What Is the Future of Religion?

[goodlife]

The resurgence of religion has been dramatic in the countries of the former Soviet Union. In Russia alone, 50 percent of the population now declare themselves to be Orthodox, and millions are adherents of other religions. Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism are among the long-established ones,

[plautus]

Is this a question?

[NOX]

The future of religion cannot be discerned accurately as religions come and go. Are you referring to all religions, specific ones alive and well today, religion across the ages? As for the former Soviet Union, freedom of religion there is quite a novelty and doubtless will soon enough wear off.

[modeller]

Religion in Russia is the only safe way of showing some opposition to the state. Similarly in China.
It is also used by the state as another method of exercising power. Both sides know this but it keeps the peace and gives highly paid jobs to those at the top. It was the way Europe was run up to the Reformation and 1805 when the Holy Roman Empire finally collapsed.

[wildwood]

The future of religion is doomed. As we become more educated and realistic, the evolutionary proof will become more accepted. Destructive religions will be limited to their origins, where it should be for the few fanatics of cults.

[naomi24]

//Is this a question?//

//What Is the Future of Religion?// seems a clear enough question to me.

My answer - it will die a lingering death.

[goodlife]

// it will die a lingering death//

True, so the question is, do you, who live in this world want to go down with them? Certainly if we do not want this to happen, we shall have to get out from any place of shelter and refuge under that doomed organisation.

Because when people turn away from God and true worship as outlined in his Word the Bible, such ones inescapably turn to the worship of something else. Due to man’s inborn nature he will worship or look up to something else as superior. It may be atheism, the worship of a national leader, or it may be the debasing worship of animals or inanimate things. Since idol gods are inanimate and know nothing and the greatest of men are only flesh-and-blood mortals like their worshipers, to whom then is their worship directed?

[naomi24]

Goodlife, //True, so the question is, do you, who live in this world want to go down with them?//

You just don’t get it, do you Goodlife? You seem to think you’re worrying us, but you’re not. I don’t WANT to stay around with people who think that this, coming from their God, is praiseworthy.

//I also, for my part, shall laugh at YOUR own disaster, I shall mock when what YOU dread comes,//

They’re not my kind of people. I have more self-respect and rather more compassion for my fellow man than either you or your God appear to have. I despise sycophancy, so I’ll be happy to die with the strong – and leave the trembling feeble-minded to their much awaited world of eternal servitude and fawning.

//Due to man’s inborn nature he will worship or look up to something else as superior. It may be atheism,….//

Not necessarily true. I don’t worship anything or anyone – and atheism is not a creed, or a religion, or a sect, or even a principle. It equates to an absence of belief in any deity – and that is all it equates to.

[keyplus90]

The future is bright..........................

[keyplus90]

/////It equates to an absence of belief in any deity////

No belief itself is a belief. But then again it is common sense and few people don't have it.

[vulcan]

So, is it I believe I don't believe or I don't believe I believe?

[Le Chat]

As long as people need rules and regulations to determine how they act and think, then there will always be a religion or religons of some kind....and as long as people actually die then religion will continue, as to think of being 'nothing' or not existing ever again, at any time is too much for some to bear.

[ludwig]

I think it will always be there in some form, like violence. It's part of human nature. Hopefully it will become less organised and more personal, so that it's ability to cause suffering on a mass scale will diminish.

[andy-hughes]

goodlife - let's cut to the chase shall we?

instead of all the usual respondants answering your Question with their own personal, reasoned views intelligently expressed - why not save them sone time, pretend they did, ignore them, and then say what you think which will be a Serious Christian viewpoint.

You get to feel good about your faith, we all get to save some valuable time - works all round.

Let's try that shall we?

[goodlife]

The Encyclopedia of Religion says that almost all known religions have certain beliefs that, while differing in detail, are surprisingly similar. For example, they believe that mankind fell from an original position of divine favor, that death is unnatural, and that sacrifice is necessary to regain divine favor. This is strong circumstantial evidence indicating that all of today’s religions had a common origin.

So the gaining of knowledge about religion’s past is vital because there basically are only two kinds of religion—one acceptable to mankind’s Creator and the other clearly unacceptable. Logically, then, if a person is to have the Creator’s approval, he must share His views on religion. Do not forget that all of us are involved because “man is by his constitution a religious animal.

[andy-hughes]

I rest my case!!!

[mibn2cweus]

Question Author
The Encyclopedia of Religion says that almost all known religions have certain beliefs that, while differing in detail, are surprisingly similar. For example, they believe that mankind fell from an original position of divine favor, that death is unnatural, and that sacrifice is necessary to regain divine favor. This is strong circumstantial evidence indicating that all of today’s religions had a common origin.

So the gaining of knowledge about religion’s past is vital because there basically are only two kinds of religion—one acceptable to mankind’s Creator and the other clearly unacceptable. Logically, then, if a person is to have the Creator’s approval, he must share His views on religion. Do not forget that all of us are involved because “man is by his constitution a religious animal.
13:00 Thu 15th Nov 2012

Meanwhile, some of us have advanced beyond volcano worshipping to embrace the next logical step in our evolutional development . . . becoming rational animals.

[goodlife]

//You seem to think you’re worrying us, but you’re not. I don’t WANT to stay around with people who think that this, coming from their God, is praiseworthy.//


Naomi@ Jesus was not saying that we should act as if our problem did not exist. However, worrying about what might happen tomorrow will only add to the emotional load of today. Frankly, you have little power over what may develop tomorrow, good or bad. But we can take measures to deal with the present.( Matthew 6:34)

[andy-hughes]

I've taken my measures to 'deal with the present' - I continue with my suggestion that attempting to engage goodlife in anything approaching an exchange of views is a pointless exercise.

goodlife possesses the hallmark of all serious Christains - the belief that he has something we need, he is bright enough to see that - we are not.

Thhis thread will spin out as I have predicted because goodlife possessess the other hallmark of a serious Christian - the unshakeable belief that only he is right, so argument is futile.

[LazyGun]

Engaging with goodlife is less to do with attempting to change their mind - evidence suggests that is unlikely- it has more to do with offering an alternative and rational discourse for those people reading the thread, that may or may not be contributors.

It also serves to hone debating/ discussion techniques and knowledge that can be applied elsewhere.

So there is every reason to refute, rebut, mock, ridicule these single track, evangelising threads started by our resident religious zealots, especially when they come from ludicrous sub-sets of the major religions.

[andy-hughes]

LazyGun - it's your world, we merely live in it!

If i thought that goodlife would read your post with the amusment and admiration that I did, it would be a good day indeed!

Suffice that all other posters who involved themselves in his previous tediumfests will proceed with that knowledge in mind - myself included!