When the Pew Research Center polled young Americans in April about the strength of their religious beliefs, as Huff Post and other media reported last week, 31 percent of respondents (almost one in three) under the age of 30 acknowledged harboring doubts about the existence of God.
That's double the number from 2007, when the Center conducted a similar poll. As CNN put it, "more young people are expressing doubts about God now than at any time since Pew started asking the question a decade ago."
As a freethinker and secular humanist, I found these numbers cheering and broadly in alignment with the dramatic growth of so-called "nones" -- Americans who say they have no religious affiliation -- whose numbers, according to Time Magazine, "have more than doubled since 1990; major surveys put them at 16% of the population."
Even so, the latest Pew poll includes other data pointing to a country sharply divided over matters of religious belief, especially regarding doubt and certainty. When asked to assess the statement "I never doubt the existence of God," for instance, 63 percent of those under 30 claimed they were in "complete agreement" and a further 17 percent said they were "mostly" so. So although CNN could still calculate that, among younger Americans, the new numbers expressing religious certainty represent a 15-point drop in five years, a dramatic decline by any measure, 63 percent of the same pool of respondents were still reporting that they had never doubted the existence of God. Perhaps less surprising, though still notable: among Americans aged 65 and older, the numbers acknowledging doubt dropped even more sharply, to just 9 percent. Additionally, 76 percent of all respondents said prayer was an important part of their lives and agreed with this statement: "We all will be called before God at the Judgment Day to answer for our sins."
In 2009, when Fox reported similar data about the rise of the "nones" and the trend away from religious affiliation, it published a panicky op-ed bearing the title, "Where Have All the Christians Gone?" "Christianity is plummeting in America," the author Bruce Feiler warned,
while the number of non-believers is skyrocketing ... The number of Christians has declined 20 percent since 1990, and is now 76 percent, the lowest percentage in American history. The growth of non-believers has come largely from men. 20 percent of men express no religious affiliation; 12% of women. Young people are fleeing faith. Nearly a quarter of Americans in their 20's profess no organized religion.
Even with the rise of the "nones" and doubting millenials, however, one can point to notable trends (as this significant graph does), yet still not make hard-and-fast predictions about the consequences of such doubt. Not all doubt leads to atheism; some may end up sharpening religious belief, just as de-conversions don't go in one direction only. After Britain's "agnostic" 1880s, for example, when arguments about religious doubt for the first time generated a national debate about the role and effect of religion in public life, the 1890s saw a brief religious revival, even if it did little to alter the country's longer-term embrace of secularism over the 20th century.
Still, those of us committed to rigorous inquiry must welcome the doubts that younger Americans are expressing, in whatever form they occur. For too long doubt has acquired the hallmark of paralysis and stagnation when, as so much of the literature underscores, it's actually a catalyst for change and renewal. As the philosophy professor Robert Baird argued helpfully in 1980, in an essay called "The Creative Role of Doubt in Religion," "creative doubt stimulates the evaluation of beliefs." It encourages us to discard "beliefs found wanting" and to reaffirm "those found adequate ... with new vigor and life."
Baird's conclusion is worth restating, even if it will sound obvious to many: "The very fact that faith can be misplaced ... that one can take as ultimate that which is not ultimate at all, is a reflection of the logical possibility that a person may be mistaken."
The religious stranglehold is deteriorating and with a perceived attack on their morality they have taken the position of the persecuted. The religious revival we are witnessing is not quantity but volume. This is understandable. The secular movement has grown and has become more vocal, it is natural to assume that religion will voice their opinion in kind. The problem that I am seeing is what was supposed to be a discussion has turned into a shouting match. Instead of a mature exchange of ideas, the religious right has devolved into a childish rant with incoherent rhetoric. This incoherent rhetoric has become counterproductive when witnessed by a population that they need to grow and sustain their much wanted influence. The younger population has more exposure to the rational thinking the secular movement offers and they are moving in that direction in droves instead of the small amount of people in the past. (Thank You Internet!)
I've read so much about history, I've seen enough of how people act to make me worried. I would not like to live in an absolutist Theistoscratcy, ( as a minority, independant NonChristian faith, I'm not sure I'd deal all that well with ANY kind of 'absolutist' govenment...)
Reason and logic are ok, but emotion and such are part of human thought, how will they balance?
Matthew 10:34-38—Is the Scriptural message to be blamed for family rifts? Not at all. Rather, rifts are caused by the position taken by unbelieving family members. They may choose to reject or oppose Christianity, bringing about divisions in the family.—Luke 12:51-53
A thorough, diligent study of the Bible is necessary to 'understand' scriptural texts that when isolated seem to refer to a negative outcome in one's chosing to accept God and his Word.
Luke 14:26—In what sense are Christ’s followers to “hate” their relatives? In the Bible, “hate” can refer to loving a person or an object to a lesser degree than another. (Gen. 29:30, 31) Christians are to “hate” their relatives in the sense of loving them less than they do Jesus.—Matt. 10:37.
I implore you to do research on contraversial texts. Cherry-picking is mis-leading.
To me... she said, I don't want to follow someone that stated that you could not love your parents/children more than you loved Jesus, etc.
No, decades ago you didn't believe in Jesus. You knew about Him and chose not to believe and looked for justification. Most simply put the scriptures which you credit to be the cornerstone of your discontent and disbelief are only Jesus showing you what He was willing to do for you.
There are many, many things which you do not understand, and you have escaped your inability to grasp them by not believing. Yet, there is something inside you which provokes you to comment in order to maintain a comfort level by denying Christ.
I will be honored to sit next to bermudababy at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. There are still plenty of seats waiting to be filled. I'd sure like to see you there, and I bet there are lots of your family members, which you are so concerned about that you think Jesus is telling you that you can't love them, who'd like to see you there too.
Dude, what would you call a human being who behaved the way god does? I would call him/her a psychopathic serial killing genocidal maniac. Elizabeth Bathory who bathed in the blood of virgins was saintly in comparison.
God (Big God) sent his only son (God as well) to earth to die at the hands of men to protect men from the wrath of God.
First, ya gotta’ ask, why only ONE son? He’s God, he could crank out as many “Sons” as he pleases. Secondly, how does allowing people to "kill" (actually torture, cuz ya can't really kill God) your own son (who is you after all) square up ANYTHING? What twist calculation is made right up by that little exhibition?
Then after we are told that “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” we find out God (the Son this time) now sits in heaven at the right hand of God (Big God). (I'd imagine that reunion was a bit tense). So, Big God didn’t “give” anything (He gave his Son but he still has his Son, who is after all, HimSelf to begin with).
The only utility I can see in this entire "lesson" is as a test to be a Christian. If you can believe that, you can believe ANYTHING.
The problem is that 99.9999% of all the planets 'religions' are themselves in the dark. The Devil is real and he mis-leads the majority away from God.
We all are endowed with 'free will' and it is up to each of us to employ that free will in choosing our accepted information wisely.
God grants us 'brains' and to discount his existence is simply unacceptable.
"Test the inspired expression'...to see where it originates.
I am angered at the 'junk' dispensed as 'God's Word' out there. So many fall for it.
God does not require blind faith. Not at all. He does require effort though. Before you completely write God off....talk to one of Jehovah's Witnesses. You owe it to yourself and God.
Jesus was the way the truth and the life. Jesus was a man who learned in the missing 18 years how to maintain a constant balance between the spiritual world and the physical world.
You might want to read the Jefferson bible wherein Thomas Jefferson cut out all the manmade stuff and the unbelievable stuff. Jefferson felt this gave us a much better understanding of how Jesus lived and what He taught. It's free online.
I am always surprised at how many Christians think Christ is Jesus' last name. Jesus said we would be able to do greater things than He did. Start with that and see where it takes you. You must also remember, in as much as we have a soul, we are all sons of God. As for the snuff story it appears something like that did happen, but I think the Bible uses some poetic license.
Hacking my hotmail account and changing the name for me, really doesnt intimidate me much, but ty whoever. Interesting study, 3 years at another place with no incidents. Less then 1 year here. That should be a congratulations to the types of people who abode here. Unfortunately since I waived my rights to privacy, xoleuess@hotmail.com Pswrd is apocalypse1. Knock yourself out.
Fortold long ago. So it comes to pass.
God knew how degenerated the human race would become. Humans are not equipped to govern themselves and the moral decay and the headlong dive into mass extinction just ahead of us proves that to be so.
You assume the book to be authoritative. I most decidedly do not. To spoof a series of hate filled books...... I Want To Be Left Behind
The God of the Bible IS loving....'God IS Love.' Actually. For all those who will obey he must and does provide warnings to straighten out......if ignored there are consequences to be had. Try again.
Psalms 37:10 & 11...."Â And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; And you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be.
 But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth,
And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace."
Your wish to be left behind is foolish. There IS no 'left behind'. The EARTH is for righteous induviduals...minus the unruly wicked.
That book was written by mortals - mortals with an agenda. Present one shred of objective, peer-reviewable evidence of the existence of God... just one.
But never in human history has such a collection of things and personality traits been so pronounced.
Mankind has truly become Animalistic in nature. Whether the internet (with it's instant news) or others forms of communication involved, mankind is experiencing great upheaval.............every day those 'comments' fly that "what is this world coming too?"...Who are people asking by the way???
When man leaves off from following God.....Satan takes over...theses traits are classic Satan. (Refer to above for scriptual solution)
Bible was written by humans true. Under inspiration by God.
Evidence? ......................Look around you!! Nature my friend!! Pure and simple. All God made.
Maybe someday we will create another god in our own image.....hopefully, it will be called Higgs-Boson, or as George Carlin parodied - The Sun (and of course, Joe Pesci)
Lets continue to urge them to question and search for verifiable fact. Lets also encourage them to call insanity, insanity, instead of Lord and the other tripe being preached by America's "MacChurches" - "Would you like some emotional abuse to go with your lies?"
Proud to not be Christian.
"The last time religion ruled the world they called it the Dark Ages" "Beware of ignorant people in large groups" Dinosaurs co-existing with people? Really..... The creationists believe T-Rex peaceably coexisted with Adam and Eve - the big fangs were for cracking open watermelons.
Help them continue to doubt.
Religion poisons EVERYTHING - in memorium- Christopher Hitchens.
Thanks for your thoughts.