Why is religious faith in decline?

[crossnote]

I think and respond in academic terms; I don't believe in a real god.

tis a pity. And so why the question, "Why is religious faith in decline", when you have no real concept of faith?

 

[Caliban]

A false religion is one that clearly is in error. Their claims are not true. I would say that there is a religion that is completely true and that is Christianity. A religion is a compilation of doctrine and beliefs. You can’t separate its parts from its whole. If you don’t believe the claims you can’t say you believe in the religion. It’s either all true or all false.

I assume you mean their supernatural claims.

 

[Ilikecats]

I assume you mean their supernatural claims.

No all the claims of the religion.

 

[Caliban]

tis a pity. And so why the question, "Why is religious faith in decline", when you have no real concept of faith?

Because religious thought and practice influences every aspect of the world I live in. I am not outside of the impact of religion. A persons religion beliefs influence their voting practices, their approach to culture, and personal relationships. I'm sure it would be difficult for most theists to think of an aspect of life that is not impacted by their concept of religious belief. Because it impacts me, I will be part of the discussion. I do not have to agree to influence that conversation in a small way. I surprises me that you would ask me why I ask questions--why wouldn't I.

As long as people are writing laws based on theistic beliefs, I will talk about it.

 

[Caliban]

No all the claims of the religion.

I'm not sure I understand. There are aspects of multiple religions which correspond to true things. If you don't just mean the supernatural claims, what else do you mean?

 

[Ilikecats]

I'm not sure I understand. There are aspects of multiple religions which correspond to true things. If you don't just mean the supernatural claims, what else do you mean?

Religion is something concerning gods or God. If there is anything false about one teaching it’s not correct regarding the deity they worship.

 

[Caliban]

Religion is something concerning gods or God. If there is anything false about one teaching it’s not correct regarding the deity they worship.

That's what I mean by supernatural. The claim that a god or gods exist is a supernatural claim. For example, I believe the city of Medina, as it is presented in the Koran, exists . It is not a very extraordinary claim--it's just a city. I don't believe Muhammed flew on a horse or that there is a god named Allah--those are extraordinary supernatural claims and they seem highly dubious.

 

[Ilikecats]

That's what I mean by supernatural. The claim that a god or gods exist is a supernatural claim. For example, I believe the city of Medina, as it is presented in the Koran, exists . It is not a very extraordinary claim--it's just a city. I don't believe Muhammed flew on a horse or that there is a god named Allah--those are extraordinary supernatural claims and they seem highly dubious.

You’re picking at semantics. The claims of religion all have to do with the supernatural.

 

[Hazelelponi]

I'm formerly Muslim (new Christian) but I was born and raised in the U.S., and even I noticed a decline over all.

I'm not sure just one thing is causal, but rather probably many factors.

I think the more human beings learn, the more we can do through knowledge and technology, the more people become their own god.

I think Babel is a good similtude here.

Working together the people under God's curse, in rebellious pride, wanted to make a name for themselves to avoid being scattered over the face of the whole earth and decided to do so via a monument that could reach the heavens. (Genesis 11:4).

God punished them by giving them exactly what they didn't want - He scattered them over the face of the whole earth, a lesson in humility for them, a cut to their pride.

Anytime man becomes over confident and over prideful, God allows it for a time and then allows their works to come to nothing in order to remind them they are indeed not God, and do in fact have need of Him and His path....

It is perhaps this is where we are again. Might be a time where God lets out the reigns for a while, with a moral lesson coming at the end..

So I guess my answer is this, it's the pride of man causing the decline atm.

 

[Caliban]

You’re picking at semantics. The claims of religion all have to do with the supernatural.

Yes, I am interested in semantics--you say that like it is negative. I am making a real attempt to understand your position and the position of others. Honestly, Christians use some very interesting language that is not employed outside of the faith. What is a clear and common phrase to many of you, is not always clear to me. I am just asking for clarification.

 

[Caliban]

I'm formerly Muslim (new Christian) but I was born and raised in the U.S., and even I noticed a decline over all.

I'm not sure just one thing is causal, but rather probably many factors.

I think the more human beings learn, the more we can do through knowledge and technology, the more people become their own god.

I think Babel is a good similtude here.

Working together the people under God's curse, in rebellious pride, wanted to make a name for themselves to avoid being scattered over the face of the whole earth and decided to do so via a monument that could reach the heavens. (Genesis 11:4).

God punished them by giving them exactly what they didn't want - He scattered them over the face of the whole earth, a lesson in humility for them, a cut to their pride.

Anytime man becomes over confident and over prideful, God allows it for a time and then allows their works to come to nothing in order to remind them they are indeed not God, and do in fact have need of Him and His path....


It is perhaps this is where we are again. Might be a time where God lets out the reigns for a while, with a moral lesson coming at the end..

So I guess my answer is this, it's the pride of man causing the decline atm.

Your connection to Babel is interesting; I haven't heard that position before. How do you think it relates to humility/hubris?

 

[Hazelelponi]

Your connection to Babel is interesting; I haven't heard that position before. How do you think it relates to humility/hubris?

I apologize but I'm unclear on what you want me to expound upon exactly? I guess your wording here is throwing me...

Are you unclear how the story relates to hubris?

 

[crossnote]

Because religious thought and practice influences every aspect of the world I live in. I am not outside of the impact of religion. A persons religion beliefs influence their voting practices, their approach to culture, and personal relationships. I'm sure it would be difficult for most theists to think of an aspect of life that is not impacted by their concept of religious belief. Because it impacts me, I will be part of the discussion. I do not have to agree to influence that conversation in a small way. I surprises me that you would ask me why I ask questions--why wouldn't I.

As long as people are writing laws based on theistic beliefs, I will talk about it.

I didn't ask why you ask questions, but why you ask about the decline of faith when you reject faith. No matter, there will come a day when your a-theism is turned to theism upon your encounter with the risen Savior Judge.

 

[Lukaris]

Maybe religious faith increases or decreases in cycles. I have always had a strong appreciation of the Book of Ecclesiastes ( Ecclesiastes 1 etc.) which I think presents a lesson of life.

 

[Caliban]

I apologize but I'm unclear on what you want me to expound upon exactly? I guess your wording here is throwing me...

Are you unclear how the story relates to hubris?

Ya, sorry for being vague. You mentioned humility and also the scattering of people and language in the Babel narrative from Genesis. I am interested in how you think those two things are connected and how they relate to the current decline in relies belief today.

 

[Caliban]

Maybe religious faith increases or decreases in cycles. I have always had a strong appreciation of the Book of Ecclesiastes ( Ecclesiastes 1 etc.) which I think presents a lesson of life.

If any book of scripture is most relevant today, it is Ecclesiastes.

 

[Caliban]

I didn't ask why you ask questions, but why you ask about the decline of faith when you reject faith. No matter, there will come a day when your a-theism is turned to theism upon your encounter with the risen Savior Judge.

I am interested in how religious people interpret the data. I have yet to hear anyone on this forum cite the actual reasons people give themselves for leaving the faith. That would seem more reasonable to me. I want to understand the perspectives of others who do not always think the way I do.

 

[gentlejah]

There is so much noise in the world today, so many distractions I think many don't think about God one way or another.

 

[Caliban]

There is so much noise in the world today, so many distractions I think many don't think about God one way or another.

I think you are right. My students did not know who Adam and Eve were when we were studying Shakespeare. They knew The Tempest and Hamlet, but not the Genesis narrative--weird. You really can't understand Shakespeare without a strong grasp of the Bible.

 

[gentlejah]

That's how it seems in my age group and among most of my peers. They don't in anyway consider themselves religious nor do most say they are atheist. just the whole concept of God/faith/spirituality is foreign to them in a world of mass media, facebook, twitter...their faces are in a phone 12 plus hours a day. agree with the Shakespeare example as well.