The Future of Religion

[Four-sided Triangles]

Religion seems, to me, to be changing quite significantly. Even the so-called fundamentalists of today give rather postmodern answers to the question "Why do you believe?" In the 1920's, a believer would attempt to point to evidence of fulfilled prophecies or scientific foreknowledge in the bible or appeal to some kind of authority. They might not have always had the best reasons, and may have used an occasional logical fallacy, but they at least attempted to appeal to evidence and reason, showing that they held their beliefs to be propositions with literal correspondence to reality.

Today, very few religious people do this. Even amongst the hardcore fundamentalists, this kind of answer is rare. The revival of the 1920's was of a rather different qualitative character to the revival of the 2000's. Ask even most strongly religious people "Why do you believe?" and you rarely get any appeals to evidence at all. You get "I need a purpose to life." or "You can't define morality without god." or "It gives me comfort to feel that someone is looking out for me." Excepting the professional creationist crackpots like Duane Gish or William Dembski, or the pseudo-sophisticated quasi-philosophers like William Lane Craig, these are the kinds of answers you get. But this is a very existential answer. This is not the answer you give when you feel that your belief holds propositional value. We thus see that "belief" in today's religions often means something very different than the straightforward idea of "acceptance of a proposition as true" that it means elsewhere and that it used to mean in religion long ago. Religion as being propositional has all but died in the West.

So I ask, will this trend continue? What do you think will be the future of religion? I see 5 possibilities.

1. Religion dies out totally and we all tend toward a kind of Star Trek humanism. Militant atheism also dies, because militant atheism is simply a reaction to the presence of theism. Instead, everyone is an atheist, so non-belief in god is simply taken as the uncontroversial default.

2. Pantheism takes over. Pantheism is a naturalistic worldview, but one where the universe takes on a spiritual nature. This is Spinoza and Einstein's god. This is "cosmic religion."

3. Non-theistic polytheism. People come to believe that, of course the gods don't literally exist, but the personification of various aspects of nature and society, combined with mythology surrounding said characters, is seen to fulfill a vital mythic role in society. In this system, there are plenty of gods and goddesses, but no one actually believes they exist literally. Instead, mythos is treated in a very classical sense, as it was by the later Athenians.

4. New age bullshit takes over. This desperate need to believe in "something more" beyond material reality persists after the death of religion, but people fill the void with incoherent nonsense about "quantum" this and "holistic" that.

5. Religion truly revives, taking its original place as a set of literal correspondence beliefs. Note that this does not necessarily mean that Christianity revives. It could be that a new religion comes to replace Christianity, like Islam, or some brand new religion not yet invented.

So NSG, what do you think the future of religion is? Do you think Nietzsche was right, that god is fundamentally dead, but that society simply hasn't realized it en masse yet? Or is he wrong, and religion is bound to flourish in legitimate form once again?

[Nationstatelandsville]

Religions will change to fit new scientific discoveries. Upon the eventual, albeit distant, collapse of our society, who knows what will become of it?

[The Akkadian Empire]

Christianity, will never die. Roman Catholicism, will never die. Protestants will never die. Nor will Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, et cetera.

Unless earth is going to be exterminated, these religions will live far beyond what you or me can possibly dream of.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Christianity, will never die. Roman Catholicism, will never die. Protestants will never die. Nor will Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, et cetera.

Unless earth is going to be exterminated, these religions will live far beyond what you or me can possibly dream of.

Not likely, no. They'll die out eventually and be replaced, just as all religions do.

[Four-sided Triangles]

Religions will change to fit new scientific discoveries. Upon the eventual, albeit distant, collapse of our society, who knows what will become of it?

The constant change to fit new scientific discoveries is part of the very thing that's thinning out modern religion and slowly killing it. Modern religion is emaciated.

[The Akkadian Empire]

Christianity, will never die. Roman Catholicism, will never die. Protestants will never die. Nor will Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, et cetera.

Unless earth is going to be exterminated, these religions will live far beyond what you or me can possibly dream of.

Not likely, no. They'll die out eventually and be replaced, just as all religions do.

I think no man on this earth has a right to predict that near four billion people will give up the Abraham religions and move onto something else. Any "new" religion that starts up is considered a cult, and if it does get anywhere, it is a laughing stock. Take a look at Scientology, perhaps the largest "New" religion for a long time. It is a Media and Cultural circus that in no way could dream of replacing Abrahamic Religions.

Unless there is some genocide where half of the earths population is slaughtered, I see no reason why it would diminished.

[Graditora]

1

[Nationstatelandsville]

Religions will change to fit new scientific discoveries. Upon the eventual, albeit distant, collapse of our society, who knows what will become of it?

The constant change to fit new scientific discoveries is part of the very thing that's thinning out modern religion and slowly killing it. Modern religion is emaciated.

Yes. But, considering that, let's be honest here, someday our civilization will be lost to the sands of time, new religions will crop up in new societies.

Not likely, no. They'll die out eventually and be replaced, just as all religions do.

I think no man on this earth has a right to predict that near four billion people will give up the Abraham religions and move onto something else. Any "new" religion that starts up is considered a cult, and if it does get anywhere, it is a laughing stock. Take a look at Scientology, perhaps the largest "New" religion for a long time. It is a Media and Cultural circus that in no way could dream of replacing Abrahamic Religions.

Unless there is some genocide where half of the earths population is slaughtered, I see no reason why it would diminished.

More and more atheists, followed by a new wave of theists.

[Four-sided Triangles]

I think no man on this earth has a right to predict that near four billion people will give up the Abraham religions and move onto something else. Any "new" religion that starts up is considered a cult, and if it does get anywhere, it is a laughing stock. Take a look at Scientology, perhaps the largest "New" religion for a long time. It is a Media and Cultural circus that in no way could dream of replacing Abrahamic Religions.

Unless there is some genocide where half of the earths population is slaughtered, I see no reason why it would diminished.

Christianity was a cult, once. So was Judaism. The Egyptian religion existed for thousands of years and died out eventually.

[The Akkadian Empire]

I think no man on this earth has a right to predict that near four billion people will give up the Abraham religions and move onto something else. Any "new" religion that starts up is considered a cult, and if it does get anywhere, it is a laughing stock. Take a look at Scientology, perhaps the largest "New" religion for a long time. It is a Media and Cultural circus that in no way could dream of replacing Abrahamic Religions.

Unless there is some genocide where half of the earths population is slaughtered, I see no reason why it would diminished.

Christianity was a cult, once. So was Judaism. The Egyptian religion existed for thousands of years and died out eventually.

You cannot use the religions of old to compare to modern Abrahamic Religions. The Egyption Religion was void when Alexander conquered Egypt and replaced it with Greek Gods. Same roles, different names. The same when The Romans conquered Egypt. As also when the Romans conquered many barbarians with their own pantheons. They all eventually settled with new religions because it was something very familiar to them. That was a time of constant war, strife, and Pantheons. The only Pantheon that I know of now that can be considered is Hinduism.

You have near four billion people, about half of the worlds population, all believing in one God. They know him as God, Allah, Yahweh, but he is one god. And almost all of them coexist together peacefully with their religion. From Russia to Brazil to Alaska to Australia. As I have said, it would require something so insane and unlikely as a genocide of Abrahamic Followers, to destroy those three religions and replace them with something new. It will not happen in my lifetime nor my sons lifetime, I assure you.

[LiangLai]

Personally, I think religion will never die out. As long as there is a need for those to find happiness and solace in times of hardship, religion will always be there to guide people out.

[Genivaria]

If religion exists in the future, it will be a very personal thing. Out of politics.

[Four-sided Triangles]

You cannot use the religions of old to compare to modern Abrahamic Religions. The Egyption Religion was void when Alexander conquered Egypt and replaced it with Greek Gods. Same roles, different names. The same when The Romans conquered Egypt. As also when the Romans conquered many barbarians with their own pantheons. They all eventually settled with new religions because it was something very familiar to them. That was a time of constant war, strife, and Pantheons. The only Pantheon that I know of now that can be considered is Hinduism.

You have near four billion people, about half of the worlds population, all believing in one God. They know him as God, Allah, Yahweh, but he is one god. And almost all of them coexist together peacefully with their religion. From Russia to Brazil to Alaska to Australia. As I have said, it would require something so insane and unlikely as a genocide of Abrahamic Followers, to destroy those three religions and replace them with something new. It will not happen in my lifetime nor my sons lifetime, I assure you.

Not really. It just requires modernization. Religion is basically dead in Europe. It's dying in America, with its recent revival nothing more than the last outbursts of a wounded beast.

[Genivaria]

You cannot use the religions of old to compare to modern Abrahamic Religions. The Egyption Religion was void when Alexander conquered Egypt and replaced it with Greek Gods. Same roles, different names. The same when The Romans conquered Egypt. As also when the Romans conquered many barbarians with their own pantheons. They all eventually settled with new religions because it was something very familiar to them. That was a time of constant war, strife, and Pantheons. The only Pantheon that I know of now that can be considered is Hinduism.

You have near four billion people, about half of the worlds population, all believing in one God. They know him as God, Allah, Yahweh, but he is one god. And almost all of them coexist together peacefully with their religion. From Russia to Brazil to Alaska to Australia. As I have said, it would require something so insane and unlikely as a genocide of Abrahamic Followers, to destroy those three religions and replace them with something new. It will not happen in my lifetime nor my sons lifetime, I assure you.

Not really. It just requires modernization. Religion is basically dead in Europe. It's dying in America, with its recent revival nothing more than the last outbursts of a wounded beast.

This made me smile. The kind of smile one gets when watching a long hated enemy finally die.

[Unilisia]

Eventually extinction.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Probably become more liberal.

[The Akkadian Empire]

You cannot use the religions of old to compare to modern Abrahamic Religions. The Egyption Religion was void when Alexander conquered Egypt and replaced it with Greek Gods. Same roles, different names. The same when The Romans conquered Egypt. As also when the Romans conquered many barbarians with their own pantheons. They all eventually settled with new religions because it was something very familiar to them. That was a time of constant war, strife, and Pantheons. The only Pantheon that I know of now that can be considered is Hinduism.

You have near four billion people, about half of the worlds population, all believing in one God. They know him as God, Allah, Yahweh, but he is one god. And almost all of them coexist together peacefully with their religion. From Russia to Brazil to Alaska to Australia. As I have said, it would require something so insane and unlikely as a genocide of Abrahamic Followers, to destroy those three religions and replace them with something new. It will not happen in my lifetime nor my sons lifetime, I assure you.

Not really. It just requires modernization. Religion is basically dead in Europe. It's dying in America, with its recent revival nothing more than the last outbursts of a wounded beast.

You have no idea how inane that sounds.

[Genivaria]

Not really. It just requires modernization. Religion is basically dead in Europe. It's dying in America, with its recent revival nothing more than the last outbursts of a wounded beast.

You have no idea how inane that sounds.

in·ane Adjective: Silly; stupid; not significant.

How exactly is what he said either stupid or silly? It is very true.

[Conserative Morality]

Not really. It just requires modernization. Religion is basically dead in Europe. It's dying in America, with its recent revival nothing more than the last outbursts of a wounded beast.

Don't know about that. Religion is cyclical, really. It experiences revivals and temporary deaths, but I don't think it'll ever really leave us.

[The Akkadian Empire]

You have no idea how that sounds.

in·ane Adjective: Silly; stupid; not significant.

How exactly is what he said either stupid or silly? It is very true.

Religion may not be fully practiced as it once was. Christians may not go to church every Sunday, they may not pray before they sleep or say grace, but if they hold the ideals, they will always be Christian, it does not matter what branch. While Religion may get more and more liberal, Abrahamic religions will not just disappear "with its recent revival nothing more then the last outbursts of a wounded beast". In order for a beast to be wounded, it must have been dealt a blow, by bow and arrow, gunfire, or the attacks of another beast. Although Religion is no beast of any sort, I simply wonder how one could think it has been wounded in anyway. More so, this beast you speak of is simply becoming more and more calm, and cares less of what its liter or its enemies in its environment do. What an inane metaphor.

[Faolinn]

I think we are heading into a phase of religious thought that is wrapped in syncretic patterns of faith, new age thought, and a fusion of scientific thought and spirituality. None shall truly over take the other, it will become more about what one believes on an individual basis and less in an organized form. We may still have universalized rituals and intermediaries but I think people shall become their own priests and ministers for the most part.

[Genivaria]

in·ane Adjective: Silly; stupid; not significant.

How exactly is what he said either stupid or silly? It is very true.

Religion may not be fully practiced as it once was. Christians may not go to church every Sunday, they may not pray before they sleep or say grace, but if they hold the ideals, they will always be Christian, it does not matter what branch. While Religion may get more and more liberal, Abrahamic religions will not just disappear "with its recent revival nothing more then the last outbursts of a wounded beast". In order for a beast to be wounded, it must have been dealt a blow, by bow and arrow, gunfire, or the attacks of another beast. Although Religion is no beast of any sort, I simply wonder how one could think it has been wounded in anyway. More so, this beast you speak of is simply becoming more and more calm, and cares less of what its liter or its enemies in its environment do. What an inane metaphor.

In order for a beast to be wounded, it must have been dealt a blow

It has been. It was called the Renaissance, Republicanism, the Scientific Method, Secular Humanism, and Freedom of Religion have served to make Christianity weaker.

[Puissancevise]

As the world evolves, more and more people are going to replace religion with more logical means on explaining things. Eventually, all religions will die out.

[Ruridova]

Religion seems, to me, to be changing quite significantly. Even the so-called fundamentalists of today give rather postmodern answers to the question "Why do you believe?" In the 1920's, a believer would attempt to point to evidence of fulfilled prophecies or scientific foreknowledge in the bible or appeal to some kind of authority. They might not have always had the best reasons, and may have used an occasional logical fallacy, but they at least attempted to appeal to evidence and reason, showing that they held their beliefs to be propositions with literal correspondence to reality.

Today, very few religious people do this. Even amongst the hardcore fundamentalists, this kind of answer is rare. The revival of the 1920's was of a rather different qualitative character to the revival of the 2000's. Ask even most strongly religious people "Why do you believe?" and you rarely get any appeals to evidence at all. You get "I need a purpose to life." or "You can't define morality without god." or "It gives me comfort to feel that someone is looking out for me." Excepting the professional creationist crackpots like Duane Gish or William Dembski, or the pseudo-sophisticated quasi-philosophers like William Lane Craig, these are the kinds of answers you get. But this is a very existential answer. This is not the answer you give when you feel that your belief holds propositional value. We thus see that "belief" in today's religions often means something very different than the straightforward idea of "acceptance of a proposition as true" that it means elsewhere and that it used to mean in religion long ago. Religion as being propositional has all but died in the West.

So I ask, will this trend continue? What do you think will be the future of religion? I see 5 possibilities.

1. Religion dies out totally and we all tend toward a kind of Star Trek humanism. Militant atheism also dies, because militant atheism is simply a reaction to the presence of theism. Instead, everyone is an atheist, so non-belief in god is simply taken as the uncontroversial default.

2. Pantheism takes over. Pantheism is a naturalistic worldview, but one where the universe takes on a spiritual nature. This is Spinoza and Einstein's god. This is "cosmic religion."

3. Non-theistic polytheism. People come to believe that, of course the gods don't literally exist, but the personification of various aspects of nature and society, combined with mythology surrounding said characters, is seen to fulfill a vital mythic role in society. In this system, there are plenty of gods and goddesses, but no one actually believes they exist literally. Instead, mythos is treated in a very classical sense, as it was by the later Athenians.

4. New age bullshit takes over. This desperate need to believe in "something more" beyond material reality persists after the death of religion, but people fill the void with incoherent nonsense about "quantum" this and "holistic" that.

5. Religion truly revives, taking its original place as a set of literal correspondence beliefs. Note that this does not necessarily mean that Christianity revives. It could be that a new religion comes to replace Christianity, like Islam, or some brand new religion not yet invented.

So NSG, what do you think the future of religion is? Do you think Nietzsche was right, that god is fundamentally dead, but that society simply hasn't realized it en masse yet? Or is he wrong, and religion is bound to flourish in legitimate form once again?

Mixture of options one and five: Most humans forfeit religion and become atheist, but those who stay theist become very devout.

[Menassa]

Judaism will (at leas I believe) last forever it's already lasted about 2000 years
through thick and thin
but mostly thick.