Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tedster on September 2, 2008 at 12:19am

There are advantages to being born now vs. 100 years ago, and there is not certainty in what happens in the future. I don't quite agree with Candice that we will necessarily annihilate ourselves, but we will have trouble ahead, as the environment changes, and oil has pretty much reached its peak.

We may have a more athiestic society, but we may also have a more tyrannical society.

I say, be happy with the wisdom that have acquired, and work for a better world, because it really needs fixin'

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Slick Nick on September 2, 2008 at 8:53pm

That sure is one exciting prospect. I hope one day we're free of religion.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Skylar on September 5, 2008 at 11:31am

The future might be worse, you never know. My life is pretty good now. I'm not sure a trade-off would be worthwhile.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Fizzy on September 7, 2008 at 1:07pm

I seem to have developed a skill set better suited either to a civilization in the throws of industrialization or one eking out it's survival amongst the twisted wreckage of an atomic wasteland.

So in that sense, yes, I should have been born in some other era. Otherwise? Nah, I'm good.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chiropteran on September 7, 2008 at 1:41pm

Optimistically; Hell yeah, maybe a 100 years from now women will have finally achieved equality and be enjoying the autonomy and self-determination that men now enjoy. Maybe too, men will be freed from having their self-worth judged by how good a wage-slave they are in supporting a whole group of human beings solely on their backs. And maybe, secular education will be the new 'religion'.

Pessimistically; Doesn't really matter. It all pretty much sucks, just by degree.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by gman on September 14, 2008 at 4:09pm

I do agree that nonbelievers are growing in numbers. Probably even more so than stats will tell you.
I think there are a great many more atheists out there. For most of my atheist life (which is pretty much my whole life) I just never bothered myself with religion at all. If someone asked me what my religion was I would just say christian for simplicity and it didn't bother me even though it was a lie, it just wasn't at all important to me. I had more interesting things on my mind than religion.

I have no doubt that there are MANY others out there just like that, who say "oh ya I'm christian" because maybe a family member is standing there or something, but I strongly believe we are gaining influence. Also, how do they obtain these statistics? They might just ask a parent and they respond with something like "ya, we are a christian family of six". If they get their stats in this way, then they could be cutting out entire generations.
Also, we all know that religions are far more organized than we are, they might go together to these kinds of things and vote, same thing for online comunities. So bottom line... I don't trust the stats.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Skylar on September 14, 2008 at 4:26pm

*nods* What's interesting is that I have also seen statistics that say only about 50% of people in the US are religious. I wish polling methodology were more transparent.

• ▶ Reply