A Fascinating Video about the current ATHEIST MOVEMENT

[blue_cristal]

You can watch it here:

 

[ydoaPs]

The idea of a movement against religion is ridiculous and doomed to fail, imo. This video is full of hate. It is some fool lashing out at some imaginary foe named religion bent of taking over the world. It just re-enforces the public's misconceptions about atheism and adds to the social stigma associated with the word. If atheists want a movement, it should be a movement for their rights, not against religion. Things like getting the Texas constitution amended such that atheists are able to run for office should be part of this movement, not attacking people for being religious. Then again, we don't need an atheist movement; we need a human movement. You don't have to be an atheist to see that religion and government need to be separate. You don't have to be a homosexual to see that love between two people is between them and none of your business. You don't have to be a minority to see that all races are people. We need to stop bickering among groups and start coming together as one group of people. We don't need to fight for the rights of this group or that; we need to fight for the rights of all people.

 

Well, that's my thought on the subject, anyway.

[ecoli]

pursuing an anti-dogma philosophy by setting up a dogmatic movement. Gotta love the crunchy irony.

 

Atheism should be considered a movement, but the lack of one... right?

 

This type of thing just polarizes people more. I think atheists would be better suited (if they actually want to bring the end to organized religion) to just let it fizzle out.

[ydoaPs]

This type of thing just polarizes people more. I think atheists would be better suited (if they actually want to bring the end to organized religion) to just let it fizzle out.

The thing is, you can't group atheists together as a group based on their common wants and beliefs because they don't necessarily have any! The only thing that groups atheists is the lack of the belief in the existence of any deities. It is people like the person in the video that add to the social stigma associated with the word "atheist" that leads people to use the word "agnostic" as though it were some sort of middle ground between having a belief in the existence of one or more deities and lacking said belief. This social stigma also causes many atheists to hide their lack of theism.

[ghstofmaxwll]

This type of thing just polarizes people more. I think atheists would be better suited (if they actually want to bring the end to organized religion) to just let it fizzle out.

When In the 21st century, only 10% of the worlds population are atheist, what makes you think religion will just fizzle out?

[ydoaPs]

When In the 21st century, only 10% of the worlds population are atheist, what makes you think religion will just fizzle out?

If current trends continue, then it very well might(at least in America). The basis for the book UnChristian is that more and more of America's teens are rejecting Christianity. My old minister was fond of saying America's churches are aging. From what I've seen, he was right. Churches are mostly retaining their older followers, but losing the young ones. Christianity could literally die out eventually.

 

The last statistics I saw said atheists make up 14% of Americans and that number is growing. The social stigma that is still associated with the word(and people like the author of this video don't help) cause many people to use other labels or hide their lack of theism entirely, so the actual number is most likely quite greater. I don't know much about the numbers in Europe, but, IIRC, USA is far more religious than Europe.

[ecoli]

When In the 21st century, only 10% of the worlds population are atheist, what makes you think religion will just fizzle out?

Because people are lazy and organized religion requires involvement to survive.

 

in places where there is economic prosperity amoung social groups religions tend to lack members.

 

If current trends continue, then it very well might(at least in America). The basis for the book UnChristian is that more and more of America's teens are rejecting Christianity. My old minister was fond of saying America's churches are aging. From what I've seen, he was right. Churches are mostly retaining their older followers, but losing the young ones. Christianity could literally die out eventually.

 

The last statistics I saw said atheists make up 14% of Americans and that number is growing. The social stigma that is still associated with the word(and people like the author of this video don't help) cause many people to use other labels or hide their lack of theism entirely, so the actual number is most likely quite greater. I don't know much about the numbers in Europe, but, IIRC, USA is far more religious than Europe.

 

and I wonder how many, esp. young people, just label themselves as there parents religion, but don't currently and have no plans to actively participate in their church, or just don't believe in a deity outright.

 

I think a good number of my friends fall under that category.

[Phi for All]

Fascinating?! Not by a long shot. Extremism and hate should have no place in any progressive movement.

 

Unless you're the KKK or something.

[ghstofmaxwll]

Well America wouldn't really have highest percentage of creationists. Actually according to the encyclopedia britannica, the worlds non proponents of religion are far less 14% and even 10%.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religions

[ydoaPs]

ghstofmaxwll, from their numbers, I've come up with at least 20.14% worldwide atheists.

 

Keep in mind the term "atheist" means merely that one lacks a belief in any deities. It is just the lack of theism. Someone asks you if you believe in the existence of one or more deities. If you answer "yes", then you are a theist. If you don't answer "yes", you are an atheist.

Summing up the "Irreligious", "Atheist", and "Buddhist" gives 21.14%. I don't know how many other religions lack a deity, so I can't add any more.

[ghstofmaxwll]

Keep in mind that even 79% is a majority! Keep in mind that this is post scientific revolution! Keep in mind that this backs up many psychologists conclusions that religion is in-built in the human brain!

[ydoaPs]

What's wrong with letting the religious people be religious?

[ghstofmaxwll]

Nothing.

[ecoli]

Nothing.

than what's your point?

[ghstofmaxwll]

than what's your point?

My point is that I dont think religion will "just fizzle out". My point is I think religion is an evolved predisposition. My point is I think religion is here to stay - like it or not.

[CDarwin]

Summing up the "Irreligious", "Atheist", and "Buddhist" gives 21.14%. I don't know how many other religions lack a deity, so I can't add any more.

 

Those are some pretty dangerous statistics. Irreligious says nothing about belief in one or more deities, and most Buddhists are theists. Buddhism isn't focused on a deity as the redeemer, such as in Christianity, but Buddhist theology does incorporate deities as a possible receptacle for reincarnation from a good life, but inferior to the Buddhas who break the chain of Nirvana and transcend.

[ydoaPs]

Those are some pretty dangerous statistics. Irreligious says nothing about belief in one or more deities, and most Buddhists are theists. Buddhism isn't focused on a deity as the redeemer, such as in Christianity, but Buddhist theology does incorporate deities as a possible receptacle for reincarnation from a good life, but inferior to the Buddhas who break the chain of Nirvana and transcend.

According to the site linked, irreligious DOES mean lack of belief in one or more deities. I've never seen any deities in Buddhist texts, but I haven't read all of them yet, either. Buddhist was ~5%, so subtract that from my estimate.

[Mr Skeptic]

For some people atheism is their religion. Just like, for some people, not collecting stamps yet spending much of their time mocking stamp collectors, is a hobby.

[CDarwin]

According to the site linked, irreligious DOES mean lack of belief in one or more deities. I've never seen any deities in Buddhist texts, but I haven't read all of them yet, either. Buddhist was ~5%, so subtract that from my estimate.

 

Now there have got to be more Buddhists in the world than that... Seems a little fishy to me. It's the dominant religion in Japan, Korea, Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and (unofficially) China. That's got to amount to more than 5% of the world's population.

[ydoaPs]

Now there have got to be more Buddhists in the world than that... Seems a little fishy to me.

 

Feel free to go dig up a better source of statistics. I, however, don't feel as though it is completely relevant to the topic at hand.

[CDarwin]

Feel free to go dig up a better source of statistics. I, however, don't feel as though it is completely relevant to the topic at hand.

 

True.

[ecoli]

According to the site linked, irreligious DOES mean lack of belief in one or more deities.

 

which seems odd that they'd separate it from atheism. But it doesn't really matter, I guess.

[ydoaPs]

blue_cristal, what, may I ask, is it about this video that you found fascinating?

[blue_cristal]

blue_cristal, what, may I ask, is it about this video that you found fascinating?

 

His insight that the three monotheistic religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism are DEATH CULTS because their belief systems strongly devaluate and degrade life as mere "sinful and unworthy" phase destined merely to test followers’ total obedience and blind faith to a supernatural dictator.

 

The consequence of this dangerous mindset is that their followers frequently even desire death as a mean to reach the “heaven” quickly.

 

They even long for the realization of the biblical apocalyptic "prophecy" that says that humanity is meant to be wiped out.

 

Can you imagine if one of these groups of sinister mad fanatics put their hands in nuclear weapons or other powerful means of mass destruction ?

 

They would like to materialize their self-fullfilling prophecy.

[ydoaPs]

Can you imagine if one of these groups of sinister mad fanatics put their hands in nuclear weapons or other powerful means of mass destruction ?

You know Bush has the launch codes, right?