no more religion

[claymore]

Will all the major religions eventually die out due to lack of interest and irrelevance ?

[123everton]

No

[Lonnie]

Taking into account the supersticious nature of mankind, its quite likely that if one of the major religions were to die out, other would rise to take its place.

But in the short term, same as 123everton. No.

[123everton]

Rabbis, Imams, Pastors, businesmen, gangters, generals, lieutenants, orators, activists, agitators, anarchists, politicians.
It matters not what you believe to be right, but how you choose to express it.
All sin is founded in reason, whether it be religious dogma, poilitical ideology, bigotted spitefulness or plain lunacy.
None of it justifies the suffering of others.

[beso]

No. In many parts of the world the prevailing religion is essentially compulsory.

In other places the children are indoctrinated with lies by their paarents who were indoctrinated by their parents. This happens before they are old enough to think for themselves, rendering them incapable of rational contemplation of the subject.

[bensmum]

There are many peole who need a belief in something. In the unlikely event of the major religions dying out then you would get others coming along to take their place. And probably a lot more loony cults too.

[123everton]

History teaches us that in the absence of religion you get politics.
It's just a different way of creating your heaven on Earth, Communism was (is) compulsory in China and Russia and it's satellites, National Socialism was compulsory in Germany, Fascism was compulsory in Italy.
Humanism appears to me to be an abject failure as a concept, atheists constantly say there is no ideology to atheism that's why Mao, Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot and Hitler are nothing to do with them. But humanism is to be taught in R.E in schools, it seems to me (in my humble opinion) that humanism found it's genesis in 1918 only to have it's apocolypse in 1939. It reinvented itself in the 1960s and the country's gone to rat sh1t ever since!
The world would be a very dull grey place without religion, think about it no Christmas, no Easter, no Hanukah, no time and a quarter on Sunday, no Diwali, no Ramadan, no Gospel music, no Dervishes (Kitchener would be pleased!), no Mardi Gras, no Dragon Boat races, no solstice, I could go on and on about the wonders and joys of the free expression of diverse belief.
But po faced atheists would disapprove, as it does'nt comply with their definition of free will...

[The Sherman]

and if you can show a religion that doesn't deal in politics then i might take that last statement a little more seriously

[keyplus90]

No I do not believe in this. I think as time goes by, most of the religions will integrate into one. With the information so easily available due to the internet, it is becoming very accessible while sitting in your attic. People are not dependant on Priest, Imams, Pundits, and Rabbis and have started learning about more than one religion at a time and that is giving more insight to the one looking for the truth. Although all the information available might not be reliable but even that is another reason that people have and are becoming more aware of right and wrong.

Even looking at the religious perspective (my faith so I am not forcing onto any one) that before the end of the world majority of the people will come together. Because of the wide spread knowledge the misconceptions will fade away.

[Lonnie]

Thats an interesting hypothesis by keyplus, but i'm afraid I can't agree.

We have 'supposedly', freedom of will, which mwans that there will always be someone who knows better, and has had a 'message from God'

Examples,

Judaism, how many different branches today are there?, where once there was just one.
Same with Christianity and Islam, and each and every one of them say that theirs is the right one.

lets just say that all the major religions did merge, i'd take a bet it wouldn't be that long before someone broke away and started their own version.

Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Mankind.

Fat Chance.

[Lonnie]

Apologies,
For mwans, read means.

[123everton]

If you can show me a government that does'nt deal in religion then I'll take you statement more seriously.
In a free vote, if your vote is determined partly or wholly by religion then that's your choice.
It is an unfortunate foible of a democracy that people who have reached the age of majority can vote any way they choose and for whatever reason.
Is it their fault that they got it "wrong"?

[keyplus90]

Lonnie- I am not an expert on any of the religions. I know religions were divided because of the experts. As I am Muslim then one thing I do know that Muslims are not that much divided. Two biggest you could think of are Shia & Sunnis. Being a Muslim I know that difference between them has nothing to do with the fundamentals of Islam. They all believe in the basic things. Difference between them is due to the personal likes of few followers of Muhammad (pbuh). Otherwise They believe in same God, Quran, Messenger, Angels and all the basics. As I always say that difference between Muslims and Christians is Trinity and belief in Muhammad (pbuh) as final messenger. To sort that difference someone has to just read their own scriptures and it is clear.

[beso]

Religions very rarely combine but rather break into factions.

Both Christians and Moslems started out as break aways from Judaism. Mohammed wasn't cold when the ****** and the Sunis split. Bahais and Zorastrians split off from the same lines.

Catholics and Protestants split. The Protestants have God knows how many flavours. Then there are the complete weirdos like the Mormons who are notionally Christian. The Branch Davidians are probably worthy of a mention.

Hindus have spawned the Krsnas among others. The Sikhs probably started out from this line.

People who want power have always made branches and they only recombine when the power base crumbles therough lack of followers.

[beso]

How about the Shi'ites then if it doesn't like ******

[keyplus90]

Are you trying to say that Muhammad (pbuh) did not like when Shia & Sunni Split?

[123everton]

The splits in religion are not unlike the splits in politics, Labour and Conservative differ (not as widely as they used to) but they both believe in the the fundamentals of democracy.
There are splits within all political parties right wing, left wing and centerist but they all believe in the fundamentals of that ideology, we're right back pretty much where I began "in the absence of religion you get politics" and another thing you would'nt have yoga without religion.
And to finish off if you were to get your atheist utopia what holidays would we celebrate? I can think of May day nothing else...

[123everton]

I'd vote for your seasonal festivities but there is just one fly in your ointment old boy, Valentine is a saint. So we all have to work in February, and our wives etc. will have to do without their choccies.
Great goal by Riise, maybe God's not a Koppite afterall!

[styley]

There's more non thinkers than thinkers so it won't die out. Most people don't think about what they believe or are told, just follow gormlessly.