Rising Popularity of Atheism

The Decline of Religious Belief and the Rise of Atheism
by Neal R. Karski

This article was influenced by the current situation of the particular issue, which to us is quite important in our daily lives. It is not crafted to offend anyone that reads it, rather purposed to stimulate the moral, ethical as well as theological thinking of the reader.

Recent statistics have shown that 70% of young adults, ages 16-24, find themselves more spiritual than religious. Also, it may not be commonly known, but the atheist movement throughout the world is accelerating and expanding in its activities due to global decline of faith. Such an example can be seen through Richard Dawkins’ “Out Campaign,” which encourages people from all faiths to reject their beliefs and foster their atheist lifestyle through the recognition of religious doubts. The contemporary social media has eradicated many elements of morality in its messages, rather concentrated its propaganda on what sells, what is popular, and what is extraordinary and eye-catching. This also gave rise to the public criticism of religious figures, i.e. Catholic Church priests, who have violated their own code of conduct and put a dark shadow on many religious institutions.

The above mentioned are just few of many clauses or potentially reasons of the declining popularity of religious practice versus spiritual contentment. Thus, I will now analyze some concepts to illustrate some of my thoughts on the subject.

Accountability

In today’s world, one values almost obsessively his or her own personal freedom and ability to freely make choices, at times regardless of any consequences. One may also fear the consequences associated with different actions and hold him or herself as the sole judge of the situation. This puts God, or any religious figure, authority, or notion, believable or not, as a party that does not have an impact in one’s life and does not hold that person accountable for the course of actions taken. Accountability, therefore, lies only in the person committing what may be a virtuous or non-virtuous action, which may not potentially be the most unbiased or fair tool of justice.

Trust

As I mentioned in the introduction paragraph, one may also have a skeptical perspective toward religious institutions due to the lack of trust in its operations. This may or may not be justifiable, yet it is a legitimate reason for concernment. Social media has shed a negative light in following the doctrines presented by one’s belief system and many marketing campaigns have placed a subliminal agenda in advertisements and products that in turn have led its markets to stray away from religion, but rather toward material goods or fanny ideas. Consequently, one’s trust in religious faith has been placed under multiple examinations, and one’s doubts have increased under pressure to reevaluate one’s own morals, values and beliefs amongst the contemporary standards of one’s society. Today, it is essential to trust in the symbolism and the guidelines that can help one lead a better, more virtuous life, in order to avoid full dependency upon the organization or belief system’s performance that is constantly questioned by critics and those who reject any notions of faith, beliefs, moral rules or Higher Beings.

Financial Well Being

To briefly conclude, it is of upmost difficulty to face the choice of acting accordingly with one’s own religious beliefs and the desire to obtain financial means [sometimes excessively, i.e. greed]. One, when put in a situation where morals and ethics are at stake of money or wealth, must sometimes choose in self accordance. As time progressed, many people [i.e. businessmen, politicians] have chosen to rid themselves of any religious ties to be able to compete in the world of commerce, live plentifully, enjoy their riches and let wealth be at the top of their charts. Frequently, we’re forced to make choices that cannot be agreeable with the basis of a particular faith we follow, and frequently the concept of financial well being prevails over the moral and ethical values we hold. In more extreme cases, this financial drive leads individuals to rid themselves of many religious beliefs they hold and sink into non-authoritative movements, such as atheism.

Resurgent Atheism – a Christian Outlook

by George A. Miu

Author’s Note: Because I have the most experience in the field of Christianity, and am not overly familiar with the traditions of other religions in the United States, this blog piece will focus, first and foremost, on the steady decline churches have undergone over the past few years.

While the rest of the world was busy setting a statistical trend in the opposite direction, I was busily fortifying my own belief that God exists, and becoming a theist after spending the better portion of my childhood and teenage years angrily denouncing any kind of religion.

Thus I went from being in one minority to another. Today, it is estimated that roughly three-quarters of Americans do not consider themselves to be religious; yet, almost all individuals are spiritual on some level. What is the cause for this decline in the power and influence that religions wield?

One of these, certainly, is that people do not like to feel as if they must adhere to certain strict regulations in leading their lives. Who, after all, desires to pray, fast and be charitable when they have commitments to the family, workplace and a plethora of other obligations to fulfill? By justifying their lack of indulgence in religious rituals with anti-theistic philosophy, it is not only possible, but positively easy, to convince the self that God does not exist, and may not care even if He did.

Furthermore, many are disillusioned with the corruption and abuse scandals that are consistently plaguing the church, and are led to believe that the clergy is no longer primarily involved in Godly matters. They take the few cases that make it to the media and permit it to overshadow the altruistic accomplishments of the majority of men and women associated with churches and religious denominations on the whole.

Last of all, many encounter the same problem that I did. They associate religion with out-dated and scientifically unsound superstitions. Yet, this is a faulty stance to take, on account of the fact that religion is meant to embrace science as a viable means of explaining God’s sublime organization of the universe as a whole. Nevertheless, the view that God is undermined by the fact that we cannot logically prove His existence is incorrect; religion has always been about a certain transcendence from the human realm. It has forever entailed an existence that is above the mind that we possess in life. But in a world of instant gratification and requirement for specifics, this is no longer acceptable.

My take on all of this is that there is no problem! Religion is not about those who are forced into it or are doing it to please others. By decreasing our overall numbers, we have upped the concentration in our ranks and paved the way for a better spiritual existence.