Christianity on the Decline?

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Question…and I want your honest opinion.

If in the near or even distant future, we do notice some world ending comet or asteroid approaching Earth years in advance…do you expect religion to be on the decline?
[/quote]

Most certainly not, people would will up those churches faster than you can say “What would Jesus do?”.

Then again, if aliens were to attack the planet, I also strongly believe (at least hope), that we’d set aside religious beliefs and fight together as a human race not separated by petty disputes, such as race and religion.

[quote]
Mankind has a habit of gaining an ego when it thinks it has nothing major to fear.[/quote]

True, but in all honesty I have a lot more fear of some religious fanatics than I do of any god. Besides, he’s supposed to love us all, why should I be afraid? I’m simply unsure.

[quote]MeinHerzBrennt wrote:

Yes, I do. I think most would have to agree, given human nature. It is analogous to your “there are no atheists in foxholes” post in the other thread; when faced with a life or death situation, even an atheist can forego their beliefs, no matter how sincerely believed, and start believing in God to comfort them.

[/quote]

Gee, if you now consider “atheism” to be a belief system, then it is very much like religion…as we have been saying across many different threads here. If it is not a “belief system” than they have nothing to fear letting go of.

I would also guess that most would not agree with you as far as religion DECREASING in the light of a world ending event.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
MeinHerzBrennt wrote:

Yes, I do. I think most would have to agree, given human nature. It is analogous to your “there are no atheists in foxholes” post in the other thread; when faced with a life or death situation, even an atheist can forego their beliefs, no matter how sincerely believed, and start believing in God to comfort them.

Gee, if you now consider “atheism” to be a belief system, then it is very much like religion…as we have been saying across many different threads here. If it is not a “belief system” than they have nothing to fear letting go of.

I would also guess that most would not agree with you as far as religion DECREASING in the light of a world ending event.[/quote]

I just edited my post. What I began the paragraph with clearly didnt coincide with the rest of what I wrote. I thought you asked “would religion return” or something of that nature.

I still have no idea why you are taking offence to anything I said. Re-read my initial post. I didnt give any reason for our waning faith, you just went off on a rant about how i’m apparently of the opinion that i’m smarter than you because I don’t believe. Didn’t state or imply that.

[quote]trojapa wrote:
I think the more people get away from religion and become more independant the better things will be. Like Liftivcmaximvs said becoming more awake. I still believe in a higher power but I think religious groups are sort of funny how they work. [/quote]

That’s what Stalin said…

RSGZ, this is off topic but dont you think that if aliens were real it wouldnt really matter what we did, there technology would seem to be pretty advanced and would all aliens really be bad

See I find that funny because if you believe in and understand christianity and believe the book of revelations, you would know the world won’t end with an asteroid or a nuclear bomb. If you think it will, then you obviously don’t believe the bible aren’t truly a christian.

I work in science and am a christian, go to a baptist church but only because our pastor teaches bible in its entirety without regard to whether or not it will hurt your feelins, and also teaches how to study for yourself. But I get flac all the time for my beliefs because of how children are tought certain concepts as fact even thought they are not verifyable. And that agrevates me greatly.

But for someone to come off as thinking they are better because they believe what they are told and I take careful evaluation of everything I study and have come to the conclusion that these systems are too complex for chance, I am the lesser person. That is absurd.

Even Darwin himself admitted in the origin of the species that if evidence of a complex organ within an organism was shown to be critical to that organisms survival it would disprove the slow gradual process of evolution.

But enough about that,

I think yes as people start to move away from christianity in the US it will create problems, in the sense that is going to divide us more. And it may be a gradual process as morals are stripped and laws changed it will start alarm those who are christian and even those who aren’t but still have that sense of morals

[quote]apbt55 wrote:
See I find that funny because if you believe in and understand christianity and believe the book of revelations, you would know the world won’t end with an asteroid or a nuclear bomb. If you think it will, then you obviously don’t believe the bible aren’t truly a christian.

I work in science and am a christian, go to a baptist church but only because our pastor teaches bible in its entirety without regard to whether or not it will hurt your feelins, and also teaches how to study for yourself. But I get flac all the time for my beliefs because of how children are tought certain concepts as fact even thought they are not verifyable. And that agrevates me greatly.

But for someone to come off as thinking they are better because they believe what they are told and I take careful evaluation of everything I study and have come to the conclusion that these systems are too complex for chance, I am the lesser person. That is absurd.

Even Darwin himself admitted in the origin of the species that if evidence of a complex organ within an organism was shown to be critical to that organisms survival it would disprove the slow gradual process of evolution.

But enough about that,

I think yes as people start to move away from christianity in the US it will create problems, in the sense that is going to divide us more. And it may be a gradual process as morals are stripped and laws changed it will start alarm those who are christian and even those who aren’t but still have that sense of morals [/quote]

I think you are hitting several different topics.

I for one don’t believe the government should be taking a “religiously motivated” moral stance with regards to laws in the first place. Ideas like that are what hindered stem cell research and are why relatively harmless drugs like marijuana are still sending people to jail. They are why many are having trouble now getting HRT in spite of decreased testosterone levels…because we must “save the children”.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
apbt55 wrote:
See I find that funny because if you believe in and understand christianity and believe the book of revelations, you would know the world won’t end with an asteroid or a nuclear bomb. If you think it will, then you obviously don’t believe the bible aren’t truly a christian.

I work in science and am a christian, go to a baptist church but only because our pastor teaches bible in its entirety without regard to whether or not it will hurt your feelins, and also teaches how to study for yourself. But I get flac all the time for my beliefs because of how children are tought certain concepts as fact even thought they are not verifyable. And that agrevates me greatly.

But for someone to come off as thinking they are better because they believe what they are told and I take careful evaluation of everything I study and have come to the conclusion that these systems are too complex for chance, I am the lesser person. That is absurd.

Even Darwin himself admitted in the origin of the species that if evidence of a complex organ within an organism was shown to be critical to that organisms survival it would disprove the slow gradual process of evolution.

But enough about that,

I think yes as people start to move away from christianity in the US it will create problems, in the sense that is going to divide us more. And it may be a gradual process as morals are stripped and laws changed it will start alarm those who are christian and even those who aren’t but still have that sense of morals

I think you are hitting several different topics.

I for one don’t believe the government should be taking a “religiously motivated” moral stance with regards to laws in the first place. Ideas like that are what hindered stem cell research and are why relatively harmless drugs like marijuana are still sending people to jail. They are why many are having trouble now getting HRT in spite of decreased testosterone levels…because we must “save the children”.[/quote]

I’ve always found it odd that people in washington who trumpet themselves as conservative politically are the same ones crying to regulate what you can put in your own body.

Depends I feel similarly, on certain issues. Stem cells can have other sources then aborted embryos, I don’t believe in abortion, I think alot fo the problems with society is they aren’t forced to deal with the consequences of their actions.

And actually I was doing stem cell research for a compnay growing organs before this position, in PA, during 2005-2007.

I think the study of how religions have evolved over the millenia is fascinating. Men have always sought explanations of events like the rising and setting of the sun, and lacking scientific knowledge, they have created belief systems to account for these events.

It’s not a coincidence that as science has progressed, our capacity to explain these events has increased, and thus the need to create belief systems to account for these events has decreased.

However, I think religion serves another important purpose beyond explaining the natural universe. It provides meaning and direction to people. It gives them hope and comfort.

That isn’t something science can help with. Belief systems are like sandcastles that are gradually eroded by the waves of scientific progress. As these belief systems disappear, I wonder whether people will have the moral maturity to find meaning, without needing to appeal to a higher authority for guidance?

I like to think that people value love, courage, and integrity for the sake of the values themselves, rather than out of greed for eternal rewards or fear of eternal punishment. But I don’t think many of us are there yet, and I don’t know that all of us ever will be.

[quote]forlife wrote:
I think the study of how religions have evolved over the millenia is fascinating. Men have always sought explanations of events like the rising and setting of the sun, and lacking scientific knowledge, they have created belief systems to account for these events.

It’s not a coincidence that as science has progressed, our capacity to explain these events has increased, and thus the need to create belief systems to account for these events has decreased.

However, I think religion serves another important purpose beyond explaining the natural universe. It provides meaning and direction to people. It gives them hope and comfort.

That isn’t something science can help with. Belief systems are like sandcastles that are gradually eroded by the waves of scientific progress. As these belief systems disappear, I wonder whether people will have the moral maturity to find meaning, without needing to appeal to a higher authority for guidance?

I like to think that people value love, courage, and integrity for the sake of the values themselves, rather than out of greed for eternal rewards or fear of eternal punishment. But I don’t think many of us are there yet, and I don’t know that all of us ever will be. [/quote]

So your belief system is the value of “love, courage, and integrity”. How do you see that eroding over time do to scientific discovery?

It’s not a belief system, it is a value system and as such is independent of scientific discovery.

[quote]forlife wrote:
It’s not a belief system, it is a value system and as such is independent of scientific discovery. [/quote]

lol, really? Do I need to address this or can everyone get the comedic value of this one on their own?

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:
forlife wrote:
It’s not a belief system, it is a value system and as such is independent of scientific discovery.

lol, really? Do I need to address this or can everyone get the comedic value of this one on their own?[/quote]

Let it go. My “moral maturity” dictates we not pummel him to death.

You sound confused, so let me spell it out for you.

Belief system = a set of beliefs about the nature of the universe, i.e., objective facts.

Value system = a set of values about how people should live their lives.

Belief systems are subject to scientific scrutiny. Value systems are not.

Not suprising at all.

[quote]forlife wrote:
You sound confused, so let me spell it out for you.

Belief system = a set of beliefs about the nature of the universe, i.e., objective facts.

Value system = a set of values about how people should live their lives.

Belief systems are subject to scientific scrutiny. Value systems are not.[/quote]

Wait…so how has science disproven the “belief systems” you speak of?

[quote]trojapa wrote:
RSGZ, this is off topic but dont you think that if aliens were real it wouldnt really matter what we did, there technology would seem to be pretty advanced and would all aliens really be bad[/quote]

I realize that, but that is beside my point. I would be incredibly suprised if people from ALL backgrounds and belief systems didn’t work together.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Wait…so how has science disproven the “belief systems” you speak of?[/quote]

For example, science has disproven the idea that the God Apollo pulls the sun across the sky in his golden chariot drawn by fiery horses.

It is impossible to prove a negative, but there is pretty good evidence that the Greeks got it wrong on this one.

[quote]forlife wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Wait…so how has science disproven the “belief systems” you speak of?

For example, science has disproven the idea that the God Apollo pulls the sun across the sky in his golden chariot drawn by fiery horses.

It is impossible to prove a negative, but there is pretty good evidence that the Greeks got it wrong on this one.[/quote]

Sweet, so if i claim to believe christian values, I’m now beyond the scrutiny of science.