The Worlds Departure From Organized Religion

Organized religion around the world is taking a massive hit. Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Etc Etc. The younger you are, the less likely you are to associate with an organized religion. I'm sure there are many reasons for this. Some of it good and some of it bad. Secularism and 'woke' are self absorbed ideologies that are like religions and they are growing. Then there is the fact that people are better connected to each other through technology and better educated so they don't buy into a lot of what organized religion tells them ... like that they are the only ones who are 'right' and everyone else is wrong and doomed to Hellfire. That kind of thing. Whatever the reason, organized religions are decreasing in attendance and less people are claiming to belong to them.


The Worlds Departure From Organized Religion

There's a global, fast-growing population of people without a religion. That's according to a new AP-NORC Poll.

Why it matters: Religion has long been a powerful force in society, touching politics, art and daily life. The rise of nonbelievers and people with no religious affiliation is diminishing its influence.

By the numbers: 3 in 10 U.S. adults said they had no religious affiliation.

About half of them identify as atheist or agnostic, and the other half say their religion is "nothing in particular."

The shift away from religion is even starker among younger adults, with 43% of 18- to 29-year-old Americans responding "none," when asked which religion they follow.

But fewer than 20% of U.S. adults over 60 are "nones."

The trend is gaining momentum across the world, AP reports from several countries:

In Japan, 70% of people in Japan say they have nonreligious feelings.

Nearly 80% of Italians say they're Catholic. But most view it as a tradition, with fewer than 20% attending services weekly.

Israel, a country with about 7 million Jews, is remarkably nonreligious: Just 33% said they practiced "traditional" religious worship. Conflict between secular and ultra-religious Israelis has grown in recent years.

Yes, but: Public rejection of religion is harder for nonbelievers in many other countries.

In India, which has a long history of nonreligious movements, most atheists keep quiet about religion.

In some areas, like northern Nigeria, it can even be risky and even dangerous to be publicly atheist or agnostic, AP notes.

The bottom line: Organized religion remains a key source of community for many Americans, with two-thirds of U.S. adults identifying as Christian, according to Pew Research Center.

As recently as the 1990s, that share was 90%.

Americas NonReligious Are Growing

The decades-long rise of the nones — a diverse, hard-to-summarize group — is one of the most talked about phenomena in U.S. religion. They are reshaping America's religious landscape as we know it.

In U.S. religion today, “the most important story without a shadow of a doubt is the unbelievable rise in the share of Americans who are nonreligious,” said Ryan Burge, a political science professor at Eastern Illinois University and author of “The Nones,” a book on the phenomenon.

The nones account for a large portion of Americans, as shown by the 30% of U.S. adults who claim no religious affiliation in a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Not bad in a way or another. While I am pro faith, I am contra religion. Many religions rule through fear of consequences if you do not 100% adhere to everything. It's tribalism with a turbo attached.

Just be decent people, no need to have a book to tell me how to do that. I still have faith in a higher power and I support one's choice to follow a human managed religion if they feel that is the right path for them.

Each to their own. What annoys a lot though is how everyone is claiming to be right and focusing on human written and heavy modified texts. Extreme religious people need to learn they are oppressive when they do that to others, a quality I do not like.

Badgering someone into a believe system is no difference than what the pro vaccine people did for me. Just leave people alone, no need to recruit me for their holy wars.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I think some of it may be down to countries having secular education systems. Also people are now exposed to a world of information via the internet.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Is Australia losing religion: The state of the church

In 1971, Christians represented 86.2% of the Australian population. In 2021, Christians were down to 43.9% of the population. The 2021 Census also show that identification with other religions besides Christianity has grown from 3.5% in 1996 to 10% of the population in 2021. So that means just over 54% of the Australian population say they adhere to religious belief system, so more than half of us. Yet the amount of people identifying as having no religion is also growing, from 6.7% in 1971 to 38.9% in 2021.

It is the "great apostasy"

The churches can no longer provider the answers people are seeking

The more they refuse to adapt and grow, the more the world outgrows them

When Australia hits a critical limit of more non-religious, than religious people. You will see the rest of the world quickly follow

The older generation who will not let go will die out. The next generation will end up considering modern religion to be no more than another form of misunderstood mythology

It is a necessary process, that this world has been through many times before

The difference this time, is that the world is connected in such a way, that it is very unlikely that a new version of religion will rise again in future, as it has every time it has been abandoned in the past

originally posted by: Compendium
it is very likely that a new version of religion will rise again in future,

It already has. Secular Humanism.

secular humanism - noun
- An outlook or philosophy that advocates human rather than religious values.
- Secularism.
- The doctrine emphasizing a person's capacity for self-realization through reason; rejects religion and the supernatural.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I'm quite serious in this reply:

You (and others) may want to seriously consider that your gods of the old books, often grossly misrepresented, are to be seen in other fashions as the beings of the current UFOs.

In short, your gods have returned as promised. That is not a new thought, of course, but if dispassionately examined, it can explain a lot of our history if one has the compulsion to follow it through. Even if you call the ETs devils and Satan, that reasoning follows.

originally posted by: Observer19
You (and others) may want to seriously consider that your gods of the old books, often grossly misrepresented, are to be seen in other fashions as the beings of the current UFOs.

Some of the Old Testament stories could easily have been UFOs and/or aliens. Like Eziekiels wheel within a wheel craft. And the stories about Nephlim - angels are spirits and therefore don't have procreative powers and couldn't possibly have children with human women - but ETs being flesh and blood could have. The Hindus have aliens as part of their religion. SO if disclosure ever happened they wouldn't freak out. They already believe it. Fundamentalist Christians WILL freak out when disclosure happens though.

Even if you call the ETs devils and Satan,

Not me. Demons are spirits that exist. ETs are flesh and blood creatures that exist. They are two different things. You are probably thinking of the fundamentalists who claim that ETs are demons and if you say the name of 'Jesus' to them they will disappear. Yeah ... I don't buy that for a second. Definitely two different things.

It's possible those polls are pushing a narrative.

it's always been this way. "The younger you are, the less likely you are to associate with an organized religion." They just left out the 2nd part, "The older you are, the more likely you are to associate with an organized religion."

Also, there are always demographic shifts and changes that influence the religious landscape. Some religious communities are growing, offsetting declines in others. Especially with immigration in the US, those people are usually more religious than most Americans... and they are coming in by the millions.

originally posted by: imitator
They just left out the 2nd part, "The older you are, the more likely you are to associate with an organized religion."

They said it .

The shift away from religion is even starker among younger adults, with 43% of 18- to 29-year-old Americans responding "none," when asked which religion they follow.

But fewer than 20% of U.S. adults over 60 are "nones."

originally posted by: Observer19
a reply to: FlyersFan

I'm quite serious in this reply:

You (and others) may want to seriously consider that your gods of the old books, often grossly misrepresented, are to be seen in other fashions as the beings of the current UFOs.

In short, your gods have returned as promised. That is not a new thought, of course, but if dispassionately examined, it can explain a lot of our history if one has the compulsion to follow it through. Even if you call the ETs devils and Satan, that reasoning follows.

Those are the Nephilim talked about in the Bible.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Then, as you say, "demons and spirits" are already with us, then new ones may ride in on the UFOs with a whole new agenda.
--Not that I support that view. I have experienced some of the magical, mind powers of the ETs and they obviously have "woo woo" powers enough (just as any god would). Rest assured the UFOs are more deeply serious to us then mere technological wonders or even our previous interactions in the past on a mere physical level. What's that old say? "We are bought and paid for...."

a reply to: FlyersFan

It does not surprise me at all, I grew up in a very religious family, as most Latinos are, my father was seventh day Adventist and my mother was Catholic, I have to attend both churches, and I hate it, even as a child I could never understood what in the hell was about Jesus and God, so when I had children I never forced religion on them of any kind.

As I grew up, I understood the symbolism of religion and became a skeptic, I believe in a higher power, but no one that needs to be worshiped with fancy churches and money, that is human thinking.

Now that is soo much information about alien visitations in earth for centuries I wonder how organize religion can survive much longer.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Institutionalized Christiendom has been on the decline since the European printing press became widely available.

The only reason why Islam was spared until rather recently is because of how intolerant the entire religion is towards criticism of any kind. But that form of intolerance is starting to get on everyone else's nerves. And that's shown on how even modern variations of institutionalized "control" aren't tolerated, people are starting to notice that centralized control to such an extent is not in the best interest of the individual.

The main thing that keeps religious ideas and such alive tho is quite simple, it has the human element removed, and it's how Christianity has survived, and it's how Islam avoided a true sort of global caliphate.

I don't really like to make predictions, but the future will be more human driven. A sort of back to us, humans, over taking nature and the planet in a new way, like when humans started to realize they were superior to any beast or animal and ritualized that dominance.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Sorry, that was supposed to say "unlikely". Not likely

Humanism is not a "religion". It is barely a philosophy

It is logic and reason, based on what is known, and what is unknown

The original key of Gnosticism. Which, regardless of what we are told, came BEFORE modern Christianity

"Secular humanism" is just a term used by religious and philosophical idealists, for people who cannot be made subject to their religious and philosophical ideologies, fear and control

No different to those obsessed with labelling gender, who name "normal" people as "CIS"

They are not "humanist", or "secular" anything. They are normal humans, of logic and reason, awakening to the flawed illusion of nominated belief and philosophy

Others demonise the age of reason, within the context and structure based within their own flawed beliefs and philosophy, which do not actually exist, or apply to those they are labelling "humanists"

For example, saying "they reject the spiritual and supernatural". When such are terms that are only used by people, such as themselves. Those who do not seek to, or want to, try understand such phenomena, concepts and what is behind them

Terms used by people to close the door to things strange, scary and unknown, as to firmly divide themselves from it

These terms do not really exist, to those with no fear of opening such doors, to try understand such things

They are terms which make no sense in the way the next generation "root race" thinks

There is only what IS understood. And what is YET TO BE understood

The philosophy will be based on reason, logic and what is knowable

The reason this is demonised and feared by religion, is because none will pretend to know, any of that which cannot be known. As is done within religion

Personal belief, will become nothing more than consideration of possibility. Within things yet to be known

This makes it impossible for groups to exist and control in any authority, based on deception and lies

And also in belief

Belief will need be justified in reason and logic

Till things unknown, become things known

Meaning religion will need to quantify and measure all of its claims, in ways which it cannot do

This is why they are slowly being abandoned at the moment

Telling people to stop asking the question, is not the same as answering it

And it is no longer considered good enough, for those in their assumed positions of authority on such things

All esoteric understanding will end up in the hands of the many

It is almost done

Religion is as good as dead

Which is a shame

They were given so many chances to adapt and become what was needed. But they were too afraid of losing their power and control

Which ironically, is the exact reason they will end up losing everything

a reply to: FlyersFan

Right, but the way data is collected and then interpreted are completely two different things. 😂

the issue I have with these takes is conflating legacy with established churches its like conflating the legacy and established media. the decline is in the legacy churches/media/parties as the smaller established media/churches/parties are breaking through into spaces we've not seen in numbers not seen in centuries..

take evangelism it is making huge strides, and its expected Africa will have 1.2bn evangelists by 2050.. the biggest inroads are in the global South, but these are not established or legacy churches but new missions.. another way of putting that is as few Anglicans by 2050 in uk and 1b plus in Africa.. the few in the uk will be the break away evangelists (currently 2m)

on the other side of that atheism is in decline for the first time since the 1970s.

like the legacy media legacy establishment the legacy religions are in a full retreat.. the uk has gone from near 40% atheist to touching 30% in less than a decade.. this figure is against a backdrop of increased migration from religious groups notably Christians from the ME, eastern Europe, north Africa and sub Saharan Africa, so the uk is getting more religious not less.. most of those are also small c conservatives. but with it comes the risk of rising sectarian tensions.

this is part of the framework I say we're in the midst of a new reformation in terms of moving away from the legacy churches, media and politics for the new, the left will lose if they are locked into thinking thinking these migrants will vote for them based on skin tone and that they are atheists like themselves as many are conservative Christian or other conservative faiths..

take Iran 20 years ago around 10k were Christian its now thought to be near 1m Christian evangelists in the country..

farsi gospel coalition..

evangelism takes many forms globally so American ideas of evangelicals is not the norm outside the us as most are just traditional Christians and small c conservatives, this is why a large number of Iranians crossing the channel are claiming asylum as Christians escaping persecution.. its one of those shifting dynamics no one sees for left/right or white culture wars.

Enforced religion breeds precisely what it most fears: rebellion against religion, cynicism about religion, skepticism about its claims, and, as a consequence, indifference at best or outright antipathy at worst.

a reply to: FlyersFan
The fallen Angel's that came down from mount Hermon and entered into a pact were by definition aliens. The scripture is clear. They left their first estate and came here. Their first estate is not at all like this universe. This universe is bent and groaning. It is destined for destruction.

This universe was spoken into existence. That's vibration. Isnt that like strings theory?

Maybe you can see this, maybe not. Look at this verse: Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that procedeth the mouth of God. Its continued vibration. Its happening now. You are being sustained, as are all beings on Earth.

It also describes when the words stop. When the vibrations stop, everything in the Universe melts in a fervent heat, then becomes nothing.

One last thing....... scripture has told us of a great falling away in the last days. True Christianity is not religion like before Yeshua. That's why he came. It's a personal relationship with your God, as was planned before the creation of this Universe

a reply to: redchad

And whenever religion is banned by the state, it seems people become more hungry for it.

a reply to: visitedbythem

Ive been reading your posts for a long time. You are among the people here on ATS I would love to sit down RL and have a long conversation with.

Keep posting! I appreciate your POV.