 What about the children if this happens? |
Research by the Orthodox Jewish organisation Aish found that just over a third of people thought religions like Christianity and Judaism would still be practiced in Britain in 100 years’ time.
Although four in 10 people said they would choose to be a member of the Christian religion, almost the same number said they would rather practice no religion at all.
Buddhism however, proved more attractive than both Islam and Judaism, and was chosen by nine per cent of those questioned.
Aish UK’s executive director Rabbi Naftali Schiff said the results of the YouGov poll of 2,000 people were alarming.
“It clearly demonstrates that religion, including Judaism, is becoming unattractive to the British public.”
I don’t object to your article, it’s stating raw numbers and there’s no arguing, but those children’s parents are no more a representation of Christianity than the Chinese government’s views on freedom are representative of Atheism. Playing on stereotypes just shows an inability to consider a number of sources of information regarding a matter.
Next you’ll be telling me that all Muslims are terrorists, all French people run away from a fight, all Americans are loud-mouthed idiots with no geographical knowledge, all British don’t clean their teeth, all German women fail to shave their armpits and all black people belong to gangs with guns.
Stereotypes – a favoured tool of the little-brained. Don’t be little-brained. Don’t use stereotypes.
As an interesting aside, however, having said what I said about China, it’s interesting to note that it’s in China that Christianity is seeing some of its biggest growth.
If over a third of people think religion will still be practiced, how is that dying out? Dying as in dead as opposed to declining in number and/or influence?
I wonder when the brits will stop formally supporting the Church or England, and Germany providing tax support for their version?
I tend to doubt that “faith” based something or other will leave the human culture for the current milemnia. Father in the Sky replaced by Earth Mother or even science as a religion would be my bet.
People are like that. You gotta believe.
I don’t believe in any particular God or Religion but I’m all for a pluralistic society like we have in the west.
Religious types argue that dropping religion in favour of say, secular humanism, is only replacing one belief system with another. This probably has some merit like Daniel Dennett argues; “belief in belief” may have some virtue in itself. However, he also persuasively argues the this has some evolutionary value since “team spirit” gives humans a competitive edge. This makes everyone in debate mad at him which makes me think he may right. 😉
#3–QB==thats a stupid thing to say. “Team Spirit” gives humans a competitive edge so belief in God is a virtue==as in any other team spirit belief system like communism or Great Father Leader Dung chow Ping? (sic!). Think that thru again since team spirit is pretty nebulous. People may be mad because its such a stupid self serving manipulative leap in logic to suggest.
Unless “religion” can find and show “god”, it will soon die out as its relevancy continues to diminish.
So when my very religious mother-in-law has her heart by-pass surgery next week her church can pray all they like. I’m counting on the surgeons to blow it. Well, how about hoping?
Bingo bobbo, you got it perfectly.
#6–QB==if you think you were being satirical or sarcastic, I think you missed a few words and used a few wrongs ones. Looks more to me like you decided to switch horses. But your final arrival point is worthy.
Alarming? Overdue is more like it.
Sorry, I wasn’t bashing you just kind of agreeing with you. I’ll take another tact.
Humans genetically have a need to “believe” in something since it creates coherent group behaviour and makes us more competitive out on the plains of Africa.
It helped us survive for thousands of centuries as we developed into erect and hairless apes. As our higher cognitive functions have started to to assume that this natural behaviour must have some special “mystical” source and religions sprang up.
Nowadays, there are other ways to enjoy this communal experience. You can’t tell me that the Beatles at Shea Stadium is much different than Billy Graham at Yankee Stadium. Same human need being met.
It also explains why there are so few monasteries and so many megachurchs. So back on point, religions are dying out in the prosperous and pluralistic west since there are other ways for people to satisfy this innate need. Religions see it as a threat since it eats away at their monopoly.
#9–QB==well, when you say it THAT way, its like you are saying something completely different?
I think I agree with you but I can’t tell because I’m confused.
Where is MM when we need him with all these negative reviews of religion? (in reference to the newer posting today) Almost like an organized effort to drive him away?
I bet the parents of those kids are devout (fill in the blank)s.
I am still waiting for the statistics on Atheist gay bashers.
#9-QB==as much as I would like it to be true that “religions are dying out in the prosperous and pluralistic west since there are other ways for people to satisfy this innate need” I don’t see it here in the US–maybe it is true in Europe, but here in the US, Evangelical Christianity seems to be more influential than ever.
>>Almost like an organized effort to
>>drive him away?
When even the dvorak dot org slash com [Eds.] start trolling, Bobster, it’s time for me to turn off the computer.
So. it’s that time.
Kanthalion, you’re probably right in certain parts of your country. Evangelicals have increased in the burbs and the south at the expense of most other religious denominations including Southern Baptists.
Personally I don’t think Evangelicals have grown over the last couple of decades due any relgious revival. I think they’re just better at marketing.
As a frequent visitor to the US I must say that you have an strangely religious country. More than any other country you have a mythos which the world hasn’t seen since Roman times. You celebrate myths around George Washington, the founding fathers, Abner Doubleday, etc. and I think this leads a lot of religious, political, and cultural tension. On the other hand that tension can be creative and has given the world the microprocessor, jazz, Georgie O’Keefe, and Kurt Vonnegut.
So who am I to criticize?
They pray for Christianity to die out so they can replace it with their Church of Secular Humanism.
Studies like this one are insane; Europe will be a Muslim majority continent within 75 years.
Do the Orthodox Jews that did this study have their heads up their butts or what?
Do they not pay attention attention to demographics?
I will believe it when there are no more druids showing at at the henge every solstice.
BTW they were there again today.
Cursor_
Good, maybe there will finally be peace on this sad little planet.
Good point, HMeyers… so will the followers of the Church of Secular Humanism tell me what happens when the radical Muslims start waging war (real war, not media war waged by the Christians that those Secular Humanists claim persecutes them to the ends of the earth) on those who don’t believe?
Show me that “stats” that constructs an argument that Europe will become a predominately Muslim region. This I would love to see. Seriously.
#8 – moss – Alarming? Overdue is more like it.
Absolutely. Unfortunately we’ll have to continue living with religious nutters – and the tensions that comes with them – for many generations to come.
#20–Jeff==I don’t care enough to look it up but certainly thru immigration (Algerians into Franch, Turks thru Germany etc) and their very disproportionate birth rate, the % of Muslims in Europe is going to rise?
Good thing the majority of them are peace loving ecumenical people, eh what?
#20 – jeff
It’s in people’s minds… reality is different.
Thanks for the post. A bit more realistic on basic proportional stats.
#22 – bobbo
It’s true that Germany has had Turkish immigrants for many years, and the same goes with Algerians et al to France, but there’s still only 3.7% Muslims in Germany and 7.5% Muslims in France. And with the backlash against Muslim immigrants in many European countries, I don’t expect a big wave of Muslims pouring over the continent anytime soon. It’s more likely that the number of Chinese are going to increase over the coming years.
#22 – Bobbolina
>>Good thing the majority of them are
>>peace loving ecumenical people, eh what?
Yes, in fact it is. I know a number of Muslims who live in France and the UK, and every single one of the is a peace-loving person. I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say “ecumenical”, but they certainly bear no ill will towards people of other faiths (including the non-faith faith).
Either you militant anti-God nutters here on dvorak dot org slash blog take the tabloid journalistic approach to people of faith waayyyyy too seriously, or you’re mixing it up with the wrong kind of people of faith.
So Mustard, here’s a question. How do you feel about Muslims who demand that they are judged by Sharia law and not French, German, or English law?
#26 – Mister Yellow Substance – anti-God
How can we be against this “God” if we’re of the opinion that he/she/it doesn’t exist?
Can that photograph be any MORE offensive? Christianity isn’t the We hate fags club.
Why don’t you just put up a graphic that says “CHRISTIANS NOT WELCOME?!”
#25–Jag==your caution melds well with Mustard at #26==I would have thought the numbers higher given the bad press I have read.
Maybe I am being overly influenced by the blogs I peruse? Or maybe I just dislike the religious community that much.
It is true, the only religious people I can stand are those that act like they aren’t. Like Mustards peaceable Muslims, they’re ok as a small minority disable by minority status. When the nutters get in control and force their views on others, trouble abounds.