Posted on 12/18/2010 5:45:06 PM PST by neverdem
In a widely read and commented upon post, Nigel Barber examines some of the evidence and trends related to atheism and the decline of religion. Barber closes his thought-provoking post with the following:
"The reasons that churches lose ground in developed countries can be summarized in market terms. First, with better science, and with government safety nets, and smaller families, there is less fear and uncertainty in people's daily lives and hence less of a market for religion. At the same time many alternative products are being offered, such as psychotropic medicines and electronic entertainment that have fewer strings attached and that do not require slavish conformity to unscientific beliefs."
It is true that much of the developed world lives in not only a post-Christian, but a post-religious society in many ways. And it is true that many people have turned to religion because of economic uncertainty or emotional challenges. They still do, in fact.
However, for many people, religion is not merely a way to deal with fear, uncertainty, and emotional difficulties. In my experience, many people follow a particular religious way of life because they believe that it is true. The problem with a market-based analysis of the future of religion, as well as the market-based practices present in many contemporary religious communities, is that religion at its best is not a consumer product. Rather, at its best religious faith calls for sacrifice, unselfishness, love, and a willingness to remove oneself from the center of the universe, so to speak. In order to be willling to live in such a way, a self-centered market-based approach to religion will not do. Rather, one must believe that she is living in a way that is consistent with reality in order to motivate an unselfish approach to life.
It is also unclear how atheism is positioned to replace religion, in the following way. Atheism is the belief that God does not exist. But this, in and of itself, cannot form the foundation for a way of life. Only by forming and practicing positive beliefs and values can one build a coherent and meaningful life. So if something is to replace religion, it will not be atheism. Perhaps some form of secular humanism will accomplish this task. But here we run into another problem, namely, that human beings long for transcendence of some sort, as shown by the presence and prevalence of religious belief throughout cultures across time.
On this topic, Barber claims that sports can replace religion. In one sense, I think he is right. The loyalty, community-identification, and limited transcendence of the experiences related to sports do fuflill many of the functions of religion for many people. However--and I am a passionate sports fan and participant--at the end of the day sports are incapable of doing the work needed to provide sufficient meaning, transcendence, and fulfillment in life. But even if sport can do this to some degree, the view that sport is replacing religion fails to notice that religion should not be approached as a consumer good.
Lastly, we should be very grateful for the powerful psychopharmacological substances which can make life better for many of us. However, we must remember that religion is not merely about making my life better. Religion at its best is about making me better, and a better contributor to the common good. In closing, I think the reports of the impending death and replacement of religion with atheism are greatly exaggerated.
Seek experience with God and you will KNOW without having to believe.
Sorry, but that's just silly.
I don't know with certainty whether I will wake tomorrow, but that doesn't mean I can't believe I will--or live today in acordance with that belief.
LOL
Lol. We curmudgeons are only suspicious of those who would force us to be altruistic.
I've already done so. I asked Christ to be my savior (I was quite sincere at the time, let me assure you) when I was in Sunday School...and yet I felt nothing. I certainly didn't receive any divine KNOWledge as a result.
Wow....I wonder what God would say to that!
The article completely misses the relationship between God and His follower. I belong to God. He is the sole source of truth in my life. I do not prize my life above my bond with Him. The world will destroy my body but it cannot touch my soul.
You asked but you did not surrender, absolutely.
As a former luke-warm believer I've come to know that those that don't believe have some misconceptions as to how believers came to believe. I can say with experience that for many (myself included) it wasn't a conscious effort, a need for a "fix", a desire to be part of a social group, etc., but rather a supernatural event. IOW, a miraculous event or series of events take place in believer's lives, undeniable evidence of God's existence. I know it's difficult to explain to non-believers (I was once where you're at), but I can tell you that these "signs and wonders" do happen. It happened to me.
OK Michael W. Austin. You will soon meet
your maker. What then? Your smart prose
will serve you poorly. MARANATHA!
Actually, yes I did. I was told that I was a sinner, and that only way to be forgiven of my sins was to ask Christ to take away those sins by his sacrifice on the cross. At the time I believed this to be true, and spent an hour in prayer asking for just that.
Actually you did not. God is not a liar or a fraud. He does not make promises and not keep them. Try praying for a week, a month, a year. An hour is not long enough to even get warmed up.
Only after I surrendered my entire life to Him was Christ able to accept my penitence and save me from my soul sickness. Since that time many years ago I have been growing in Him, sometimes in fits and starts. I continue to sin but know that His forgiveness is real.
The knowledge of His world is constantly opening to me. I find scripture especially rich in understanding because I am able to read through the eyes of a child who is saved by the source of all that is good and holy.
I do not believe it is possible to be saved by the incantation of a few words or a brief, if fervent, prayer. Total and absolute surrender is required.
Why don't you ask him?
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Sure, you can choose any religion you think is true. You might be wrong, however, and then you would have to deal with the impact.
You choice entirely. Good luck.
Ah, a variation of the "No True Scotsman" fallacy at work. I couldn't have really been sincere and surrendered to Christ, because it didn't "take".
I'll leave it to the Christians on this board: Is the statement "I do not believe it is possible to be saved by the incantation of a few words or a brief, if fervent, prayer" Biblically accurate? Just curious...
Your comment is based upon a belief that God exists. Therefore, you have contradicted your earlier statements.
If a person believes God does not exist, should he not be an atheist? Is it holy to imply that self-interest might be the right motivating factor in belief, rather than basing belief on what one thinks is real? Why should a Christian argue so vehemently against religion being based on belief?
IOW, why should God accept Pascal’s Wager? And why isn’t it narcissistic to imply that religion based on self-impact is better than religion based on what one believes is truth?
Hm...best to die with a sword in your hand then. Otherwise Odin won't let you into Valhalla :-)
So you prefer to believe that God is a liar?
Petitio principii.
Christianity is not a religion. It is the revelation of God in human history through Christ.
How does Odin feel about guns?
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