BBC: Will Religion Ever Disappear?

[joeactor]

Here's an interesting read from the BBC:
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141219-will-religion-ever-disappear

Atheism is on the rise around the world, so does that mean spirituality will soon be a thing of the past? Rachel Nuwer discovers that the answer is far from simple.

A growing number of people, millions worldwide, say they believe that life definitively ends at death ? that there is no God, no afterlife and no divine plan. And it?s an outlook that could be gaining momentum ? despite its lack of cheer. In some countries, openly acknowledged atheism has never been more popular.

?There?s absolutely more atheists around today than ever before, both in sheer numbers and as a percentage of humanity,? says Phil Zuckerman, a professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, and author of Living the Secular Life. According to a Gallup International survey of more than 50,000 people in 57 countries, the number of individuals claiming to be religious fell from 77% to 68% between 2005 and 2011, while those who self-identified as atheist rose by 3% ? bringing the world?s estimated proportion of adamant non-believers to 13%.

While atheists certainly are not the majority, could it be that these figures are a harbinger of things to come? Assuming global trends continue might religion someday disappear entirely?

[Tank]

I think there will be a hard core of believers for a long time to come. Belief in superstition is too closely bound into our behaviour to disappear entirely.

[Crow]

Nahhhhhh... You just have to look at societies that had precursor religions to the popular ones at the moment and see how they have become so embedded within societal norms and customs that even if the concept of god or the organisation of believing in such an idea totally disappears all the cultural concepts and practices will hang on, especially as we now have such a fantastic method of record keeping.

Now I will read the article.

[Icarus]

The BBC article is well worth reading. Many of us here, on HAF, are baffled by that which we see as absence of reason. The article is helpful toward our grudging understanding of why believers believe.

My ongoing problem is with the attitude and pronouncements of narrow minded  believers. They "honest to God" believe that we are the embodiment of evil. I am distressed by their unforgivably ignorant assessment.  I am speaking of the incredible US immersion in religious adherence. Glory be to Jesus and all that. My nation is large, rich, powerful, influential and largely brain dead. That belies the sensible analysis of the BBC article. I think that I will go to my room now.