Debate Do you think religion will last forever?

I say that Science will advance past the point of religion, and will tear the various religious myths apart and leave their bloodied corpses on the sidewalk.

Yet I assume that some will keep going in their religious trances, and just ignore the obvious truth that science will, eventually, bring us.

 

I would laugh and laugh if Religion was eventually regarded as some kind of strange, barbaric practice about 200 years from now (If we make it that long).

However, I think that within that time, we'll be able to explain more and more of what the world around us truly is. Religion was originally invented as a means of justifying what happened around us, and we've already confirmed that there are no such thing as "rain gods" or "sun gods". Those beliefs died out centuries ago, and so will these silly beliefs in a higher power controling what we all do.

So yes, Religion is temporary in the scheme of things. There will always be religious nutcases, of course, but I think the majority if people will eventually come around to the fact that we are simply byproducts of evolution, and when we die, we die =).

 

The simple point is that you cannot disprove the existence of God (or any other deity), thus meaning that the core aspect of religion cannot be dispelled no matter how much science advances. I see religion and science as varying ways of understanding the universe from a human position. Religion bases itself on an emotional reaction to the universe and attempts to understand existence in this way, whilst religion focuses on the logical capacity of humanity. The emotion twinned with logic basically is humanity if you ask me, both are inherent in our nature and both define us completely. I personally choose to follow the path of logic because it seems to me that it is placing trust in a concept somewhat present outside of humanity, an inherent sense of order and pattern within the universe, but anyone who says that our perceived logic is true and infallible misunderstands the nature of being human. It may gesture towards something larger than ourselves, but is still defined and constrained by the fact that it is borne out of us in the terms in which we can appreciate it. Looked at in these terms, religion is actually very similar, but with emotion in place of logic. I see no inherently better option out of the two, neither is objectively 'better' or 'perfect' if you ask me, thus anyone who denounces the other one from their chosen path as stupid is narrow minded in my eyes, it puts too much faith in our perspective, something which we can never escape therefore can never assess objectively, which would be essential if we hoped to decide on which was objectively better. I just choose science and logic because it just seems, idk, more natural to me, it makes more sense based on what I have seen and experienced throughout my life, and how I understand the universe to be from my tiny little perspective, but I don't put it forward as somehow 'better' in any objective sense, it's just my way. I see waay too many holes in all the religions that I've been exposed to to follow any of them, but that doesn't dispel the inherent concept of religion as an emotional understanding of the universe being possibly valid. I also see our perceived logic as a more trustworthy way to attempt to understand the universe, since emotions are so intensely bound to humans in my understanding, whereas our logic seems so much more inherent in the wider universe, not just part of us but part of everything. This is why I follow science as my path, I say that objectively neither is truly better, or at least we can never really know which one is objectively better (obviously one is, but we'll never be able to truly escape our perspective and say 'this one'), and obviously I have to think one better in terms of how I view them, otherwise I wouldn't be able to choose. But I would never be so pompous as to think that I could get at the objective truth of it, something impossible for any human, and say that one is truly, objectively and inherently right.

So no, I don't see religion going under any time soon, organised religions, churches and organisations etc, will come and go, but the core concept of religion itself runs MUCH deeper than any one sect, church, or even wider religion such as christianity. It is as intertwined into humanity as our capacity for logic and scientific understanding, possibly more so since it has been around a lot longer, that would hint towards it being a more basic characteristic within us. Science as an actual separate school of thought, at odds with religion as opposed to being intertwined with it as it was for so much of history, is very recent, and so the balance is still swinging around vastly as science becomes more and more prominent.

The fact is that science has recently come along as its own school of understanding and has made serious waves in terms of success. But just think how religion must have done the same when it first emerged. Early religious thinkers based their understanding of the universe on these religious interpretations of things (These 'sun gods' that you spoke of Glitch, for example), and people were amazed at how well this fitted in with what they saw, it made such incredible sense and just seemed like the obvious truth. This is largely how science is viewed by many these days, and whilst our perceived understanding of the truth of the universe seems so infallible now, just think that it must have seemed the same back then when religion was coming to the fore. The problem is that this was so damn long ago that it isn't really possible to look back in any kind of documentation and compare the two, people can never look at the truly wider perspective of human existence over the whole of our time in this form and draw wider comparisons, they're so tied up in the more small scale chronological progressions (rather obviously I suppose, since we live all of a millisecond in terms of the wider span of time) that everything that is 'now' and thereabouts just seems so much more important. So again, realise the nature and limitations of our perspective when trying to asses such core questions as these, realise your limitations of you'll get above your station, like that twat Dawkins.

I'm not saying that belief in religion won't drop down in many circles, but I often feel that such assumptions based on 'the rise of science' fail to take in to account the wider world, and focus too much on western nations. Look at many other nations in the world and you'll still see religion going strong, even forming the basis and bulk of government. Religion goes much deeper than any single religion, church or deity, and I think it's too deeply routed in to our core nature as humans (understanding the world in terms of emotion in the most basic sense, and who's to say that our emotional reaction is any less reliable in basic terms than our perceived[/i] sense of logic? Again, since we are truly bound within our own human perspective we are in no position to evaluate it truly in objective terms) to go anywhere any time soon.

But I will say this, humans probably won't be around forever, so technically neither will religion, but then technically neither will science. Nit picking I know, but still an interesting point in my eyes, both are borne out of us (in terms of how we understand them anyway, obviously religion bases itself on a higher form of justice/truth, whatever that is, and science similarly bases itself on a sense of order, pattern and logic inherent in the universe, outside of us as simple humans and part of wider existence) and both are bound to us, both will be gone when we are, and it's worth making no pretenses about that.

 

Forever

I think that religion will be around as long as man is, definitely not in it's current form, but there will always be a need for it. Just as we now call, what at the time was a dead serious religion, Greek Mythology, we will look back at the major religions of our day as a version of a mass superstition for our time and our minds. People in the distant future will have knowledge about the universe that we haven't even started asking about yet. They will mold their religions to fit, as close as possible, to the understanding they've achieved. But no matter how far our technology and understanding of the universe grows, I can't see us ever being able to understand what happens to you after you die. The need to answer that question alone is reason enough for me to believe people will always make up new deities to worship and afterlives to ponder. The fear of ceasing to exist will always outweigh scientific understanding and the subject will most likely never be answered by science.

Religions were not truth in the time of the ancient Greeks, they are not truth now, and the religions of the future will be no different. I just don't see the entire population becoming so comfortable with the idea of dying and being gone forever that there is no need for stories of an afterlife.

It is also important for any religion that wants to survive to try and adapt to new understandings and social issues. I think the Christian religion has had a really hard time with this and is suffering because of it. The recent statement from the Pope that condoms are not a solution for Aids and are often the cause is so out of touch with were most of us are on the issue and definitely with were science stands on the issue.

 

You mortals are foolish I AM GOD WORSHIP ME NOWWWW AND FOR THE REST OF MANKIND'S EXISTENCE!!!11!1!1!!!!!!!!!1one!11!!

I think religion will just continue to dwindle with each generation, but nobody will be religious though. All of my friends believe there is a god out there but just don't care, pretty much the same for me.

Good riddance though, how many people have died because of religion? Don't take that as a serious question though because billions die for religion.

 

I think religion will always need and deserve a place in society. I don't see the point in abandoning a psychological coping mechanism for the sake of abandoning it. I do think violent religions should be dealt with more harshly, however.

 

I cannot agree more. Some people in this forum treat religion like it is some simplistic practice. I think that as long as religion adapts to the times, it has significance. I believe that the true purpose of religion is to create a levelheaded society.

 

I think that as long as mankind exists, so will religion. I do not think that religion will ever go away. People might say in the future that they don't believe in religion, but I guaruntee that there will always be someone who will still practice a religion. Even if it was made a law not to have a religion. People will still do it. Kind of like illegal drugs, were not aloud to use them, but people still do

 

I doubt that religion will be common in the future. Although it will always exist (some people still believe in a flat earth), it will certainly be much less common. Atheism rates have been growing every year and there is no reason why they will stop.
I think the number of new atheists each year is actually going to increase as atheism becomes more common (and therefore less hated). Also, as we advance even more scientifically we will need religion [as a crutch] less and less, which will make it even less appealing to potential converts.

 

1. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "don't worry, he's/she's in a better place now.." I've never heard "Don't worry, his/her body is decomposing now"
2. Atheists are the most mistrusted minority group. (Followed by Gays and then Muslims, I believe)

 

Hmm, let me just present a thought. When I was an atheist, people really didn't care about my religion or worry about it at all. However when I decided to be a Christian people started talking to me asking why I did it and telling me how stupid it is, how illogical it is and how science > religion. Just another thought from the book I believe in (you can take it with a grain of salt for all I care): "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be hated"—2 Timothy 3:12

Oh, and I thought we were referring to religion, not gays...?

 

Obama's a muslim. He's president. Woot woot.

Oh, I've got plenty now. I just wish they were a bit smarter.

 

Im pretty sre when we find new sophisticated life on another planet, they will haver religion(s). The fact is religion will always be with society.

 

I don't really get what you're saying here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZu45ybOR0g

I don't make his Christian pastor a big deal. In fact, I've heard of his pastor, all I heard was that his pastor had messed up morals.

 

Religion, in my eyes at least, is just a mechanism for humans to feel less insignificant than they really are, that their actions leave a lasting imprint in the world, that they are part of a larger order rather than just an isolated event. Very few people are willing to, and probably will ever be willing to, accept and believe that there is nothing after death, unless there is. But if there really isn't anything, that just isn't acceptable to most people. Religion serves to fill that void, isolation and insignificance, with a larger world, and grander scheme of things for people to believe they take part in, and will continue to take part in, even after this life. The fear of death will never disappear, for it is an innate characteristic of all of us. And as such, a religion ill never disappear either.

Excuse my words; I am presently unable to express my thoughts in as complete and flowing a manner as I understand them.

 

I totally agree, even if Science did prove that there was no life after death, people will still belive whatever they belived before I presume.​

 

Proof

Do you really think that this is proof of Obama being a Muslim or are you just being an irresponsible fear monger like Fox News or AM Radio. Obama has a long documented Christian background. If you seriously believe he is a secret Muslim you are more delusional than I originally thought. If you are using the clip as a joke you are still spreading something that causes people with IQ's on the lower end of the scale to think Obama is a traitor or even a terrorist. Quit fueling the fear and dividing the country. Grow up.

 

With all the green tea, feng shui, yoga mattresses, non-FDA approved vitamins and medicine... organic this, all-natural that... I hope we'll simply see people with good morality. People who treat others and all things with equal respect, and recognize that their existence is as meaningful and meaningless as all else.