When will religion die out or become irrelevant?

There seems to be a wide variety of religious views among degreeinfo members. So my question is: When will religion die out or become irrelevant?

 

I think god died in the West as as the Enlightment progressed. As a result here in Europe churches are emptier and emptier. Mosques are becoming more and more numerous,and more and more populated. Bernard Lewis, the famous Qur'an specialist said recently that by the turn of this century Europe will be "Islamized", a religion that, at least nominally, is terribly hostile to the "unfaithful".

Today I had the "opportunity" to see some of the most terrible pictures I have ever seen in my entire life: the pictures of some of the corpses of the train bombings in Madrid (Spain) earlier this year. I am overwhelmed, I just cannot believe that they did that to us in the name of a god. I am truly sickened, and disgusted.

So, Ian, I am sorry to break the news, but religion is here to stay. Probably you guys in the US are protected by having a President who understands the West has been declared a war, and by a real Army that takes action whe needed. Here in Europe, Eurabia according to others, we are in deep shi**t. I apologize in advance if I sounded Islamophobic, which is far from my intentions. If you had seen those pictures I think you'd understand.


Regards

 

I'm not religious but I voted "never". It exists in all cultures (as far as I know). I believe that religon is somehow linked to basic human thought patterns or I guess the religious explanation would be that there's some understanding that we're just blessed with.

There's some interesting things that have been learned about "human religious experience" from people that have abnormal physical conditions.

 

Too late I realized that I meant to say "Christian religion" because that was the topic of a survey I came across.

I agree with you on the pictures. I have seen pictures of the dead "Suicide" bombers in Israel (I hate the "suicide bomber " term -- I wish the media would use "murderer-bomber' or some such term)

I understand that in some European cities there are more mosques than churches.

 

JLV: My apologies for my past invective. We are on the same side.

 

I guess that my answer is similar to Bill Huffman's.

Religion is as close to a cultural universal at there is. It seems to exist in all known cultures at all points in time for which information exists.

Religion addresses needs. People want to feel that they are tuned in, that they understand the big picture. People need to believe that their universe makes sense, that it displays purpose, and that it responds to and replies with those qualities that humans value most, like love.

People want to believe that their own lives are significant and not accidental.

So I don't think that religion will ever dissappear. If it did, human beings would no longer be human.

But... religion might take a whole variety of new forms.

I'm fascinated by UFO cults. Pretty clearly angels, demons and supernatural visitors are being reconceptualized on the folk-religion level into pseudo-"scientific" terms.

In a way, the whole Western psychology complex kind of resembles "Eastern" paths. (Buddhism's four noble truths are partly a diagnosis and prescription for existential angst.) The idea is to make an inner readjustment of how we relate to our world.

Marxism was eminently Semitic. It located the problem out there in the world and prescribed a reordering of society and history as dramatic as the imposition of Islamic law.

Even science could be interpreted as a quasi-religion of a sort, this time Greek and gnostic. It certainly supplies us with an all-embracing cosmology. It gives us powers undreamed of by ancient magicians. It transforms the world around us.

But science only does those things by draining the world of its humanity. The order of being reflects mathematical precision, not intentional purpose. Life is a set of biochemical reactions, not the breath of the divine. Science speaks authoritatively, but its words are differential equations, not poetry.

What does the future hold?

1. Worldwide impact of science and technology and the associated rationalistic worldview. Religion will gradually come to terms, either by becoming pseudo-scientific or by taking some kind of apophatic "negative" theology approach that puts the divine beyond words and concepts. Religion will either pretend to be science or will separate itself entirely.

2. Globalization and religious diversity. The world is becoming a marketplace of faiths. So issues of religious choice and justification will move to the front of the agenda. I expect that pragmatic theories of religious truth ("whatever works") will gain favor and religious myths will be seen as cultural personas for something beyond them.

3. Growing individualism and personal autonomy will turn religion's focus away from the entire community. Religion will increasingly be a matter of personal transformation.

4. The standard of living in the Western world will probably decline dramatically. So there will be less emphasis on self-realization derived through careers and possessions. There will be a rise in dissatisfaction which will drive renewed religious interest.

 

• Asked by Ian Anderson:
  When will religion die out or become irrelevant?

We will have organized religion until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to take His church away. After He returns, there will be no more need for organized religion because we will have God with us.

 

I agree with "Me Again".

 

• Posted by Way
  I agree with "Me Again".

Awesome brother!!! We know who our Redeemer and King is!!! It will be so glorious when He returns to redeem (or cash out) His church!!! Wow!!!

What a day that will be for the whole planet!!!

 

I doubt that religion will ever die out but I do believe that Christianity will run it course due to the corruption of the various factions. I give it another 200 in modern culture.

 

I believe as long as humans have a conscience religion will never die.

 

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it."
Matthew 16:18 (NRSV)

 

"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands..."
1st Peter 3:1

 

Do you understand the context of this passage of Scripture in that it relates to Christian wives of non-Christian husbands?

 

I'm trying to figure out what 1 Peter 3:1 has to do with the continued existence of the Christian religion?

 

Yes, I believe so - that they should be submissive to their husbands even if they're heathens, in order that the heathens might see what a great religion they have. The heathen part seems conditional, though. The submission is a constant.

Someone's interests are served by passages such as this. I don't believe it's women.

 

If you are really trying, I congratulate you.

I have my doubts.

 

I think if a heathen (pagan) husband becomes a Christian then the Christian wife's interests are served.

 

The man's interests are served in either case.

 

dcv,
You're the one that posted the passage, not me. What relevance does it have to this discussion?

BLD