The Future of Religion

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Hi all. Today I want to make a general thread about our predictions regarding the future of religion.

To start, I would like to point out that there are many factors for us to consider. Karl Marx called religion "the heart of a heartless world". Therefore, religion may decay if future generations make the world a better place via technological growth, economic reform, or a combination of the two. Science may also contribute to the downfall of religion, though the future of science is hard to predict. There are still some unsolved problems in science regarding the nature of abiogenesis and the nature of dark energy. Thus, we may never conclusively prove that the universe does not require an intelligent designer.

We also have to consider gender roles, since the structure of religion is greatly influenced by gender roles. In any society, gender roles are largely a product of the technology that exists at the time. Some technologies can give men an advantage, whereas others can give women an advantage. For example, patriarchy first emerged when Neolithic men began hogging the natural resources, thereby becoming the first kings. In recent years, feminism has become a big thing because women now have control over their reproductive cycle.

The world of the future will be a product of the technology that is currently in development. How will this effect sexual dynamics? It's hard to say. The internet just keeps expanding and becoming more accessible. The internet has given us #metoo ... but it has also given us r/mensrights ... so who knows?

If the people of the future become patriarchal again, the Abrahamic religions of the world may fuse together, creating a patriarchal super-religion. This religion will be similar to Sunni Islam in terms of how it functions.

If the people of the future achieve true sexual equality, religious fusion will likely still occur, but the end result will be something closer to Reform Judaism. In this scenario, people may refer to God using non-binary pronouns.

If the world of the future becomes matriarchal (which is a possibility) the most common religion in the future will likely be mother goddess worship.

Meh...

Religion is not going anywhere. You’re always going to have people look at the sky and feel there must be someone bigger than the universe in control of it all. There’s always going to be that one more thing science hasn’t explained yet. There’s always going to be someone to wonder what happens after death. People will always dream, hallucinate, take drugs, and wonder if science adequately explains their experiences.

And those are the genuine seekers. There are also the larger-than-life illusionists and con artists. And long after science and reason explain it, long after people learn the magicians’ tricks, people will still crave the dazzle and sparkle of the trappings of religion. Even if people accept myth as false, they’ll still reenact myth through rituals in seeking to become greater than they are and find comfort in ritual. Even if people stop believing, they’ll never stop seeking reconciliation with the divine.

And, most importantly I think, the idea that science will overtake religion is predicated on the hidden assumption that religion has no REAL foundation, i.e. there’s no God to believe in. Well, that’s something that remains to be proven. There’s no allowance for the possibility that God could or does exist. Divine activity in the world would compel open-minded, rational people to conclude God’s reality and thus keep faith and religion alive.

Just to be clear: I don’t consider myself religious in the usual sense of the term. The word “religion” comes from root words that mean, roughly, “bind again.” It is man’s attempt to reconcile himself with his Creator, something man is ultimately incapable of doing on his own. Man cannot reach up to God. However, Christians believe God can reach down to men. It is an act of God’s grace, not human activity, that restores the bonds between mankind and God.

So I cannot be religious because I cannot do enough to get right with God. However, I do participate in corporate worship because I feel a need to be with likeminded believers in a common activity that refreshes our faith and strengthens bonds within a community of fellow believers on a common spiritual path.

So when I say I’m religious, I’m simply referring to having faith. The rituals don’t really hold much meaning for me. Nothing against my Catholic friends, but what they practice more aptly fits a definition of religion than what I practice.