[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?

[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.

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and seeing this as a failure of *Christianity*, not their government, their impulse was, “Well, if Christianity is no longer valid, what faith should I pursue?”, and they hit on paganism, the religions of their forefathers.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

[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.

[Moltke]

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

[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.

[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.