Religion becoming extinct?

2011-03-23 12:46:10

#1

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5617|London, England

Parts of the world are literally losing their religion, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by the American Physical Society, finds that religion is dying out in nine countries.

The findings unveiled at an APS meeting in Dallas show that religion may become extinct in Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Canada, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The study, conducted by Richard Wiener of the University of Arizona, and Daniel Abrams and Haley Yaple of Northwestern University, took data stretching back 100 years for those nine countries.

"In a large number of modern secular democracies, there's been a trend that folk are identifying themselves as non-affiliated with religion; in the Netherlands the number was 40 percent, and the highest number was in the Czech Republic, where the number was 60 percent."

The study also found that "Americans without 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," the study says.

The study concludes that religion in these societies might one day disappear.

"The model predicts that for societies in which the perceived utility of not adhering is greater than the utility of adhering, religion will be driven toward extinction."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/23/lo … z1HSC0fpaA

I thought this was rather interesting.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2011-03-23 12:50:43

#2

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6951

I think instead of an extinction of religion in those places listed, what we'll see is a hyperbolic function of tapering off.

x

2011-03-23 12:50:46

#3

tuckergustav: ...; +1,590|6172|...

Do you think it might be that people who are "moderately religious" are trying to disassociate themselves from extremists? I mean, it seems that when you identify yourself as a Christian or Muslim (or whatever) you get grouped in with the negative stereotype...maybe this is why people are less likely to identify themselves as such?

...

2011-03-23 12:55:15

#4

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5617|London, England

Superior Mind wrote:
I think instead of an extinction of religion in those places listed, what we'll see is a hyperbolic function of tapering off.

What on earth would a hyperbolic function have to do with it?

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2011-03-23 12:56:17

#5

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5617|London, England

tuckergustav wrote:
Do you think it might be that people who are "moderately religious" are trying to disassociate themselves from extremists? I mean, it seems that when you identify yourself as a Christian or Muslim (or whatever) you get grouped in with the negative stereotype...maybe this is why people are less likely to identify themselves as such?

I think it stems from the removal of negative connotations. Fifty years ago if you declared yourself to have no religion you'd be socially ostracized or institutionalized. Today it's kind of 'meh'.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2011-03-23 12:58:06

#6

DrunkFace: Germans did 911; +427|6940|Disaster Free Zone

No, I think it's cause people are educated enough to know religion is nothing but a crock of shit.

2011-03-23 12:58:17

#7

Jenspm: penis; +1,716|6991|St. Andrews / Oslo

I am automatically weary of conclusions drawn on matters like this based on mathematical models. I mean, the model may make perfect sense and all in theory, but people are more complex than that in the real world, I think.

https://static.bf2s.com/files/user/26774/flickricon.png

2011-03-23 12:58:30

#8

tuckergustav: ...; +1,590|6172|...

Ooh, yeah. That too. So the ones that are left identifying themselves as such are a bit more polarized.

...

2011-03-23 12:59:58

#9

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5617|London, England

Jenspm wrote:
I am automatically weary of conclusions drawn on matters like this based on mathematical models. I mean, the model may make perfect sense and all in theory, but people are more complex than that in the real world, I think.

Of course. Predicting the future is futile. It's still interesting to follow the derivatives (Superior Mind: see, that was the proper way to include a Calc I item )

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2011-03-23 12:59:59

#10

SEREMAKER: BABYMAKIN EXPERT √; +2,187|6827|Mountains of NC

in hiding till may 21st

https://static.bf2s.com/files/user/17445/carhartt.jpg

2011-03-23 13:14:12

#11

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6951

Jay wrote:
Superior Mind wrote:
I think instead of an extinction of religion in those places listed, what we'll see is a hyperbolic function of tapering off.
What on earth would a hyperbolic function have to do with it?

The style of progression, I mean. Getting smaller, but never really dieing.

x

2011-03-23 13:32:20

#12

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,053|7030|PNW

I don't think religion is disappearing; it's just morphing into various forms of open-minded agnosticism and spiritual humanism. I think we can thank the ever-increasing levels of bullshit thrown our way for the decentralization of belief structures. Every time I hear about a pedophile priest, I feel more cynical than surprised.

DrunkFace wrote:
No, I think it's cause people are educated enough to know religion is nothing but a crock of shit.

Yup. The domineering and sometimes abusive/repressive format of some religions are unappealing. My neighbor, a staunch Catholic, admits to having been beaten by a nun in church school for asking how Adam and Eve spawned the human race if you weren't supposed to marry relatives.

2011-03-23 13:47:53

#13

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6664|North Carolina

I seriously doubt that Canada will become less religious. Christianity might dwindle there, but Islam and Hinduism are set to rise due to immigration patterns involving people from South Asia.

On the other hand, a significant portion of Indian immigrants to Canada are Christian, so that might keep Christianity somewhat afloat there too.

The Netherlands also will probably be more Islamic in the future due to immigration patterns.

I find it hard to believe that Ireland will be anything other than a majority Catholic nation due to its own current religiosity.

Eastern Europe and Scandinavia will likely become less religious in the future, and Japan will probably become that way as well.

Whether or not America follows that trend is hard to calculate. On the one hand, white Americans are moving away from religion faster than anyone else. On the other hand, most of our population growth is from religious countries, like Mexico.

I have no idea what to expect from Australia and New Zealand, since their immigration comes from a combination of more religious and less religious countries.

2011-03-23 13:52:17

#14

Macbeth: Banned; +2,444|5844

memory holed

2011-03-23 16:19:33

#15

Stubbee: Religions Hate Facts, Questions and Doubts; +223|7002|Reality

one can only hope

The US economy is a giant Ponzi scheme. And 'to big to fail' is code speak for 'niahnahniahniahnah 99 percenters'

2011-03-23 16:52:48

#16

Shocking: sorry you feel that way; +333|6258|...

Just wait for a war to hit home.

inane little opines

2011-03-23 17:01:19

#17

-Sh1fty-: plundering yee booty; +510|5732|Ventura, California

I would think that in the event of some massive catastrophe people would turn to religion.

And above your tomb, the stars will belong to us.

2011-03-23 17:02:05

#18

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6951

I would that in the event of some massive catastrophe people would turn to science.

x

2011-03-23 17:07:03

#19

-Sh1fty-: plundering yee booty; +510|5732|Ventura, California

Well, when people hit rock bottom they like to turn to something. Science isn't usually a helpful matter in that case.

And above your tomb, the stars will belong to us.

2011-03-23 17:08:21

#20

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5617|London, England

-Sh1fty- wrote:
I would think that in the event of some massive catastrophe people would turn to religion.

Convert them while they're weak. It's the Christian way

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2011-03-23 17:10:22

#21

Cheeky_Ninja06: Member; +52|6991|Cambridge, England

Not as helpful as the powers that be in any case LOL

2011-03-23 17:14:26

#22

ghettoperson: Member; +1,943|6908

I personally think that's a pretty far-fetched conclusion to come to. Just because people identify less as being part of one religion, and suddenly religion is gone? Or do they mean 3000 years down the line? Either way, it tells us nothing.

2011-03-23 17:17:17

#23

tuckergustav: ...; +1,590|6172|...

Far fetched and sensationalistic. It is just a way to encourage religious people to "spread the word"...AKA "bug all your friends about going to church".

...

2011-03-23 17:27:54

#24

KEN-JENNINGS: I am all that is MOD!; +2,979|6891|949

all those places listed in the OP have large populations and huge population growth rates. Much moreso than places like Africa and Latin America...

2011-03-23 17:29:50

#25

Shocking: sorry you feel that way; +333|6258|...

Religious books are great historical records though, I've been doing a lot of reading on Mesopotamian civilisations lately and the Bible makes a lot of references to stuff that happened and existed 8-6000 years ago. All the city states back then had their own gods, our dear Yahweh simply came out on top because all the other cultures in the area got exterminated. Knowing about it makes it all the more strange that people follow the strife in between different cities that existed nearly 10.000 years ago as if there were any higher purpose to it.

Same story with almost every religion, it's really just a history book with religious traditions and dogma mixed in.

Last edited by Shocking (2011-03-23 17:30:21)

inane little opines

BF2S Forums Religion becoming extinct?

Superior Mind wrote:

tuckergustav wrote:

Jenspm wrote:

Jay wrote:

Superior Mind wrote:

DrunkFace wrote:

-Sh1fty- wrote:

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