Posted on 04/06/2014 7:35:23 AM PDT by Yollopoliuhqui
Back in 1990, about 8 percent of the U.S. population had no religious preference. By 2010, this percentage had more than doubled to 18 percent. That’s a difference of about 25 million people, all of whom have somehow lost their religion.
That raises an obvious question: how come? Why are Americans losing their faith?
Today, we get a possible answer thanks to the work of Allen Downey, a computer scientist at the Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts, who has analyzed the data in detail. He says that the demise is the result of several factors but the most controversial of these is the rise of the Internet. He concludes that the increase in Internet use in the last two decades has caused a significant drop in religious affiliation.
(Excerpt) Read more at technologyreview.com ...
Another problem and a serious one, at least according to Pope Benedict: relative morality.
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You need to read the bible more. In Matt 16:19 Jesus is talking to Peter when he says this. However in Matthew 18:18 he is talking to ALL belivers. There is no special 'papal' authority in the bible. God is not a respecter of persons.
Some Christians marry, divorce and remarry. That isn't allowed by the Bible but it's still done. It's still not allowed by Catholicism.
It's not allowed by protestantism either, except when the divorcing member has a valid biblical claim against their spouse (that is, the spouse committed adultery).
However people still do it. Just like Nancy Pelosi and other Catholics support abortion and all sorts of other evils.
Correct. There is no patent. However, without religion (that is, without faith in a Creator and Ultimate Authority) there are no ethical behaviors.
Without God there is no morality but the morality of self interest.
As an example, if there is no God then murder is perfectly acceptable as long as I have the force to be able to commit it.
And (back to the original topic) as well stated by PGR88:
Correlation is NOT Causation
Oh, okay, whatever you say.
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