Nine countries are on the path to complete atheism.

Rational Public Radio ^ | 3/22/11 | Scott Connery

[Scottmkiv]

It seems like the religion in the U.S. is a juggernaut that will be nigh unstoppable in the next decade or two. It's seemingly impossible to get elected without being openly and devoutly religious. George Bush claimed to receive divine commandments on how to perform his job.

President Obama has made his church attendance receives plenty of attention too. Some question his sincerity, but no one questions that this is the politically smart thing to do.

George Bush famously said that Islam is a religion of peace despite all the evidence to the contrary. 40% of U.S. citizens are strict young earth creationists. There are constant efforts to insert religion into our schools. It's clear that religion has quite a hold on the minds of America.

It's not all bad news though. Even in America Atheism is on the rise. People claiming no religious affiliation constitute the fastest growing religious minority in many countries throughout the world. Americans without religious affiliation comprise the only religious group growing in all 50 states; in 2008 those claiming no religion rose to 15 percent nationwide, with a maximum in Vermont at 34 percent.

However, a recent study has found that 9 countries are on a path to complete atheism. According to the study, Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland, have ever increasing levels of atheists. The Netherlands had the lowest population of atheists at 40%, and the Czech Republic was the highest at 60%.

[Grunthor]

Already posted here about an hour ago. It’s also wrong as I posted on the earlier thread;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsong_Church

[mom4melody]

The fool has said in his heart that there is no God....

Seems being foolish is on the rise.

[FrankR]

[GeronL]

That is terrible news. Good things its probably wrong, except where Islam is taking over.

I guess these guys think the USSR, Red China, North Korea and Hitlers Germany were models we should follow?

[antiRepublicrat]

I guess these guys think the USSR, Red China, North Korea and Hitlers Germany were models we should follow?

In general, this was a list of pretty free countries with a high standard of living. We're not talking communism or fascism, but atheism, not the same thing.

[NailInACoffin]

Just because atheism is on the rise in those countries hardly indicates they will become “completely” atheist. Past trends do not always guarantee future performance. If trends always continued, the countries would become “completely” any religion that’s growing.

[Campion]

The reason the researchers say the process will be non-linear (a sudden tipping point instead of a slow grind year after year) is social utility. Once atheism crosses a tipping point, then holding on to religion becomes a social liability instead of an asset

Notice the assumption that the only real attraction of Christianity for most people is social conformity. Very naive, IMO.

[Scottmkiv]

I searched and didn’t find anything. This is a different take on it in any case.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I think is it less a triumph of atheism, as it is that many nations are quietly experiencing a throwback to historical paganism. The fault of this is not Christianity, per se, but the failure of government “official religion” Christianity.

Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland.

In each of the countries, the official religion was historically ill used for other purposes, then watered down by successive liberal governments, somewhat ashamed at what had been done by their cynical predecessors.

The end result is as pleasant and redeeming as visiting the DMV for an hour each Sunday. No surprise at all that people left those vehicles, finding no redemption or salvation to be found within, and feeling spiritually unsatisfied.

Most people are spiritually and socially conservative, and seeing this as a failure of *Christianity*, not their government, their impulse was, “Well, if Christianity is no longer valid, what faith should I pursue?”, and they hit on paganism, the religions of their forefathers.

It is their “default” religion, in the absence of real Christian religion, not controlled by the state.

[Scottmkiv]

Atheism isn’t a positive set of beliefs. In other words, there isn’t a list of things that atheists do believe, only a list with one item then don’t believe.

Comparing Stalin to Voltaire because neither believe in god is like comparing Gandhi to Pol Pot because neither believe in leprechauns.

[GeronL]

I think Voltaire would have agreed with Stalin on most things.

Hatred of religion is a mark of a deep insanity.

[Scottmkiv]

“I think Voltaire would have agreed with Stalin on most things.”

I’m forced to assume you haven’t read Voltaire very carefully.

[chuckee]

I am surprised England is not in the top 9. They have the loudest and most annoying atheists on the globe. Seems a bulk of their population has elevated atheism to the national religion of non belief.

[WPaCon]

“Nine countries are on the path to complete atheism”...

...for a few years before they become Muslim.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

I met a young guy from the Czech Republic, whose wife had just had a baby. When I asked him if he was getting the baby baptized, he told me NO. He said he’s an atheist.

[El Cid]

In general, this was a list of pretty free countries with a high standard of living. We're not talking communism or fascism, but atheism, not the same thing.

That's true - however the Countries referenced: the Soviet Union, Mao's China, North Korea, Pol Pot's Cambodia, Castro's Cuba, Hitler's Germany - we're cultures that denied the Living God, and had to create their own gods. E.g., Marxist ideology, the Master Race, Personality cults, etc.
God outlines this malady fairly well in the first chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. In their heart, people know that God IS; but in their vanity they become blind and create all kinds of false idols. Eventually God 'gives them up', and these so-called civilizations crumble into a downward spiral of sexual perversions, immorality, and lawlessness.

The cultures/nations described in this article are fairly 'civilized' and well off at the moment - but they are coming out of a Christian centric culture. If indeed they have chucked off the true God to chase after Gaiaism - or whatever is the false god du jour - then their end will be destruction. But I don't if the article is accurate - or just an atheist's wishful thinking. Hopefully their is time to repent.

[Moltke]

Ireland? Now there’s a surprise. I always thought they were 100% staunch catholics.

[Scottmkiv]

That is part of the danger of multiculturalism. When you refuse to admit that some cultures, some ideas, are worse than others you set yourself up for quite an ugly conflict.

It’s not racism to say that people who violate rights, or follow a religion that encourages them to, are inferior to people who respect individual rights.

[circlecity]

The ultimate conclusion of atheism is always nihilism. Further, it's clear that the roots of atheism are almost always moral rather than intellectual.