Are humans doomed to lose their religion?

Post Reply New Topic

Is it a natural evolutionary inevitability? In the near future, it is projected the majority of humans will not have a religion.

Why do you describe such an event as Doomed? Do you think that an enlightened humanity, freed from fear and superstition is an ill fate?

People who are religious right now might think of it as a damnation of sorts.

I don't think so. I mean, if you only look at it in evolutionary terms, we're religious for a reason. Survival of the fittest, you know. Religion appeals to the more nuanced expressions of human thought and emotion and has more explanatory power that resonates with the human psyche than straight empiricism. I imagine life without would be just...well...depressing.

No, probably not. It is a bad idea to follow a trend line and assume it goes on to infinity.

This.

Perhaps some structured religions may change, in fact that's almost a certainty, but no, it would be somewhat ludicrous to suggest that religion as it is technically defined: "an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence", will ever go away.

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

Science provides technical information, but it will never serve as emotional fulfillment for human beings in the most important aspect of life to go on to the next moment.

Religion in all it's almost infinite number of manifestations provides this for human beings and as long as 'they' exist religion WILL EXIST, AS RELIGION IS PART OF CULTURE AND CULTURE IS PART OF HUMAN NATURE.

There is no escape from this other than self delusion at the core of delusion otherwise known as the repression of one's emotional life.

Dance, music, and song, expressed freely as a full human being is enough religion for me, and I will take it as is as such.

Other folks need a little more to feel comfortable, and they will find what suits them, if they look long enough too.

This, and there is some evidence of this in countries that do have low rates of religious participation correlating with substantially higher suicide rates.

It is only common sense.

Religions foster connectedness within the tribe, and humans as social animals must have these connections and successful ones to thrive, overall.

Religion is the most successful way to do this to date.

And the opportunities for connectedness in an increasingly nomadic society with only nuclear instead of extended families, are fewer than ever, which actually makes religion more important than ever to serve this vital purpose for the social animal, human being.

People who do not participate are at greater risk for depression over the long run for one simple reason, fewer real life flesh and blood social connections.

The internet will never work as a full substitute for this.

Humans do need to feel the full emotional contagion of another human being in real life, to truly bond for comfort and happiness in life.

It is the social animal nature of human being that we are evolved as such for hundreds of thousands of years.

Technology is not going to change that.

The rates of suicide in Japan and the lack of interest in real life sexual intercourse among young folks is evidence enough of this as the clean cup crews come to dispose of what is left of older folks who have no real life extended family or real life social connections.

Technology provides avenues for dopamine stimulation and basic human communication, but it will never serve as a full substitute for two or more flesh and blood human beings connecting in a positive way in real life.

It is biology, psychology, social science, religion, and anthropology 101.

But it requires knowledge in all these fields to gain a complete understanding of this real human reality across all human cultures.

There are biochemicals, traditions, rituals, culture, emotions and most of all love to consider all as one human condition.

But this is not the type of stuff that science alone can fully address.

Religion provides the glue that keeps it all together, for social animal human beings.

I don't think so. Religion continues to evolve and adapt also.

People used to believe the world was flat, they adapted and are still religious. People used to think the earth was the center of the universe, the majority of folks have adapted and accepted it isn't and are still religious. people used to believe the earth sat on top of a large turtle, they have adapted and are still religious.

I think it'll always be here, but it will continue to adapt and evolve also.

What about the tipping point? Science says humans will lose their religion. It's inevitable.

Science says it's inevitable?

According to the laws of physics, yup.

This is the first that I have heard of this.

I appreciate a link if you have one to provide evidence for this claim.

The laws of "physics"?

you're not asking about physics. you're asking about sociology/psychology.

I realize that there was a bestselling book called "the Tipping Point" that used a see-saw as a metaphor for human societal trends. But thats just a metaphor.

http://youtu.be/if-UzXIQ5vw

I think we may pass a point where faith is a minority rather than a majority. But beyond that it will always be around in some form.