Is religion losing it's grip?

[karadan]

If i were to stand on a street corner in the UK (where i live) and promote Atheism, i may get a few odd stares from people (not because they disagree with me, but because the great British public don't like to make a scene) but i would not be shouted down by a religious person. I certainly wouldn't be executed for it.

If i were to have done this 100 years ago, i'd probably be arrested for public order offenses. I'd spend some time in jail, for sure.

Go back 300 years and if i were to do the same thing, i'd be killed. Pure and simple. I'd be dragged off to prison for blasphemy, i'd get a very quick trial and then i'd be hung.

With all the awful things happening in the world today, there is one thing which lifts my heart. The fact that i think religion, as a tool of oppression, is becoming outdated and will soon become obsilete. No mater how many times they try to modernise religion, it will still slip from their grasp like sand in a breeze. This is now a modern world becoming even more modern. Sure, there are the fanatics. The people who'd rather die than entertain the notion that their god doesn't exist. But atheists, free thinkers, realists, humanists and all other educated forward thinking humans are growing in their numbers. Like Richard Dawkins said: There is a correlation between intelligence and religious belief - the more religious you are, the less intelligent you shall be. Surely through natural selection, this should work in our favour

Religion is doomed. We are in for a fight, but ultimately we will win. Just wait until we find life on Europa. That will be the final nail in the coffin for all forms of religion.

[pjkeeley]

Christianity is losing it's grip, sure. But what about Islam? The world's largest religion, and how much has changed since the 7th Century? In many countries in the world today Islam is as strict and pervasive now as it was then. The things you mentioned still take place. I'm not sure I share your optimism I'm afraid.  

[karadan]

I should have elaborated. I was talking more about religion in the western world.

To be honest, if the west stays out of Islamic countries, we will see a lot less Terrorism from those countries. Radically insane as they are, I'm sure they just want a quiet corner of the world to live and pray in. I don't truly believe moderate Islamic people want to see the west indoctrinated into their fold. I believe that to be the will of the extremists. I just don't think it would be possible for them to rise up and take over the western world.

So, whilst they are wasting their time praying to Allah, The west will be systematically deconstructing religion whilst inventing the means for the human race to spread it's wings into space, or at least overcome the socio-political and environmental problems we currently face.

With that in mind, it will become apparent to many Islamic states  that they are doing many things wrong. For instance, the US develops the ability to build permanent bases on the moon. They then harness the raw materials to create a staging post for Mars plus the ability to mine from asteroids. This is something the current oil rich Islamic states will want a piece of - they know the oil will not last forever. The radicalists of course will want nothing to do with space as that would be seen as an affront to Islam. They will in-turn be quashed by their own states - not through intervention from the west.

I think Islam is as inhernatly doomed as any other religion, they are just a few hundred years behind in the progression stakes.

Obviously much of the above is wishful thinking but i can't see how Islam can sustain itself without radical alteration or complete obliteration.

There is also the outside context problem... A single event - unpredictable by any standard - which changes the world. I'm not talking anything like 9/11 here, i'm talking about evidence of some description which categorically proves the non-existence of god. Lets say, finding a transmition of alien intelligence, or finding an alien artifact on the moon etc. This is something that cannot be predicted but if actually happened would kill off 95% of religion in a heartbeat. The religious would either accept their mistaken belief in a higher being or just kill themselves.

Either is good enough for me, to be honest.

[rlrose328]

While the examples you give in your initial post (standing on the street corner preaching non-belief) are accurate, I do not see religion losing its grip, at least not around me and not in the US.  The vocal majority are evangelical or fundie Christian.  A week ago Sunday, there was a forum with the two Democrat candidates held for the express purpose of religious discourse.  We've never had that here before.  Why is it such an issue?  Because they NEED the religious vote in order to win.  That has never been the focus of an election before... if religion is losing its grip, why is it an issue now?

I'll tell you why... because the religious have this country by the short and curlies... it has people running in fear of offending them.  

TV shows are fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for showing a naked backside or a nipple-shield covered breast.  Why?  Because it offends the religious.  

Movie studios don't want to make R-rated movies anymore.  Why?  Because the religious won't see it and they are a majority.  

More and more states are passing laws and/or changing their state constitutions to ban gay marriage.  Why?  Because it is "against god's word" for two men or two women to marry.  If this is a secular state, tell me one good reason, that is NOT based on religion, why gays cannot marry.  Not possible.

More and more people are asking for "Intelligent Design" to be taught in schools "as an alternative to Evolution."  Why?  Because they feel threatened by facts that contradict their bible.  (My son goes to a small charter school... K-5, one class of each, 118 kids total this year.  The principal has had no fewer than 30 parents ask if ID will be taught in the middle school grades when they start.)  Any thinking person will tell you that creationism (even dressed up in fancy ID clothing) is NOT an alternative to Evolution... they like to have their own truth, but they cannot have their own FACTS.

I'm not mad... really, I'm not.  I'm just fed up with those who wield the "tool of oppression" being more vocal and thus, more important than me because they have god on their side (and god's candidate in the White House).  I know the Christians see themselves as persecuted (because Jesus and god said they would be) but they don't know from persecuted.  

My son's school rents classrooms from a church.  They are practicing their school play in the sanctuary (because it has a stage) and behind the pulpit, there are huge signs reading "God Gave His Son" and "To Die For Your Sins."  I cannot ask that it be removed.  When I did, I was told by one of the Christian moms, "if you don't like it here at this school, you're welcome to go somewhere else."  I told her, "There are two religious private schools in this town... if you want a religious education, why don't you go there?"  Because she'd have to pay to go there and this is technically a public school, so she can insist on a religious education at the taxpayer's expense.  I won't have it.  I insisted they cover the bulletin boards in the classrooms (also the sunday school rooms) and in the lunchroom (the social hall) because they all had bible quotes and other religious stuff on them.  THis is the third year... they finally covered the bulletin board in the lunchroom two weeks ago after I said I was going to call the district.  Unfortunately, I can't do anything about the 9 foot wooden cross mounted permanently above the bulletin board.

I don't see religion losing its grip.  The more we insist on talking about our secular issues in the public square, the tighter their grip will be on our lives.