Young people’s belief in God drops sharply: poll

You who don't see the connection in the video I posted maybe aren't as old as I am, I absolutely think these children are a product and reflection of our societies demise.

Thank you for your replies. Gives me a lot to think about.

I have gone to a non denominational Church of Christ my entire life. They follow the Gospels and I have been taught by them.

Draco was right though, it's not the church i am questioning. It is God that I am questioning. Everything from existence to motive.
I keep running up against the argument that satan is in the world putting these ideas into my head, making me question God. I don't know what to do with that.

The guilt truly is overwhelming at times.

Again, I am going back to reread the replies. Thank you.

Originally posted by reclaimed
once you reach around the age of maybe 6 to 10 you realize santa claus isnt real
it amazes shocks and saddens me that in this age so many people believe in a god
do the god lovers not realise how utterly stupid they sound
when will humans be free of this man made religious madness

edit on 15-6-2012 by reclaimed because: (no reason given)

It's tragic that you can't see that the only ones in this world who are giving up the God of the forefathers are the descendants of Christians ...or that it sets off no alarm bells in your head and heart. The One True God, The Creator. The God of Salvation. The only God that Satan works furiously to remove from remembrance from the Earth. The only God that supposed "extraterrestrials" go out of their way to deny. The only God that American television blasphemies on a nightly basis. The only God who proclaims Himself to be the Most High, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The only God that died for us. The ONE AND ONLY God that freely saves. Allah certainly isn't touched, nor Buddha, nor occultism, nor paganism, nor any other faith. Just one, Christ Jesus. Shame that you can't add it up, truly. Sorrowful that you will find yourself in that last generation that sees the terrifying satanic reality come to life as he leads you to fight Jesus. Right now you are extolling man and your pride, soon the shock of your life is coming as you watch madness descend all around you. Think some men can be wicked today? Wait until all hearts are continually evil. We are not far off - now add a generation of godless children as they come to age. A generation that has already been raised to disrespect elders, disrespect babies, disrespect marriage and family, disrespect everyone and everything BUT THEMSELVES. Oh yes, and also raised on the most graphic bloodshed and violence sold as "fun and games". Yes, truly, it will be sadistic. The fruits are already there in our society to see, but yet, without God's truth, you can't recognise them as rotten.

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
You who don't see the connection in the video I posted maybe aren't as old as I am, I absolutely think these children are a product and reflection of our societies demise.

I don't know that I entirely agree, or disagree with your assessment. What was shown in that video was a classic example of adolescent bullying in a pack environment. It is merely the modern reflection of a physiological and sociological phenomenon that has been with us since the formation of the first communities. At 36yo, I'm not a young man, nor am I an old one. As much as I don't like to admit it, those kids, and that scene could have been taken from my own middle-school bus, and I could have been one of those little monsters attacking that women so viscously. It doesn't make it right, but it's the truth. We are not the same people at 14yo as we are when we're 30yo. Middle-school and high-school are a time of rapid transformation of mind, body, and subjective reality. As someone who, in middle school, wasn't at the top of the social pecking order (nor at the bottom), I can recall seizing every opportunity I could to show off and obtain the social validation from the "cool kids" I thought was so important. These kids are no different. I suspect a time will come in their lives when they look back at this shameful incident with pain and regret, as I have many times for my past indiscretions. It's all part of being human.

if you honestly think this whole thing called life is left to evolution, answer this ,, why has nothing evolved to challenge mans leading roll here on earth,, there is no history of any challenge from anything. you could say a virus has killed many, but if that is it's peak as far as evolving, it seems to me evolution has fizzled out then...

Originally posted by WhoKnows100
It's tragic that you can't see that the only ones in this world who are giving up the God of the forefathers are the descendants of Christians ...or that it sets off no alarm bells in your head and heart. The One True God, The Creator. The God of Salvation. The only God that Satan works furiously to remove from remembrance from the Earth. The only God that supposed "extraterrestrials" go out of their way to deny. The only God that American television blasphemies on a nightly basis. The only God who proclaims Himself to be the Most High, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

You have a BELIEF in the Bible and all its Gospels, but you have no PROOF. Again, you proceed to assume that you and your faith are "right", whereas every other faith, as well as non-faith, are "wrong". It is certainly your prerogative to maintain your own beliefs, but you are ignoring the very real FACT that your reality, an the dogmatic reality you live in, is not the same reality that other live in. It is, once again, Judea-Christian religious faith that has revealed the true arrogance and self-righteousness that is bred in the minds of its followers. Your incessant need to evangelize and preach of your righteousness only serves to betray the true narcissistic values indoctrinated into you by the faith and culture you were born into. It is NOT objective reality; it is your SUBJECTIVE reality. Do not waste your unwanted pity on those who choose to use dissenting views. You are in no position to offer pity to anyone. You are a creature of this Earth like the rest of us, and your (irrational) belief in a magic man in the sky doesn't give you the right to pity those who do not agree, or condemn those who find your religion to be nothing but absurdity and nonsense. No matter what you say, everything your life revolves around comes from a book written, re-written, translated, interpreted, and modified BY MAN. "It says so in the Bible" is not evidence of anything.

Originally posted by spiderpuppy
if you honestly think this whole thing called life is left to evolution, answer this ,, why has nothing evolved to challenge mans leading roll here on earth,, there is no history of any challenge from anything. you could say a virus has killed many, but if that is it's peak as far as evolving, it seems to me evolution has fizzled out then...

You obviously don't comprehend the overwhelming compendium of knowledge that forms the basis for Evolution. Denying evolution is like denying that the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Your supposition that, in order for evolution to be correct, something must evolve to overcome Man, is completely without merit. Every environment has a food-chain. A predictable and scientifically explainable premise that there is a top species, a bottom species, and many levels in between. It is this model that maintains homeostasis within the environment. Humans evolved into the "top dog" of our planet by the process of natural selection over millions of years. You can believe what you want, but irrefutable scientific evidence is there.

Having said that, evolution does not address the larger question of "where did it all come from?" This question (i.e. the existence of "God") will remain a mystery.

Originally posted by spiderpuppy
if you honestly think this whole thing called life is left to evolution, answer this ,, why has nothing evolved to challenge mans leading roll here on earth,, there is no history of any challenge from anything. you could say a virus has killed many, but if that is it's peak as far as evolving, it seems to me evolution has fizzled out then...

drug-resistant viruses

reply to post by Stormdancer777


Age has nothing to do with it. Adult politicians who claim Christianity do more harm than making a little ol' lady cry.

Like...y'know....murdering families overseas.

Originally posted by draco49

Originally posted by eksea3
Or maybe this poll is bs and faith in god is rising

Or maybe it's accurately reflecting the fact that the more educated a person is, the less he/she is to believe in God (at least in the sense that is preached by organized religion).

You say it's accurate, do you have any evidence to backup this correlation of yours?

I too find religion a total blight on humanity, but I'm almost convinced there is a god and afterlife. I'll give an example of one of the reason's why.

This women had terminal cancer which took eventually took her life. After she died she had one of the most incredible near-death experiences you'll ever hear about. She came back and her body - which was previously riddled with cancer - was completely healed.


And there are thousands upon thousands of people who've had similar experiences in the last few decades, as resuscitation techniques have improved. And PULEASE don 't spout off the "it's only a release of chemicals upon death" when many can describe ACCURATELY what was happening around them when they were clinically dead.

And if the women above is not qualified enough for you, listen to this pioneer of heart surgery - his story is incredible!


I just don't understand how people can reconcile their belief there is no god when huge amounts of spiritual experiences say otherwise!!!

reply to post by Internet Explorer


I really enjoy '___' too, but I didn't have to nearly die to do it. SHEESH.

Kidding about that, but really NDEs are more likely a product of endogenous release of '___' than "god did it"

Originally posted by Anonymous404
reply to post by Internet Explorer

 

I really enjoy '___' too, but I didn't have to nearly die to do it. SHEESH.

Kidding about that, but really NDEs are more likely a product of endogenous release of '___' than "god did it"

OK then, please explain how this enables them describe the environment and the actions of nurses and doctors when they were clinically dead.

Also, in the case of that women, how she is magically healed of a final-stage cancer and organ failure, oh wait, hell maybe that was the '___' too!

Originally posted by Internet Explorer
You say it's accurate, do you have any evidence to backup this correlation of yours?

Here are just two of many study results that have shown that the higher a person's IQ, the less likely he/she is to believe in God, and that atheism correlates to higher intelligence.
SOURCE 1
SOURCE 2

I too find religion a total blight on humanity, but I'm almost convinced there is a god and afterlife.

I'm with you on that. I have my own views on a supreme power (i.e. not an atheist), but they are my own and have no relationship with any sort of religious doctrines. In general, I abhor traditional religion (especially the Abrahamic faiths) because it is clear that whatever message of good might have been there, it is now long gone. These organized religions exist for one purpose, and that is to dictate social policy and control over the people. As Thomas Jefferson once said, "There would have never been an infidel had there never been a priest."

I personally believe that humans are an emergent expression of a universal consciousness; that we are spiritual, conscious entities having a human experience, and not the other way around. The concept of infinity and timelessness are difficult concepts for many people, but without claiming to know the specific answers to all the questions Christianity and its ilk purport to know, I can say I am quite certain our consciousness exists beyond this physical realm, beyond Earthly demise, and that we are spiritually eternal. I speak in vague terms precisely because I don't know the answers, and choose not to believe in some man-made framework to explain what is unknowable.

reply to post by Internet Explorer


The first one is probably a mix of knowing what it looked like in the room before he died as well as the endogenous '___'.

And the woman, probably a lie unless you have sources to cite for her story that don't include anecdotal evidence. Did she recieve NO treatment for her cancer at all? No chemo/radiation/modern medicine?

Originally posted by Anonymous404
reply to post by Internet Explorer

 

I really enjoy '___' too, but I didn't have to nearly die to do it. SHEESH.

Kidding about that, but really NDEs are more likely a product of endogenous release of '___' than "god did it"

As a long-time proponent of the use of psychedelics, specifically '___', to attain spiritual enlightenment, I understand your point of view. The mistake many people make, I think, is in thinking that the psychedelic experience and spiritualism are mutually exclusive; that a hallucinatory trip doesn't equate to a spiritual experience. On this point, I must vehemently disagree. Every intrepid experience I have with '___' (+40 at this point) has brought me to a more happy, connected, and cognizant awareness of the consciousness that is "me" in the scope of, what I call, the universal consciousness.

Clinically speaking, I have little doubt that the release of large amounts of endogenous '___' is the primary catalyst for the NDE, but it does not negate the spiritual aspect of it simple because it is a neuro-biological triggering mechanism.

reply to post by draco49


Right, but this is a capital G thread, not a spiritual enlightening one.

I'm not going to attempt to refute your claims, for I somewhat agree.

Originally posted by Anonymous404
reply to post by draco49

 

Right, but this is a capital G thread, not a spiritual enlightening one.

I'm not going to attempt to refute your claims, for I somewhat agree.

Fair enough. It's difficult to break-thru and come back with the belief that there's an end to anything...

Originally posted by Anonymous404
reply to post by draco49

 

Right, but this is a capital G thread, not a spiritual enlightening one.

What's a capital G thread?

Originally posted by windword

Originally posted by Anonymous404
reply to post by draco49

 

Right, but this is a capital G thread, not a spiritual enlightening one.

What's a capital G thread?

The Christian God, as opposed to gods by other names in which "god" doesn't have a capital g.

2nd line

reply to post by lifecitizen


Kudos to nixie_nox for pointing out the misleading nature of the thread title. Having once doubted the existence of a deity doesn't preclude a revived or even strengthened faith.

I feel religion in one form or another will always exist, though we may not call it such. For instance, in the absence of a formal religion, many will turn to political ideologies for meaning, purpose and moral direction. Unfortunately, some of the abstract and subjective beliefs that stabilize and enrich society (right/wrong, justice) are simple fairy tales, don't exist objectively, as they cannot be deduced or falsified empirically. They are products of the human imagination, useful fictions and nothing more.

True, one can make a reasonable case that spending a million dollars to feed and shelter the homeless is more "moral" than spending the money to build bombs, but this presumes one outcome is really more desirable than the other. Who decides this and how? What standard should be used? Science doesn't deal with SHOULD or OUGHT questions, these are outside its intended purpose and scope, and this reduces the decision to personal proclivities and emotional mind-states like sympathy, anger or disgust.

One can argue, as in evolutionary psychology, that cooperation rather than war and death can benefit the survival of the individual and the species, but this only argues that cooperation is USEFUL to reach a specific END, it doesn't demonstrate human survival to be good as a moral FACT, nor that morality is objectively REAL. Similar arguments can be made for religion and even distasteful things like cannibalism, infanticide, and rape. By a naturalistic standard all morals are equally arbitrary, whether "divinely inspired" or the product of secular contemplation. While many non-religious attribute their moral beliefs to "reason", it is actually the product of personal desires, cultural bias, an ultimately purposeless evolutionary process, and a good deal of faith. As self delusion clearly isn't limited to theists, I'm confident religion will survive well into the future, possibly in a guise we'd least expect.