Religion on Road to Extinction in at least 9 Countries

[DJ Droood]

Religion may be on the road to extinction in Canada — mathematically speaking, that is.

Travelling with us are Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland.

A study presented Tuesday at the American Physical Society meeting in Dallas noted a steady rise in the percentage of those countries’ residents who claim no religious affiliation, and explained how social factors could help push religion toward the dustbin of history.

http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/03/22 ... gainst-it/

[Aelfarh]

I think that organized religion will tend to disapear or be very weak in the following decades in the first world, (with exception of the USA). A lot of people is turning away from organized religion and I think that's a good thing.

[Lily]

Well, we have our share of evangelical christian sects (in one neighboring town one school's teachers are so overwhelmingly evangelical they call the school the "aquarium"), I hear they are even covertly pushing creationism, we have an evangelical party (and a catholic one if just in name, they now claim "liberal & social" on their posters); we have our islamic convert nutters whose wifes walk around fully covered, we host religious centers of the raelians AND the TM movement.

AND the FIFA. And Swiss sill guard the Vatican state. You have to be catholic to do that.

I think there's a long way until no organized religion remains.

[treegod]

Organised religion does seem to be disintegrating. But some parts aren't so biodegradeable

[DJ Droood]

Can't argue with math! I think religion will continue to distill down to a thick, sticky concentrate rather than disappear all together. I've been an avid fan of television evangelists and Christian radio since the 80's, and I've always been of the opinion that Christianity is fighting a "rear guard" action, culturally, and what may appear to be a strengthening or advance is really just the core trying to hold on to what they held for generations, now besieged by secularism....the numbers are shrinking, but they are far from toothless yet.

[Frog]

I can't see we will ever have an extinction of organised religion. Being very stereotypical, but observing general "mall shop" behaviour, the large majority of people are happy to buy into large label products so that they don't stand out. I see Buddhism, athiesm, paganism still seen as a minority thing, taken up by people who are prepared to stop and think for themselves. Fundamental religion may reduce to a non-attendance at the brick buildings on a regular basis - but there are still many who look to the Christian chruch for the hatch/match/dispatch duties, even if they don't consider themselves to be "proper followers"

[DJ Droood]

I see Buddhism, athiesm, paganism still seen as a minority thing, taken up by people who are prepared to stop and think for themselves.

I think the fastest growing group, and perhaps now the majority is "I don't give a sh*t, now move...you are blocking the TV."

[dvawlqos]

I don't think religion is dying, but that it's going through the same thing that most of our other institutions have gone through -- we're much more distrustful and less loyal to formal organizations than we've been in the past. Most people in the US won't identify themselves with a party, but rather as an independent. Government itself leaves a bad taste in the mouths of most people. People don't consider themselves (even in the more hard-line evangelical types of Christianity) to be a member of a denomination. They don't say "I'm a Lutheran, or a Baptist" or whatever, but the loyalty even there is with their understanding of God.

So what I think is happening is that unless people had a strong personal connection with their Gods, they aren't going to continue to be loyal to the Churches or Mosques.

[DJ Droood]

So what I think is happening is that unless people had a strong personal connection with their Gods, they aren't going to continue to be loyal to the Churches or Mosques.

I hope you are right.

[Corwen]

surprised not to see the UK on this list. There are still a few million religious people here, especially Muslims and Catholics, but they are subsets of wider society and not integrated into the mainstream. Mainstream UK culture believes in ghosts but not in god, which is an interesting place to be...

[DJ Droood]

In Canada, I think most people would admit to some sort of vague belief in "God" (especially when they need some luck)...it is hard to completely dismiss childhood indoctrination and possible evolutionary hard-wiring...but people who actively and regularly participate in some sort of religion are as rare as Bridge players, and your religion is no more a topic of polite and casual conversation that your favourite sexual position. Public life has become quite rigorously secular, which causes some squeals of dismay around Christmas-time, when every year it becomes more and more apparent how non-Christian the country is becoming, but is generally welcomed, I think. And it is a direct effect of "multi-culturalism"....all religions had to be played down in the public sphere so everyone can feel included and the risk of social strife will decrease. For me, it is a very comfortable situation...spirituality should be private and shared with those you are spiritually intimate with. If you want to share your love and light with strangers, you can do so without making it mandatory.

Kids are a different story...most are not being raised in the Sunday School/Lord's Prayer-rich environment that their parents knew, where Jesus was just a fact of life, and those who are actively religious are a definite subculture now....of course, stores that sell "angel" books and candles and yoga classes are very popular, so spirituality itself seems to be strong.

[Crimson Stormfire]

my two cents for what they are worth....

"organized"religion isnt dying, but fundamentally changing. as is the pagan movement. there seems to be a blending of the types of religion we see. such as a catholic who acknowledges the existence of the sidhe and hosts a faerie house in her garden not because it is the 'in"thing but she truly believes in the fae. amd a pagan who chooses christ as their chief god among their own pantheon. i believe for the hardcore nut-jobs of the sect this could be seen as a disintegration of the whole, but for those of us who have stopped to think "what if?" have seen the blending of pagan and neo judeo-christian beliefs, as well as others. I sit here typing this wondering what if the so called "organized" paths are starting to become less mainstream, and the nature or spiritual path is becoming mainstream would that suddenly make the "organized " the pagans and the pagans the "organized " of the world? what would we argue then? knowing where we have struggled and triumphed fought and failed how could we then say that they are the wrong path? when in truth all paths may lead to the same destination, just some are on the highways and we are in the sun dappled paths of the forests, enjoying the scenery and the ride. I dont think it is a dissolving the "organized" but more of a minimization of something that was once thought to be the world religion, in favor of a more persanl relationship with our own divine figure{s}.

[Bart]

Being in the Netherlands and registered Catholic I see my church maybe twice a year. In holland the biggest religion is " somethingism": there is something out there, but I do not know what.

[Al Hakim]

Hi folks,

it is not the "organized religion" to die out but christianism. You don't have such movements in Islam or Buddhism. I recently left the Lutheran community because that church turned out to be unable -or unwilling - to discusss modern problems. I do not like talks about unholy things deriving from ancient or medieval times. Druidry - as I see it - can bridge the deficiencies of the big world religions. That idea gives some comfort.
Al Hakim