We obviously will never agree on this and I am good with that.

 

In short, I mean we are at a period in time where so information is available there will be a lot more "Free Thinking." And I said the beginning, 50 or 100 years from is what I had in mind for the "end."

So, the atheist belief system is the only one that could possibly be based in reality? That's like being a turtle who refuses to stick his neck out because he not only believes his shell made itself and has always been there, but is also 100% certain that there couldn't possibly be anything out there beyond what he sees on the inside of his shell. Highly illogical, Captain.

So, the atheist belief system is the only one that could possibly be based in reality? That's like being a turtle who refuses to stick his neck out because he not only believes his shell made itself and has always been there, but is also 100% certain that there couldn't possibly be anything out there beyond what he sees on the inside of his shell. Highly illogical, Captain.

 

Not sure, I am not an atheist.

Of organized religion? Christianity? What?

 

I would say anything (topics/issues outside of this forum) that don't have a strong factual foundation.

Not sure, I am not an atheist.

 

Yes we know this, you're a GURU.

You may find lots of atheist on the Internet, but you will NEVER find one in a fox hole. Ironic.

Hard to find many atheist in the ICU waiting room of your local hospital either.

I don't think atheism specifically is the issue. And I think a lot of the more active atheists make the mistake of believing that people are making this active choice to reject faith because they hate what religion has done to the world and they're all in for logic, reason, and scientific progress for everyone...

 

I think a lot of people just don't get why religion or faith should matter to their daily lives one way or the other. I think that if pressed and forced to listen to them, most non-religious people would find Richard Dawkins just as irritating and pointless as Pat Robertson.

 

There's nothing there for most people to answer the question "Why should I care enough to bother with this at all?"

Sin is still sin. And it's not entering Heaven. So, there's that. I won't debate the number of "Christians" in the 18-24 who question what they believe. I'd venture a guess that most couldn't pass a simple bible quiz. But that's just my guess, no link. About as scientific as the poll frankly. And it's not news that many of that age think that Christianity is hypocritical, judgmental, and anti-gay. I hope that there are polls of more mature folks who call them Christians to compare this data to. And with that said, (my generation of Christians) are poor examples to those in that age group often. I'm guilty in many ways myself. The gate to destruction is wide, and many will find it.

I'm curious if this guy By Hemant Mehta, Special to CNN is a Christian, or other.

We obviously will never agree on this and I am good with that.

 

In short, I mean we are at a period in time where so information is available there will be a lot more "Free Thinking." And I said the beginning, 50 or 100 years from is what I had in mind for the "end."

 

I find it funny when non-believers label themself as the only free thinkers or logical thinker. There are plenty of intelligent people who believe in God.

I find it funny when non-believers label themself as the only free thinkers or logical thinker. There are plenty of intelligent people who believe in God.

 

You are taking my quote totally out of context but I understand what you are saying.

I think theguru's point regarding the "beginning of the end", means that as religious people die off, american society will become less and less religious. Logic will overcome religious ignorance.

 

This period of growth in atheism due to a demand for facts is not the first time this has ever happened. The Age of Enlightenment caused a temporary (a century or so I believe) increase in atheism as intellectuals in Europe stated they had proven the non existence of God and many people fell into that group. Many of our country's founding fathers were men of Enlightenment and some have views that bordered atheism or atleast a "limited" God so to speak. I have heard some references of the Jefferson Bible but have never read it so I cannot speak if it suggests Thomas Jefferson had some atheist leanings. I believe Napolean Bonaparte wanted to rid Europe of religion. He is quoted as once declaring to a French Cardinal that he will destroy the Catholic Church. The Cardinal quipped back (paraphrasing), "17 centuries have gone by and we haven't even been able to do that" basically saying that despite the imperfections of man, the Church and Christianity have been able to survive all that time so he felt confident that Napolean could never do it either.

 

In the 1800's in the US there was the "Great Awakening" where faith really came back into Americans lives and in Europe this was seen too but probably to a lesser degree. Society seemed to begin accepting that science cannot explain everything.

 

Communism spread atheism throughout Eastern Europe but it seems faith is slowly beginning to work is way back into Eastern Europe now.

 

We may be in another period where atheism is growing again. If I had to guess, it started some time around the 60's when the concept of "Question Authority" came about. Religious leaders are seen as authority. Obviously God is seen as the ultimate authority. Maybe we are seeing a peak in atheism now and in the next few decades it well start losing followers? Don't know.

The only logical conclusion I can gather from this whole thing is that Bert is one sharp dude.

This period of growth in atheism due to a demand for facts is not the first time this has ever happened. The Age of Enlightenment caused a temporary (a century or so I believe) increase in atheism as intellectuals in Europe stated they had proven the non existence of God and many people fell into that group. Many of our country's founding fathers were men of Enlightenment and some have views that bordered atheism or atleast a "limited" God so to speak. I have heard some references of the Jefferson Bible but have never read it so I cannot speak if it suggests Thomas Jefferson had some atheist leanings. I believe Napolean Bonaparte wanted to rid Europe of religion. He is quoted as once declaring to a French Cardinal that he will destroy the Catholic Church. The Cardinal quipped back (paraphrasing), "17 centuries have gone by and we haven't even been able to do that" basically saying that despite the imperfections of man, the Church and Christianity have been able to survive all that time so he felt confident that Napolean could never do it either.

 

In the 1800's in the US there was the "Great Awakening" where faith really came back into Americans lives and in Europe this was seen too but probably to a lesser degree. Society seemed to begin accepting that science cannot explain everything.

 

Communism spread atheism throughout Eastern Europe but it seems faith is slowly beginning to work is way back into Eastern Europe now.

 

We may be in another period where atheism is growing again. If I had to guess, it started some time around the 60's when the concept of "Question Authority" came about. Religious leaders are seen as authority. Obviously God is seen as the ultimate authority. Maybe we are seeing a peak in atheism now and in the next few decades it well start losing followers? Don't know.

 

I agree none of us have a crystal ball and none of us can predict the future. With that said, the Internet is a constant that will provide the greatest "challenge" of all time to religion/God.

 

My guess is lack of religious affiliation/atheism will grow in the next 20 years or so.

I agree none of us have a crystal ball and none of us can predict the future. With that said, the Internet is a constant that will provide the greatest "challenge" of all time to religion/God.

 

My guess is lack of religious affiliation/atheism will grow in the next 20 years or so.

 

That would fall under the wide gate hypothesis.