Autism And Atheism

[Maggyie]

[quote name='Mr.Cat' timestamp='1316823115' post='2309066']
That is starting to change.
[/quote]

That's the interesting thing - living in Western society, exposed only to the Western point of view, one thinks atheism is on the rise, but in fact in most of the rest of the world, the human race has never been more religious. And the West (or more accurately, the North if we are going to talk in terms of hemispheres) makes up less and less a part of the whole. As Comte said, demography is destiny. We tend to think technology is destiny but history shows this is not the case. If the Global South is the future, the future is non-white, non-individualist and rather pious. It's going to be quite an adjustment for we Yankees I think, especially after a few generations of total dominance...

[Mr.Cat]

[quote name='Maggie' timestamp='1316837255' post='2309148']That's the interesting thing - living in Western society, exposed only to the Western point of view, one thinks atheism is on the rise, but in fact in most of the rest of the world, the human race has never been more religious. And the West (or more accurately, the North if we are going to talk in terms of hemispheres) makes up less and less a part of the whole. As Comte said, demography is destiny. We tend to think technology is destiny but history shows this is not the case. If the Global South is the future, the future is non-white, non-individualist and rather pious. It's going to be quite an adjustment for we Yankees I think, especially after a few generations of total dominance...[/quote]I don't know what planet you live on but the statistics/demographics/trends I am seeing are less dogmatism, less religiosity, and less theism all around. There seems to be a general abandonment of Christianity... which as a post-theist concerns me... because what is going to take it's place is a monumental issue and task.

When I speak to youth, except for the occasional religious youth, there is a belligerence to religion that I have never seen before. Some of the freshman at the college were some of the most openly non-religious people I have met... and I live in the bible belt. The sociology department is noticing too, they surveyed the student population and found that less than 50% identified with a religion at all and less than 5% felt they were religious. Similar studies are being shown around the world, such as in the United Kingdom where in their recent census they added the question if they were "religious" and a large majority of persons who identified with a religion did not consider themselves religious.

Honestly... in my transition away from a devote catholic the more normal and socially acceptable I found myself. There is a high discrimination against religious people... its focused at religious people in particular, not for people having a faith... and again I live in the bible belt... which is one of the most religious places in the United States. Religion overall is dying slowly...

Edited September 24, 2011 by Mr.Cat

[MithLuin]

Mr. Cat, no one denies that this is the trend in the US and Western Europe. Maggie was pointing out that it is otherwise in the southern hemisphere, and that population growth is much greater in the southern hemisphere than the northern.

Thus, in a few generations, we might see some significant cultural shifts as the south takes over the world, usurping the dominant northern culture.

'Might' is an important word in that sentance...

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye' timestamp='1316821013' post='2309050']
I tend to feel an athiest is an athiest because they haven't yet met the right christian whom will take the time and effort(even if it takes a year) to show them why faith works, and explain the ins and outs of christianity.
God bless you all
[/quote]


Of course, every person is an individual but there is a certain amount of truth in this statement - I think a good example makes a big difference. I was raised in a happy and loving agnostic house and felt no desire to 'join a religion' but I did have a strong sense of spirituality and was attracted at first to Buddhism and meditation, not because of any faith in God, but because of the concept of compassion and being loving towards others.

When I first heard of Mother Teresa of Calcutta though, I was so impressed at her living example of compassion and loving service, that I went to stay with her nuns and help them in their work. One day I asked them if I could join them and they told me that I had to become a Catholic first! (I was shocked - it had never occured to me that their love came from their faith). So I started religious instruction with their priest and was introduced to Christianity and the Church and began to learn.

So it was a combination of ignorance and lack of personal expsoure to 'real Christians' (as opposed to those who claim to be Christians but don't live in out) that kept me away from religion. So I do think that seeing and knowing living examples of Christ's love can make a big difference in converting someone. Didn't Blessed John Henry Newman say that he wouldn't convert to Catholicism unless he could meet a real saint - and then he met Dominic Barberi, the Passionist priest. Maybe most of us really want to see an example to show us the possibilities.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

I agree 100 percent nunsense, we must be a form of christ to all people god places before us, even when it hurts sometimes(and mind you i am most definately one of the poorest examples of this at present(upto 4 times a week thats like more than 50 percent ) but with the grace of god i am bearable hopefully). I say a form of christ and not as christ, for jesus states clearly that one can only hope to be like the master and not equal to or above the master.

God bless you all.
P.S. if you have only your learners liscence never let the devil convince you that the L iz for Looser and not learner, and god knows sometimes some of us fail even our learners liscence a few times before we get to drive.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

Also as far as i'm aware stats are often way off the mark, to get a proper stat one would have to census a whole nation, as far as i'm aware the faith is flourishing in spain despite all odds, masses are still packed there, to say that western european christiainty is in serious decline may be over generalising and the stats way off the mark.

God bless

[Socrates]

I'm generally not a fan of attempts to find biological or psychiatric for particular philosophies or belief systems. (Just look at all the nonsensical attempts on the left to try to prove that religious people or conservatives are somehow mentally deficient/inferior/ill.) I'm also not a huge fan of Mark Shea.

I don't know about autistic, but atheists sure seem to tend to be a whiny and petulant bunch.

[Socrates]

[quote name='Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye' timestamp='1316853627' post='2309202']
Also as far as i'm aware stats are often way off the mark, to get a proper stat one would have to census a whole nation, as far as i'm aware the faith is flourishing in spain despite all odds, masses are still packed there, to say that western european christiainty is in serious decline may be over generalising and the stats way off the mark.

God bless
[/quote]
I've heard quite differently. While Spain and Portugal remain largely nominally Catholic, most people there are now "cultural Catholics" who tend not to practice their Faith, and Spain now has among the world's lowest birthrates. The country is now dependent on immigrants, mostly from Muslim North Africa, to support its rapidly aging native population, and this is leading to tensions.

[MithLuin]

No, [b]TBDR[/b], even in Spain it's very challenging, though there is of course a vibrant Catholic culture there. I was just there for World Youth Day, and I agree with you, the Church in Spain is far from dying!! But there are problems (not least of which is the current gov't - very anti-Church). As an example of this, the president of Spain did not even meet the pope while he was there - the royal family had to see him off instead.

Edited September 24, 2011 by MithLuin

[Sarah147]

[quote name='MIkolbe' timestamp='1316742289' post='2308735']
the bulk of the voices (and many of the leaders such as Dawkins, Myers, and Coyne) do come across like people who seem singularly incapable of normal social and emotional interactions.[/quote]

Interesting. Could that also be pride and being so full of yourself?

Edited September 25, 2011 by JoyfulLife