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Post Pandemic Anti-Religious Backlash?

Started by Cassia, November 09, 2021, 08:04:07 PM

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Cassia

There is a possibility that many younger folks will look back the recent virus related events and decide that religion was worse than useless. I am discouraged because you would think this site would be gaining some new young members....maybe that is because of reddit et al. Whaddaya all think? Are the thumping evangelicals desperate, clinging to Trump just because they fast becoming irrelevant? Should I hold hope for a better mindset in the near future?

Dark Lightning

My three sons are atheists. They live their lives, but do not visit atheist sites, ever. Is it possible that they feel no need to "go run a spear through a YEC"? Idunno. I should/will ask them. I gave up arguing with the religious well over a decade ago.

Hydra009

#2
Quote from: Cassia on November 09, 2021, 08:04:07 PMAre the thumping evangelicals desperate, clinging to Trump just because they fast becoming irrelevant? Should I hold hope for a better mindset in the near future?[/color]
I mean, you could if you really want to, but looking at the numbers, you probably shouldn't.

Edit: after looking at other numbers, maybe you should.  Evangelicals are disproportionately older, have been declining in various ways (person, woman, man, camera, tv), and most startling of all, have even declined as a percentage of the Republican base, which is really telling considering they have such a cultist relationship with the GOP that it's hard to find them in sane company, even if they were invited.

Gawdzilla Sama

♫That Old Time Religion♫ is tenacious. Despite thousands of years of producing only babble, never actual proof, it still hangs on.
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers

Mike Cl

Quote from: Cassia on November 09, 2021, 08:04:07 PM
There is a possibility that many younger folks will look back the recent virus related events and decide that religion was worse than useless. I am discouraged because you would think this site would be gaining some new young members....maybe that is because of reddit et al. Whaddaya all think? Are the thumping evangelicals desperate, clinging to Trump just because they fast becoming irrelevant? Should I hold hope for a better mindset in the near future?
The numbers are promising.  And logically, that should lead to the last gasp decline for the evangelical movement.  Yet, how often has the logical or reasonable happened lately? 
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

aitm

Forums cannot compete with other forms of social media in terms of instant response. I think “our” time is coming, prolly sooner than we think.
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Cassia

Quote from: Mike Cl on November 10, 2021, 08:21:53 AM
The numbers are promising.  And logically, that should lead to the last gasp decline for the evangelical movement.  Yet, how often has the logical or reasonable happened lately?
Evangelicals are way louder than moderates and we hear of them all the time in the media and politics. They probably turn some people off from religion altogether. The 'god is love' moderates not so much. In some ways this giant voting block of moderates are more concerning to marginalized people than the extremists.

The religious-light, aka the 'spiritual' group really piss me off. I am embarrassed to say I was one of them for a long time. They don't believe scripture at all but refuse to give up the magic. Just Believe !!! As if 'just believing' is some positive trait. Frustrating. Religion poisons everything in all it's manifestations and levels of adherence. Imaging if it never existed. We would be like 5,000 years more advanced.

Cassia

Quote from: aitm on November 10, 2021, 08:27:07 AM
Forums cannot compete with other forms of social media in terms of instant response. I think “our” time is coming, prolly sooner than we think.
yeah....that is probably right.

Mike Cl

Quote from: Cassia on November 10, 2021, 08:57:18 AM
Evangelicals are way louder than moderates and we hear of them all the time in the media and politics. They probably turn some people off from religion altogether. The 'god is love' moderates not so much. In some ways this giant voting block of moderates are more concerning to marginalized people than the extremists.

The religious-light, aka the 'spiritual' group really piss me off. I am embarrassed to say I was one of them for a long time. They don't believe scripture at all but refuse to give up the magic. Just Believe !!! As if 'just believing' is some positive trait. Frustrating. Religion poisons everything in all it's manifestations and levels of adherence. Imaging if it never existed. We would be like 5,000 years more advanced.

Been there and done that. :) As for the rest--yep, yep, yep!
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

SGOS

Quote from: Cassia on November 09, 2021, 08:04:07 PM
There is a possibility that many younger folks will look back the recent virus related events and decide that religion was worse than useless.
I've wondered the same thing, but I am no longer surprised by the depth of ignorance in society, and the Religious Right didn't get that way by being rational or even just plain thoughtful.  What I do observe is that we are going down the shitter as things just keep getting more and more insane.

GSOgymrat

Quote from: Cassia on November 09, 2021, 08:04:07 PM
I am discouraged because you would think this site would be gaining some new young members....maybe that is because of reddit et al. Whaddaya all think?

Some would say that atheism needs rebranding. I recently read Varieties of Atheism in Science by Elaine Howard Ecklund and David R. Johnson and they discuss the high percentage of scientists who identify as atheists and how that influences young people entering STEM fields and the perception of scientists by religious people. They conducted surveys with 1,293 atheist scientists at universities in the U.S. and the U.K. and completed follow-up, in-depth interviews with 81 survey participants to understand the pathways to atheism among scientists, their views of religion, the value systems and morals they embrace, and whether they believe science explains everything â€" including nonmaterial aspects of life. Ecklund and Johnson believe the rhetoric of the New Atheists has created problems for the scientific community by weaponizing science against religion and that most scientists surveyed don't believe science and religion are incompatible.

Ecklund and Johnson believe different scientists have varying, nuanced attitudes towards religion and spirituality. Based on their research, they break down atheist scientists into three categories: modern atheists, who have no spirituality or engagement with religion, culturally religious atheists who affiliate themselves with a religious tradition, mainly driven by a desire for group connection and belonging, and spiritual atheists, those who identify as spiritual but do not believe in God or consider themselves religious. In addition, the authors found that most atheist scientists didn’t develop an indifference toward religious beliefs because of their exposure to science in school. Their science education may have affirmed their atheistic beliefs, but wasn’t the main reason they identified as atheists.

Ecklund and Johnson hope their research will encourage more fruitful conversations among leaders in science and religion about the connections between the two fields. Johnson says: “The takeaway I find most important is the idea that the scientific community should be concerned about its relationship with the religious community. Public trust in science is important and the relationship is consequential for diversity in science, given that women and non-whites are underrepresented in science and overrepresented within religion. The interests of science and our collective well-being may be best served if such discourse were carried out through productive dialogue with persons of faith, rather than through derision and hostility.”

Dark Lightning

"atheistic beliefs"?

I smelled BS in religious ed at the age of 11, when I started having to attend.

Cassia

Quote from: GSOgymrat on November 19, 2021, 01:11:01 PM
Ecklund and Johnson hope their research will encourage more fruitful conversations among leaders in science and religion about the connections between the two fields. Johnson says: “The takeaway I find most important is the idea that the scientific community should be concerned about its relationship with the religious community. Public trust in science is important and the relationship is consequential for diversity in science, given that women and non-whites are underrepresented in science and overrepresented within religion. The interests of science and our collective well-being may be best served if such discourse were carried out through productive dialogue with persons of faith, rather than through derision and hostility.”
I never never really thought about it that way...hmmm the religious do seem to be more disconnected from science than ever; like they are doubling down against climate, pandemics, evolution and medical advances.

GSOgymrat

Quote from: Cassia on November 19, 2021, 04:48:54 PM
I never never really thought about it that way...hmmm the religious do seem to be more disconnected from science than ever; like they are doubling down against climate, pandemics, evolution and medical advances.

The attitudes of religious people can be especially important considering their influence on what research receives funding.

Hydra009

Quote from: GSOgymrat on November 19, 2021, 01:11:01 PMEcklund and Johnson believe the rhetoric of the New Atheists has created problems for the scientific community by weaponizing science against religion and that most scientists surveyed don't believe science and religion are incompatible.
Technically, it's true that science and religion are compatible.  And technically, astronomy and astrology are compatible.  Technically, science and ancestor worship are compatible.

All of that is technically true, but in reality, they tend to not go hand in hand for quite a few very compelling reasons.  For starters, mutually exclusive methodologies and mindsets.