the age following the fall of Rome. Religion offers so much comfort to those with tough lives, atheism is very much one of the luxuries of the industrial and technological age. This age is drawing to a close, it will be nothing but a blip in human history, and this brief period of reason and rationality will appear to have been the closest we got to utopia, however fleeting.

Grimly enough, all this will probably begin happening in this century. So, no, we won't see the end of religion any time soon...

L:DL

pinksoir

Flamed Diving wrote: »

L:DL

Funny cos it's true.

Hellm0

pinksoir wrote: »

As soon as the oil and gas starts to run out and civilization as we know it begins to crumble, many people will turn back to religion. Future generations will look back at our age as one of enlightenment and unparalleled prosperity, culture, and freedom. It is a bleak but entirely realistic outlook.

We will revert to a religiosity comparable to that of the age following the fall of Rome. Religion offers so much comfort to those with tough lives, atheism is very much one of the luxuries of the industrial and technological age. This age is drawing to a close, it will be nothing but a blip in human history, and this brief period of reason and rationality will appear to have been the closest we got to utopia, however fleeting.

Grimly enough, all this will probably begin happening in this century. So, no, we won't see the end of religion any time soon...

Over my dead bo...Oh wait.

Flamed Diving

pinksoir wrote: »

Funny cos it's true.

Tell it to someone more gullible, Nostradamous.

L:eek:L

pinksoir

What the... who told y... oh. I see.

But seriously. Gonna happen.

Hellm0

pinksoir wrote: »

What the... who told y... oh. I see.

But seriously. Gonna happen.

Meh, hopefully the bulk of them will think its the rapture and "take care" of themselves, leaving us to party with whats left!

Flamed Diving

pinksoir wrote: »

What the... who told y... oh. I see.

But seriously. Gonna happen.

Whatever you say, Senor Malthus.

Turtwig

Hellm0 wrote: »

Meh, hopefully the bulk of them will think its the rapture and "take care" of themselves, leaving us to party with whats left!

They'd be more inclined to attempt to "purge" us first though.:(

pinksoir

That's Mr. Malthus to you.

Whatever, don't believe me. But don't go asking me for a space in my bunker, or for any of my canned goods* that I stocked up on when the time comes.

*beans mostly.

Hellm0

Malty_T wrote: »

They'd be more inclined to attempt to "purge" us first though.:(

Hmm you make a fine point. Maybe if I grow my hair/beard out, start wearing white robes and take up carpentry....

ShooterSF

pinksoir wrote: »

That's Mr. Malthus to you.

Whatever, don't believe me. But don't go asking me for a space in my bunker, or for any of my canned goods* that I stocked up on when the time comes.

*beans mostly.

A bunker with canned beans as the staple diet? No thanks I'd rather be cleansed than gassed to death...

robindch

Flamed Diving wrote: »

Well according to recent polls, approx 107% of people in this country believe in God.

Think I saw that one -- wasn't it from the Iona Institute's latest report?

pinksoir

ShooterSF wrote: »

A bunker with canned beans as the staple diet? No thanks I'd rather be cleansed than gassed to death...

Suit yourself.

Zamboni

pinksoir wrote: »

As soon as the oil and gas starts to run out and civilization as we know it begins to crumble, many people will turn back to religion. Future generations will look back at our age as one of enlightenment and unparalleled prosperity, culture, and freedom. It is a bleak but entirely realistic outlook.

We will revert to a religiosity comparable to that of the age following the fall of Rome. Religion offers so much comfort to those with tough lives, atheism is very much one of the luxuries of the industrial and technological age. This age is drawing to a close, it will be nothing but a blip in human history, and this brief period of reason and rationality will appear to have been the closest we got to utopia, however fleeting.

Grimly enough, all this will probably begin happening in this century. So, no, we won't see the end of religion any time soon...

I don't think you're too far off the mark at all.
I'm thinking amish communities, big farms with hydro electric powered i-pods and lots of mass. Strangely appealing and repulsive at the same time.
Anyhow, I don't see religion going anywhere any time. Still doesn't make it true though
Ps: I'm thinking salmon rather than beans. It's all about the protein.

pinksoir

Zamboni wrote: »

I don't think you're too far off the mark at all.
I'm thinking amish communities, big farms with hydro electric powered i-pods and lots of mass. Strangely appealing and repulsive at the same time.
Anyhow, I don't see religion going anywhere any time. Still doesn't make it true though
Ps: I'm thinking salmon rather than beans. It's all about the protein.

I've been reading a lot about peak oil lately and all malthusian joking aside, a more localised, farming based social structure seems like a very real eventuality. In fact, you're spot on with the Amish thang; they've been sited as examples of how communities will be organised after cheap supplies of oil and gas are no longer available to the world at large.

You bring the salmon, I'll bring the beans, and we'll get someone to hook us up with some of those 'roast chicken in a can'



*licks chops*

Zillah

pinksoir wrote: »

As soon as the oil and gas starts to run out and civilization as we know it begins to crumble, many people will turn back to religion. Future generations will look back at our age as one of enlightenment and unparalleled prosperity, culture, and freedom. It is a bleak but entirely realistic outlook.

We will revert to a religiosity comparable to that of the age following the fall of Rome. Religion offers so much comfort to those with tough lives, atheism is very much one of the luxuries of the industrial and technological age. This age is drawing to a close, it will be nothing but a blip in human history, and this brief period of reason and rationality will appear to have been the closest we got to utopia, however fleeting.

Grimly enough, all this will probably begin happening in this century. So, no, we won't see the end of religion any time soon...

Actually, professional opinion is that there are still massive amounts of oil available, but that they will only become economically viable with future extraction technologies. We have seen a solid trend of reserve underestimations in decades gone past, and time and time again those estimates get brought up again, often hundreds of times over the original estimate. We quite possibly have centuries of oil left. All estimates on how much oil is left are based on current technologies, which is a method that consistently shows itself to be meaningless.

There is also the fact that there are plenty of alternatives, such as nuclear, wind, solar, wave and bio. Combine that with the entrepreneurial spirit of capitalism and we see that it will lead to these becoming more prominent as oil becomes too expensive. The doomsayers of today or no more accurate than the doomsayers of yesterday.