The Worlds Departure From Organized Religion

a reply to: FlyersFan

Secularism and 'woke' are self absorbed ideologies that are like religions and they are growing.

As far a secular philosophy goes, I'm a Liberal Democracy advocate. I really, really like free thought, speech, religion, non-authoritarian government with separation of powers.

Woke is the opposite of self absorbed. It is the recognition that other people have had very different life experiences. It is awareness of the other, as in, "they are not clones of me, raised in the same environment and conditions as me."

My religion might as well be fit in as "none" because there really aren't many animists around that I am aware of. The great "falling away" happened many thousands of years ago.

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As far as the age thing goes. People who grew up in the 50s, 60s, and early 70s didn't feel the need to broadcast their personal beliefs as much as following generations did. We could fit right in in any church without even believing any of it, just by keeping our mouths shut.

Nowadays everyone is expected to be vocal and take sides. I would say that partisanship is killing religion in the U.S. more than anything else.

One movement that exemplifies the “spiritual but not religious” ethos is the Twelve Step sobriety program, pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous and adopted by other recovery groups. Participants turn to a “power greater than ourselves” — the God of each person’s own understanding — but they don’t share any creed.

“If you look at the religions, they have been wracked by scandals, it doesn’t matter the denomination,” said the Rev. Jay Geisler, an Episcopal priest who is spiritual advisor at the Pittsburgh Recovery Center, an addiction treatment site.

In contrast, “there’s actually a spiritual revival in the basement of many of the churches,” where recovery groups often meet, he said.

For some, Geisler said, the God of their understanding is “GUS,” for Guy Up Stairs. Or “SAM,” for Sure Ain’t Me.

“Nobody’s fighting in those rooms, they’re not saying, ‘You’re wrong about God,’” Geisler said. The focus is on “how your life is changed.”
projects.apnews.com...

Addendum:
For you non-U.S. based readers. I know. I know that the World is bigger than the U.S. but I'm not in those other places.

I have little use for organized religion at this point in my life, I dont think religion is bad I just think religion lost its way.

Question to ponder has the rise of secular humanism helped give rise to the hedonism and narcissism that has begun to pervade society?

At least in my opinion society seems a lot sicker today than it did 40 years ago.

*shrugs* something to consider.

originally posted by: pthena
Woke is the opposite of self absorbed.

I disagree. But that's a topic for another thread. I don't want to get off topic.

originally posted by: Compendium
Humanism is not a "religion". It is barely a philosophy
It is logic and reason, based on what is known, and what is unknown

secular humanism - noun
- An outlook or philosophy that advocates human rather than religious values.
- Secularism.
- The doctrine emphasizing a person's capacity for self-realization through reason; rejects religion and the supernatural.

Instead of religion, secular humanism is becoming the way of life.
That is what is replacing main stream religions.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Fair enough. I just read some reference material on the word. I don't think I'll be using the word myself. But awareness is something I value.

I find organized religion to be an extension of god that man made in his image to control other men.

While I believe in God, this man made god is not that being that is the creator. Man says God wrote that book. No, man tells lies even about that man made book of god to suppress others and gain power.

Organized religion tries too hard to control man, but that is it's only job isn't it?

Believe as you will but trying to use force to spread it is the best way to turn people against what you believe. This also applies to politics.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Yes, you are half correct

But I'm telling you that what is "replacing" religion is not exactly what is described as secular humanism

The use of that particular double-negative term is nothing more than an attempt by religious interests to cheapen enlightenment, and the collective mindset of the dawning of an age of reason

What is happening is "enlightenment". Pure and simple

There is nothing "secular" about it. It does not "rejecting the supernatural". Is merely rejects archaic religious explanations for such things, which have no basis in fact, reason or logic

Enlightenment is nothing more than the understanding that there are things known and understood, and things that are yet to be known and understood

Things such as the supernatural are actually embraced within enlightenment. To a far greater degree than they are in religion, because enlightened minds do not fear things such as the unknown and death

As with the push for disclosure on things like aliens and UFO/UAP

They do not care what the answer is, only that it needs be sought

Religion refuses to seek such answers. Nor allow others to seek them

Because they are afraid

Enlightened minds need not be saved. They are not afraid to walk the dark paths alone

"Secular humanism" purports the abandonment of something important. When the reality is, that enlightenment seeks to find something of greater importance. Which would never have been found or understood by religion, without their help

Religion are the sheep

Enlightened are shepherds, testing the paths the sheep are to afraid to walk

a reply to: FlyersFan



I think it has a great deal to do with liberty and education. And that is a good thing as the combined wisdom of all Abrahamic religions boils down to one useful statement of fact:
'God made a contract with humans a long time ago'

At least in my opinion everything else is a nice story collection but utterly useless and misleading as even the newest episodes are far away from the living reality of our own time and/or circumstances and/or experiences.
I leave it to you to try the different combinations... lol they all work and at the same time don't

I mean how many people still live in a monarchy? Oh Lord! Doesn't have the same implications & connotations as it had in the middle ages and earlier.

It's sad really if you think about it: religion stopped doing what it was supposed to do: research the nature of God.
So peeps go out and do it on their own. The reason behind Protestantism, that's how long it is already going on.

And of course the globe got smaller through travelling and the internet etc. so we really have much more available inspiration. And there is some good stuff out there. I like the Tao. Hinduism has some fantastic stories and I mean the whole Yoga and Ayurveda stuff is pretty great.
You can find a lot that helps you expand your thinking and improve yourself to do your own research of what God could be.

Alas there comes a point when we actually will have to gather together what we actually have proven through experiment to be beneficial for the first steps, as sort of manual to speed up the process.
So far I think people just don't live log enough to make it to a potential break through because ...
well the path is splattered with traps and nasty stuff
fe: things you really want to believe
things that 'feel good' at first but are ultimately harmful to your development
lies
... a lot

so yeah eventually a new religion will arise and it will probably be a good enough recipe to go global
ebbs and flows
or the swinging pendulum
whatever picture you prefer

a reply to: FlyersFan

The shift away from religion is even starker among younger adults, with 43% of 18- to 29-year-old Americans responding "none," when asked which religion they follow.

But fewer than 20% of U.S. adults over 60 are "nones."

I think this also has to do with approaching death. As a whole, yes, the world is absolutely getting less religious. But some of those 'nones' may pick up a religion as they age, in order to make death more palatable.

As the saying goes, "There are no atheists in foxholes."

a reply to: beyondknowledge2

Organized religion tries too hard to control man

Yup should of seen the looks I got in a church when I said the closest I ever felt to god was sitting high up in the rockies looking at the continental divide with my dad sitting on a granite boulder eating lunch, on a perfectly clear fall day.

You would have thought I suggested sacrificing a child for a bountiful harvest.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I love Associated Press. I know some here don't but they really do top quality work, no one does it better.

That second link you put in that leads to the HUGE story/project AP did is amazing, thanks for that. When you get down to the bottom of the already long first page, there is a NEXT button, and that just starts taking you through each region. So much info.

Appreciate it.

a reply to: Mahogany

But some of those 'nones' may pick up a religion as they age, in order to make death more palatable.

"Different strokes for different folks", as the saying goes.

There was this lady I knew; spent her whole life going to church. She loved singing; quite frequent special music performer at church. As she was on her death bed, she called her children in close and admitted that she had zero belief in any life after death or resurrection at all, and never did.

But she fit right in at the church by not talking about her own belief.

a reply to: pthena

So it was more of a social thing for her. Cultural perhaps.

a reply to: Irishhaf

That sounds about right. If you look, that book even says to look to nature and animals for they are works of God and to be learned from as such. Many religion followers are afraid to actually look beyond what they are told the book says and actually look into it.

It sounds like you had a great experience at that mountain top.

a reply to: FlyersFan

So it was more of a social thing for her. Cultural perhaps.

Absolutely. It was her milieu. What she was comfortable with.
That's the value of organized religion.

But it's getting harder and harder for people like that to fit in. It's a crying shame.

I've heard preachers and even regular congregants call for "a pruning of the dead wood." Like they would be glad to kick her out if she had ever spoken up.

a reply to: pthena

how organized religion kills itself, basically?
Trying to keep the herd together through social pressure to conform, pushing more and more people out?

originally posted by: pthena
a reply to: Mahogany

But some of those 'nones' may pick up a religion as they age, in order to make death more palatable.

"Different strokes for different folks", as the saying goes.

There was this lady I knew; spent her whole life going to church. She loved singing; quite frequent special music performer at church. As she was on her death bed, she called her children in close and admitted that she had zero belief in any life after death or resurrection at all, and never did.

But she fit right in at the church by not talking about her own belief.

Very true, as the article also lists, many people say they are religious only to fit in because there is a stigma of being non-religious. One of the AP pages, Nigeria, talks about people who are not religious but have to say they are because they fear for their safety.

I'm an agnostic now, I just don't know what is out there, I don't believe in a deity without proof... but I also realize I have no idea what I'll believe in when I'm 130.

originally posted by: Mahogany
a reply to: FlyersFan

The shift away from religion is even starker among younger adults, with 43% of 18- to 29-year-old Americans responding "none," when asked which religion they follow.

But fewer than 20% of U.S. adults over 60 are "nones."

I think this also has to do with approaching death. As a whole, yes, the world is absolutely getting less religious. But some of those 'nones' may pick up a religion as they age, in order to make death more palatable.

As the saying goes, "There are no atheists in foxholes."

Except atheists don't say that.

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: Mahogany
a reply to: FlyersFan

The shift away from religion is even starker among younger adults, with 43% of 18- to 29-year-old Americans responding "none," when asked which religion they follow.

But fewer than 20% of U.S. adults over 60 are "nones."

I think this also has to do with approaching death. As a whole, yes, the world is absolutely getting less religious. But some of those 'nones' may pick up a religion as they age, in order to make death more palatable.

As the saying goes, "There are no atheists in foxholes."

Except atheists don't say that.

I'm an atheist, an agnostic, and I say that.

I've been in some dangerous situations, not unlike a foxhole. I prayed. I even put a disclaimer in there, "God, I know I don't believe in you, but if you get me out of this one..."

a reply to: Peeple

Trying to keep the herd together through social pressure to conform, pushing more and more people out?

Pretty much. And putting people on the spot to say what they really believe.
That's why I resigned from being an elder. I was doing that to people.
And I repent.