The future of religion

[Reikoku]

It would be hard to overestimate the role that religion has played in human history, from the primitive animism of early times to the complex theologies of today. In spite of the development of nihilism and secularism, religion remains a major role in human affairs, and it appears that it will continue to many years in the future.

What do you think the future of religion will entail, based on the trends of today?

My opinion is that we'll end up seeing newer religions be created which will eventually overtake older forms, based on these new religions being able to accommodate modern people's needs better than older ones. I think Mormonism is one example of this, where instead of people seeing places such as Jerusalem and the Middle East (places they'd never been to) as the center of holy events, they identified them with places in the US. Sometimes these religions may develop from older ones, such as Tenrikyō from Shinto, but others will mostly be independently formed, such as Scientology.

[Hirota]

What do you think the future of religion will entail, based on the trends of today?

Based on trends? An inevitable decline to zero.

Or a period of consolidation, corporate takeover or mergers of all the major faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Agnosticism, Hinduism and Buddhism) to give us the First Amalgamated Church.

I just pray to all powerful Atheismo that it is the former.

[Alvecia]

With any luck, decay into disintegration.
Organised religion these days is already rotten to the core. The tree is dead. I'm just waiting for the strong wind that'll blow it over.

More than likely however, I suspect that while the larger religious organisations will be reduced to a fanatical few, personal religion will continue for quite some time unimpeded.

[Zyr and Pony]

Personally, I expect religion to become much less relevant to most people as time goes on, with less influence in government and social life, but it won't go away entirely. It'll just be a more private affair.

I think this because I believe, based on nothing but my own experience (as an agnostic who thinks that if a god does exist, he/she/it doesn't take an active role, or even any role beyond the basics, in events on our little blue dot), that there are those who will always be more comfortable with the idea that there is something bigger than them influencing the world and rewarding the good and punishing the wicked.

[The Huskar Social Union]

With any luck, decay into disintegration.
Organised religion these days is already rotten to the core. The tree is dead. I'm just waiting for the strong wind that'll blow it over.

More than likely however, I suspect that while the larger religious organisations will be reduced to a fanatical few, personal religion will continue for quite some time unimpeded.

[The Xenopolis Confederation]

It will probably become less relevant, but it won't completely fade. I'd be worried if it did.

[Albrenia]

From my atheist point of view, I expect religion to continue as it has been going for a while. Slowly losing prominence in people's lives, but maintaining a probably large stake in the majority of humanity's workings.

I suspect the rougher edges will be worn away on the most popular religions in some places to better appeal to more 'global' markets. Places locked in an endless cycle of poverty and dictatorship will not be so lucky.

Atheism will remain a fraction of the population for a long time to come, from a combination of strong traditions, human brain function, the search for meaning, and the general unpleasantness of some prominent atheists.

That's my guess, anyway.

[Hammer Britannia]

Who knows?

Islam and Atheism will definitely play a bigger part in the world though, which is something I find interesting.

[Bombadil]

Ain't no atheists in a foxhole..

More than likely however, I suspect that while the larger religious organisations will be reduced to a fanatical few, personal religion will continue for quite some time unimpeded.

I'd like to agree but never underestimate people's desire to follow a cause.

[Sovaal]

I honestly doubt that we’ll ever see religion die, or the complete extinction of modern forms. I also doubt in the extreme Mormonism overtaking traditional Christianity. You don’t need to go to Israel to believe that Jesus died for you.

We will see new religions rise and join the old, and we will see a larger and more diverse irreligious demographic, but the complete extinction or even concentration of world religions, not long to happen in the near future imo.

[Datlofff]

Ain't no atheists in a foxhole..

Tell that to my father after his time in Iraq and Afghanistan....

I see religion in the future slowly disappearing as more and more people actually wake up and realize that its dumb to believe in such nonsensical caveman values. Science has helped greatly in this role as it has taken away a lot of religions basic concept, which is to explain stuff we don't understand.

[Alvecia]

Ain't no atheists in a foxhole..

To quote a favourite podcaster of mine:

When I say that I don't think theists believe their own bullshit, it's not something I'm basing on my own psychology, it's something I'm basing on their behaviour. If you honestly believed, all the way down to your core, that you were going to meet the people you lose in a perfect world in the clouds, how could you mourn their passing? How could a funeral be anything but a joyous occasion?
[...]The idea is that even we heathens will turn to god if things get bad enough. [...]
But I'd like to submit the opposite. When you're in the proverbial foxhole, myths and superstitions are cold comfort. When the bombs are raining down, nobody's saying "Shit, I sure hope that one hits us!" and if they were, we'd rightly assume they'd lost their fucking minds. I submit that when we're facing the uncertainty of our own deaths, we are all atheists by default.
Contrary to the adage, when it comes down to it, there are no theists in a foxhole.

[Bombadil]

Ain't no atheists in a foxhole..

To quote a favourite podcaster of mine:

I like that, I really do.. but when people are in desperate states they still wish 'please god/anything.. let me live through this'. That is they appeal to higher power to save them but I fully accept they don't necessarily, at their core, believe heaven's better than life.

[Freezic Vast]

Well Christianity is falling while Atheism and Islam continues to rise, so there's that. Take with that as you will. The way I see it, is the popular opinion of Islam becoming the largest religion, that is unless something major happens shakes the major religions, that is that trend I see continuing.

[Sovaal]

Well Christianity is falling while Atheism and Islam continues to rise, so there's that. Take with that as you will. The way I see it, is the popular opinion of Islam becoming the largest religion, that is unless something major happens shakes the major religions, that is that trend I see continuing.

I expect to see Islam face the same issues as Christianity as the Muslim world continues to modernize.

[Zyr and Pony]

I like that, I really do.. but when people are in desperate states they still wish 'please god/anything.. let me live through this'. That is they appeal to higher power to save them but I fully accept they don't necessarily, at their core, believe heaven's better than life.

I'd like to quote Joe Simpson from his documentary "Touching The Void" (remember, at this point, he's at the bottom of a chasm with a broken leg and his mountaineering partner thinks he's dead. He's completely on his own)

'"I was totally convinced I was on my own, that no one was coming to get me. I was brought up as a devout Catholic. I'd long since stopped believing in God. I always wondered if things really hit the fan, whether I would, under pressure, turn round and say a few Hail Marys and say 'Get me out of here'. It never once occurred to me. It meant that I really don't believe and I really do think that when you die, you die, that's it, there's no afterlife."

So, not everyone, at least, thinks that way. Personally, in a life of death situation, I think I would be thinking like Joe. I'm on my own, how do I get out of this?

[Internationalist Bastard]

I imagine mass effect got it right
It’ll slowly peter out until we find intelligent life amongst the stars and then it’ll be sorta like a wierd thing a few people are, kinda like meeting a monarchist in modern society

[Anywhere Else But Here]

Probably gradual decline to leave a small core of zealots and a shrinking number of people who maybe kinda believe (or at least call themselves religious) but really don't care about religion that much. Basically what's already happening int the West being repeated the world over as countries develop.

[Minzerland II]

Ain't no atheists in a foxhole..

To quote a favourite podcaster of mine:

I don't know about you, but as a child, and even as I am now, I felt and feel very sad when people leave, even with the knowledge that I will see them again (wherever that may be). It is not fun departing from someone you have genuine affection for, temporarily or permanently.
Has Noah Lugeons missed anyone in their life, because if he cannot understand why people still mourn after the death of someone, despite believing in heaven or whatever, then he is a moron.

[Alvecia]

I don't know about you, but as a child, and even as I am now, I felt and feel very sad when people leave, even with the knowledge that I will see them again (wherever that may be). It is not fun departing from someone you have genuine affection for, temporarily or permanently.
Has Noah Lugeons missed anyone in their life, because if he cannot understand why people still mourn after the death of someone, despite believing in heaven or whatever, then he is a moron.

Sadness? yes, understandable. I get sad when my brother and sister go to university, because I won't be seeing them for a long time. But sorrow? Mourning? No. That is something else entirely.
Knowing that you will never see someone you love again is nothing compared to believing that they get to play in Super Happy Fun Land until your inevitable next meeting, and to try and compare the two is frankly insulting.

[Dylar]

I don't know about you, but as a child, and even as I am now, I felt and feel very sad when people leave, even with the knowledge that I will see them again (wherever that may be). It is not fun departing from someone you have genuine affection for, temporarily or permanently.
Has Noah Lugeons missed anyone in their life, because if he cannot understand why people still mourn after the death of someone, despite believing in heaven or whatever, then he is a moron.

Sadness? yes, understandable. I get sad when my brother and sister go to university, because I won't be seeing them for a long time. But sorrow? Mourning? No. That is something else entirely.
Knowing that you will never see someone you love again is nothing compared to believing that they get to play in Super Happy Fun Land until your inevitable next meeting, and to try and compare the two is frankly insulting.

Ah, but you see, we Christians don't know where our loved ones are. We would like to think that they're in Heaven, but we don't know if they are in there or in Hell, or in Purgatory.

[Alvecia]

Sadness? yes, understandable. I get sad when my brother and sister go to university, because I won't be seeing them for a long time. But sorrow? Mourning? No. That is something else entirely.
Knowing that you will never see someone you love again is nothing compared to believing that they get to play in Super Happy Fun Land until your inevitable next meeting, and to try and compare the two is frankly insulting.

Ah, but you see, we Christians don't know where our loved ones are. We would like to think that they're in Heaven, but we don't know if they are in there or in Hell, or in Purgatory.

Depending on your particular flavour of Christianity, just being one is enough

[Minzerland II]

I don't know about you, but as a child, and even as I am now, I felt and feel very sad when people leave, even with the knowledge that I will see them again (wherever that may be). It is not fun departing from someone you have genuine affection for, temporarily or permanently.
Has Noah Lugeons missed anyone in their life, because if he cannot understand why people still mourn after the death of someone, despite believing in heaven or whatever, then he is a moron.

Sadness? yes, understandable. I get sad when my brother and sister go to university, because I won't be seeing them for a long time. But sorrow? Mourning? No. That is something else entirely.

After their death? Come the fuck on, their life on Earth is extinguished. You are physically separated from them forever.

Knowing that you will never see someone you love again is nothing compared to believing that they get to play in Super Happy Fun Land until your inevitable next meeting, and to try and compare the two is frankly insulting.

Stating that someone's faith is fake because they mourn the death of loved ones is frankly more insulting, on top of being retarded. From that quote of yours, I can only assume from Noah's comment that he has never had an attachment before.

[Anywhere Else But Here]

Sadness? yes, understandable. I get sad when my brother and sister go to university, because I won't be seeing them for a long time. But sorrow? Mourning? No. That is something else entirely.
Knowing that you will never see someone you love again is nothing compared to believing that they get to play in Super Happy Fun Land until your inevitable next meeting, and to try and compare the two is frankly insulting.

Ah, but you see, we Christians don't know where our loved ones are. We would like to think that they're in Heaven, but we don't know if they are in there or in Hell, or in Purgatory.

Ah, so Christians in mourning are not actually mourning the loss of a loved one, rather the possibility that the loved one is being tortured somewhere.

[Alvecia]

Sadness? yes, understandable. I get sad when my brother and sister go to university, because I won't be seeing them for a long time. But sorrow? Mourning? No. That is something else entirely.

After their death? Come the fuck on, their life on Earth is extinguished. You are physically separated from them forever.

Knowing that you will never see someone you love again is nothing compared to believing that they get to play in Super Happy Fun Land until your inevitable next meeting, and to try and compare the two is frankly insulting.

Stating that someone's faith is fake because they mourn the death of loved ones is frankly more insulting, on top of being retarded. From that quote of yours, I can only assume from Noah's comment that he has never had an attachment before.

Clearly this heaven is not quite so wonderful if a mere physical separation is enough to send you into depressive sorrow. I suspect this god of yours would have something to say about your overt focus on earthly pleasures.

If one truly believes that they are invincible yet still fears to throw themselves off a building then it's neither insulting nor retarded to point out that maybe they don't really believe in the rubbish they're spouting.

Ah, but you see, we Christians don't know where our loved ones are. We would like to think that they're in Heaven, but we don't know if they are in there or in Hell, or in Purgatory.

Ah, so Christians in mourning are not actually mourning the loss of a loved one, rather the possibility that the loved one is being tortured somewhere.

I could go on about the immorality of eternal punishment, but that's nether here nor there.