Why religion will dominate the 21st century
May 21, 2015 12:59:50 #
http://theweek.com/articles/555371/why-religion-dominate-21st-century
Opinion
Why religion will dominate the 21st century
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry
REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
May 18, 2015
One of the most common assumptions is that religiosity is linked to economic and technological underdevelopment. As a society gets more technologically and economically advanced, the thinking goes, religiosity naturally fades away and is replaced by a more secular worldview.
Exhibit A is usually Western Europe, which grew more secular as it grew richer (and much, much more violent) across the 19th and 20th centuries. Exhibit B is the world's most religious continent Africa which happens to be its poorest.
Under this view, the 21st century will be the century in which secularization spreads even further as the rest of the world catches up.
But when you look at the actual trends of religiosity across the world, what becomes apparent is actually the opposite: The 20th century was probably the high point of secularization, while the 21st century will likely be dominated by religion. The famous line by the French intellectual and politician André Malraux "The 21st century will be religious or it will not be" is on track to be vindicated.
First, let's dispense with the notion that there is some necessary causal link between economic and technological advancement and secularization. One need only look at South Korea, which was one of the poorest countries on the planet at the end of World War II, and is now one of the richest and most technologically advanced indeed, on some metrics, more advanced than Western Europe or the U.S.
RECOMMENDED FROM THE WEEK W. James Antle III
Lindsey Graham's blustery neocon nonsense Paul Waldman
Hillary Clinton, likable juggernaut At the same time that South Korea experienced this astonishing growth, Christianity in the country grew from less than 1 percent of the population to about 30 percent today.
What about the rest of the world? Is it secularizing? To the contrary, religion is becoming one of the most important forces shaping the fate of most countries in the world.
Look at the former C*******t bloc countries. They went from being officially atheist to experiencing a strong religious revival. It's impossible to mention Poland without mentioning the cultural importance of Catholicism there. Religion is also a common theme in any discussion of Russia, where the Orthodox Church has stepped in to provide a sense of Russian identity and become for better or worse, given its alliance with the Putin regime a key force shaping the country's culture.
Then there's China. While still officially atheist, it has never been wholly atheist in practice. In particular, Chinese folk religion and Buddhism never really went away, they just went underground (or, in some cases, not even underground). And one of the most noted phenomena about China is the astonishing growth of Christianity there, to the horror and dismay of the regime, which plays a game of both trying to coopt and suppress it.
By some estimates, pretty soon there will be more Christians in China than in the United States. What that will mean for the future of the country is anybody's guess, but it will certainly mean something.
Now look at Latin America. If you know one thing about religion and Latin America, it's that the entire continent has been historically dominated by the Catholic Church. If you know two things, it's that Catholicism is being strongly challenged by other forms of Christianity, particularly Evangelical and Pentecostal. That's a change in religion's favor: the kind of anticlerical secularism that featured so prominently in the continent mere decades ago isn't Catholicism's main antagonist anymore. In Latin America, the fight is between varieties of religion.
In the Middle East and the broader Arab world, the same phenomenon prevails: The most dominant cultural-religious trend of the 1950s was anti-colonial, socialist, secular pan-Arabism. That led mostly to autocracies presiding over corrupt governments, which resulted in a backlash that took the form of political Islam, which was the strongest vehicle for resistance to the jackboot of tyranny.
This religious revival is much broader than terrorism most varieties of Islam that are growing are not extremist, even if they are robust and vociferous. We don't know what the Middle East will look in the future, but one thing is clear: It will certainly not be European-style secularism. Not long ago, a few hundred thousand Muslims made the yearly hajj pilgrimage to Mecca; today, the number is more than 2.5 million.
Wherever you look, religion is mutating, thriving, growing. Southeast Asia is as fiercely religious as ever. Same with India. Africa this century's next superpower is the most religious continent on the planet. In America, disaffiliation is changing the face of American religion, but at the same time, higher proportions of people today than in the 1950s declare believing in God, or having had a religious experience, or praying frequently.
And even in Western Europe, that bulwark of secularization, the main debate over national identity is inseparably linked to the question of the growth of Islam there (from both conversions and immigration). Indeed, Europe may be sowing the seeds of a Catholic revival.
Why does this matter?
It matters because theology has consequences. The post-Enlightenment secular worldview tends to treat religion as nothing more than a private hobby. It rejects out of hand the notion that people's spiritual beliefs matter in a broader context. When evolution tells us we're just genes trying to spread, when economists tell us all we do is maximize our self-interest, when psychologists tell us we just want to get laid we become convinced that humans act on nothing but narrow material desires.
But that's just not true. As a matter of fact, human beings are spiritual beings first, with a natural orientation toward transcendent realities. More prosaically, to state the obvious, human beings make decisions partly based on how we understand our self-interest, yes, but also based on our worldviews, on our vision of what is true and good and beautiful.
Religion has been the most intense worldview-shaping phenomenon in history, and it will continue to be the most important worldview-shaping phenomenon of the 21st century.
Ignore this reality at your peril.
Editor's note: A previous version of this article mistakenly asserted that 50 percent of South Koreans are Christian.
Opinion
Why religion will dominate the 21st century
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry
REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
May 18, 2015
One of the most common assumptions is that religiosity is linked to economic and technological underdevelopment. As a society gets more technologically and economically advanced, the thinking goes, religiosity naturally fades away and is replaced by a more secular worldview.
Exhibit A is usually Western Europe, which grew more secular as it grew richer (and much, much more violent) across the 19th and 20th centuries. Exhibit B is the world's most religious continent Africa which happens to be its poorest.
Under this view, the 21st century will be the century in which secularization spreads even further as the rest of the world catches up.
But when you look at the actual trends of religiosity across the world, what becomes apparent is actually the opposite: The 20th century was probably the high point of secularization, while the 21st century will likely be dominated by religion. The famous line by the French intellectual and politician André Malraux "The 21st century will be religious or it will not be" is on track to be vindicated.
First, let's dispense with the notion that there is some necessary causal link between economic and technological advancement and secularization. One need only look at South Korea, which was one of the poorest countries on the planet at the end of World War II, and is now one of the richest and most technologically advanced indeed, on some metrics, more advanced than Western Europe or the U.S.
RECOMMENDED FROM THE WEEK W. James Antle III
Lindsey Graham's blustery neocon nonsense Paul Waldman
Hillary Clinton, likable juggernaut At the same time that South Korea experienced this astonishing growth, Christianity in the country grew from less than 1 percent of the population to about 30 percent today.
What about the rest of the world? Is it secularizing? To the contrary, religion is becoming one of the most important forces shaping the fate of most countries in the world.
Look at the former C*******t bloc countries. They went from being officially atheist to experiencing a strong religious revival. It's impossible to mention Poland without mentioning the cultural importance of Catholicism there. Religion is also a common theme in any discussion of Russia, where the Orthodox Church has stepped in to provide a sense of Russian identity and become for better or worse, given its alliance with the Putin regime a key force shaping the country's culture.
Then there's China. While still officially atheist, it has never been wholly atheist in practice. In particular, Chinese folk religion and Buddhism never really went away, they just went underground (or, in some cases, not even underground). And one of the most noted phenomena about China is the astonishing growth of Christianity there, to the horror and dismay of the regime, which plays a game of both trying to coopt and suppress it.
By some estimates, pretty soon there will be more Christians in China than in the United States. What that will mean for the future of the country is anybody's guess, but it will certainly mean something.
Now look at Latin America. If you know one thing about religion and Latin America, it's that the entire continent has been historically dominated by the Catholic Church. If you know two things, it's that Catholicism is being strongly challenged by other forms of Christianity, particularly Evangelical and Pentecostal. That's a change in religion's favor: the kind of anticlerical secularism that featured so prominently in the continent mere decades ago isn't Catholicism's main antagonist anymore. In Latin America, the fight is between varieties of religion.
In the Middle East and the broader Arab world, the same phenomenon prevails: The most dominant cultural-religious trend of the 1950s was anti-colonial, socialist, secular pan-Arabism. That led mostly to autocracies presiding over corrupt governments, which resulted in a backlash that took the form of political Islam, which was the strongest vehicle for resistance to the jackboot of tyranny.
This religious revival is much broader than terrorism most varieties of Islam that are growing are not extremist, even if they are robust and vociferous. We don't know what the Middle East will look in the future, but one thing is clear: It will certainly not be European-style secularism. Not long ago, a few hundred thousand Muslims made the yearly hajj pilgrimage to Mecca; today, the number is more than 2.5 million.
Wherever you look, religion is mutating, thriving, growing. Southeast Asia is as fiercely religious as ever. Same with India. Africa this century's next superpower is the most religious continent on the planet. In America, disaffiliation is changing the face of American religion, but at the same time, higher proportions of people today than in the 1950s declare believing in God, or having had a religious experience, or praying frequently.
And even in Western Europe, that bulwark of secularization, the main debate over national identity is inseparably linked to the question of the growth of Islam there (from both conversions and immigration). Indeed, Europe may be sowing the seeds of a Catholic revival.
Why does this matter?
It matters because theology has consequences. The post-Enlightenment secular worldview tends to treat religion as nothing more than a private hobby. It rejects out of hand the notion that people's spiritual beliefs matter in a broader context. When evolution tells us we're just genes trying to spread, when economists tell us all we do is maximize our self-interest, when psychologists tell us we just want to get laid we become convinced that humans act on nothing but narrow material desires.
But that's just not true. As a matter of fact, human beings are spiritual beings first, with a natural orientation toward transcendent realities. More prosaically, to state the obvious, human beings make decisions partly based on how we understand our self-interest, yes, but also based on our worldviews, on our vision of what is true and good and beautiful.
Religion has been the most intense worldview-shaping phenomenon in history, and it will continue to be the most important worldview-shaping phenomenon of the 21st century.
Ignore this reality at your peril.
Editor's note: A previous version of this article mistakenly asserted that 50 percent of South Koreans are Christian.
May 21, 2015 13:04:31 #
Yankee Clipper wrote:
http://theweek.com/articles/555371/why-religion-dominate-21st-century
Opinion
Why religion will dominate the 21st century
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry
REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
May 18, 2015
Editor's note: A previous version of this article mistakenly asserted that 50 percent of South Koreans are Christian.
Opinion
Why religion will dominate the 21st century
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry
REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
May 18, 2015
Editor's note: A previous version of this article mistakenly asserted that 50 percent of South Koreans are Christian.
One question: Why is God so powerless to let this happen? Am I not giving enough in the offering plate? Why does God need my money? Is this a problem with my faith or yours? Why worry at all? God is omnipotent, right? What you're suggesting is that God is powerless and you have no faith.
Why are 50% of South Koreans not Christian? Are they all Atheists?
May 21, 2015 13:20:33 #
Dummy Boy wrote:
One question: Why is God so powerless to let this happen? Am I not giving enough in the offering plate. Why does God need my money? Is this a problem with my faith or yours? Why worry at all? God is omnipotent, right? What you're suggesting is that God is powerless and you have no faith.
Why are 50% of South Koreans not Christian? Are they all Atheists?
Why are 50% of South Koreans not Christian? Are they all Atheists?
Are you an Atheist or an i***t? Perhaps an i***tic Atheist?
May 21, 2015 13:33:01 #
PoppaGringo wrote:
Are you an Atheist or an i***t? Perhaps an i***tic Atheist?
Know, but I know one when I see one: I***t.
Because; you either you don't understand the question or you can't answer the question....so who's the i***t...the one asking a simple question or the faithless, pedantic asshole that can't or won't answer it. Oh, and you're a coward too, then.
May 21, 2015 15:48:00 #
May 21, 2015 15:57:54 #
One question: Why is God so powerless to let this happen?
Why would God want to stop the spread of religion? That said, religion can be a multitude of things, can't it?
Is no religion a religion? What is a multitude of "things".
Am I not giving enough in the offering plate? Why does God need my money?
I think the answer is the same for the 2 previous questions. Like anything else it takes money to support and spread the word, whether it would be religion or propaganda, it still costs to do so.
You don't believe God is powerful enough to do "the work", so we have created a capital driven religious program that benefits to create buildings, books and seats that can be used only once a week. I don't believe in paying for propaganda, do you?
Some may even consider religion a form of propaganda. Is this a problem with my faith or yours? I think it's a problem of all religions and faiths.
Yes religion is propaganda-biased
Why worry at all? God is omnipotent, right? What you're suggesting is that God is powerless and you have no faith.
To answer your last three statements & questions, I am not suggesting anything that is for you alone to determine, and no I don't worry about it either. I am not particularly religious in the popular definition, I do believe in the possibility of a power that created it all which may or may not be a god like entity. I posted this to create a little different topic for conversation sake.
You are indeed suggesting that God promotes propaganda and we are powerless to determine whether it is or not. God is sort of God? God is a blob that exists in a unique dimension that flits about the universe hoping to be worshiped: hmmmm?
Seems like you don't believe, you just like waving a f**g around to get someones attention.
Why would God want to stop the spread of religion? That said, religion can be a multitude of things, can't it?
Is no religion a religion? What is a multitude of "things".
Am I not giving enough in the offering plate? Why does God need my money?
I think the answer is the same for the 2 previous questions. Like anything else it takes money to support and spread the word, whether it would be religion or propaganda, it still costs to do so.
You don't believe God is powerful enough to do "the work", so we have created a capital driven religious program that benefits to create buildings, books and seats that can be used only once a week. I don't believe in paying for propaganda, do you?
Some may even consider religion a form of propaganda. Is this a problem with my faith or yours? I think it's a problem of all religions and faiths.
Yes religion is propaganda-biased
Why worry at all? God is omnipotent, right? What you're suggesting is that God is powerless and you have no faith.
To answer your last three statements & questions, I am not suggesting anything that is for you alone to determine, and no I don't worry about it either. I am not particularly religious in the popular definition, I do believe in the possibility of a power that created it all which may or may not be a god like entity. I posted this to create a little different topic for conversation sake.
You are indeed suggesting that God promotes propaganda and we are powerless to determine whether it is or not. God is sort of God? God is a blob that exists in a unique dimension that flits about the universe hoping to be worshiped: hmmmm?
Seems like you don't believe, you just like waving a f**g around to get someones attention.
May 21, 2015 16:05:16 #
May 21, 2015 19:42:42 #
Yankee Clipper wrote:
46.5% of South Korea has no formal religion.
22.8%Buddhism
18.3% Protestant
10.9%Roman Catholic
1.7% other.
A most recent pew poll shows a rise in the "non- religious "of 6% over the last 7 years
Religion is in decline all over America and the world.
May 22, 2015 07:45:45 #
Marcus Johnson wrote:
46.5% of South Korea has no formal religion.
22.8%Buddhism
18.3% Protestant
10.9%Roman Catholic
1.7% other.
A most recent pew poll shows a rise in the "non- religious "of 6% over the last 7 years
Religion is in decline all over America and the world.
22.8%Buddhism
18.3% Protestant
10.9%Roman Catholic
1.7% other.
A most recent pew poll shows a rise in the "non- religious "of 6% over the last 7 years
Religion is in decline all over America and the world.
When I was a kid we used to call farting in church a "Pew Poll".
May 22, 2015 10:10:14 #
Dummy Boy wrote:
When I was a kid we used to call farting in church a "Pew Poll".
LOL :lol: that's funny.
However facts don't lie.
May 22, 2015 10:21:55 #
Marcus Johnson wrote:
LOL :lol: that's funny.
However facts don't lie.
However facts don't lie.
....meant no disrespect about the data...just blurting something funny. Glad you enjoyed it and feel free to bring it up :D
May 22, 2015 10:27:35 #
Dummy Boy wrote:
One question: Why is God so powerless to let this ... (show quote)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
May I humbly say, your concept of religion is fairly accurate. Your concept of God and Christianity is flawed. A high or low view of God will determine a high or low view of life and our relationships with one another.
Religion is man based, Christianity is God given. Religion can be no religion, or it can be the worship of a rock or a duck.
Christianity is named after Christ who died for the sins of the world. Who came not to condemn the world but to save it. (From itself)
Like it or not, there is a difference between people who are true Christians vs those who are merely religious. Those who hold a Christian world view based on the belief that the Bible is the inspired Word of God are prone to be more respectful, accountable, and responsible.
Those who have merely a religious world view are often able to endorse anything and everything that seems right in their own opinion as being a part of their religion. That is the difference the atheist or non-believer either can not or will not concede.
As far as your question about God not being able to support financially His causes, God does not need our money, He needs and wants our faith not because faith is beneficial to Him, faith is beneficial to one exercising it.
I am not trying to be argumentative, you asked some questions and I am simply trying to answer them in my country boy way. I have no doubt that religion is expanding worldwide, but I do doubt that Christianity is expanding. In fact, the Bible says that in the end times, there will be a falling away from true faith in God.
May 22, 2015 10:53:06 #
Armageddun wrote:
--------------------------------------------------... (show quote)
Armageddun, here is the original response to Dummyboy by me in red and him in black print. I just wasn't sure which of us most of your response was intended for. Yankee Clipper
Dummy Boy wrote:
One question: Why is God so powerless to let this happen? Why would God want to stop the spread of religion? That said, religion can be a multitude of things, can't it? Am I not giving enough in the offering plate? Why does God need my money? I think the answer is the same for the 2 previous questions. Like anything else it takes money to support and spread the word, whether it would be religion or propaganda, it still costs to do so. Some may even consider religion a form of propaganda. Is this a problem with my faith or yours? I think it's a problem of all religions and faiths. Why worry at all? God is omnipotent, right? What you're suggesting is that God is powerless and you have no faith. To answer you last three statements & questions, I am not suggesting anything that is for you alone to determine, and no I don't worry about it either. I am not particularly religious in the popular definition, I do believe in the possibility of a power that created it all which may or may not be a god like entity. I posted this to create a little different topic for conversation sake.
Why are 50% of South Koreans not Christian? Are they all Atheists? Beats the s**t out of me.
May 22, 2015 10:58:58 #
Yankee Clipper wrote:
Armageddun, here is the original response to Dummy... (show quote)
Thanks, I am sorry, my response was to Db. Both are interesting comments.
May 22, 2015 11:00:47 #
[quote=Armageddun]
Hey big guy, good day to you.
One is either pregnant or not. A relationship with God is impossible without Jesus's sacrifice. There is not a spectrum that is acceptable, either you're a 100% or 0%.
No argument.
Yup.
I live next to Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and non-believers and I would describe everyone of them as respectful, accountable and responsible.
Are you familiar with the First Amendment? To wit: The First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. It forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individuals religious practices. It guarantees freedom of expression by prohibiting Congress from restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely. It also guarantees the right of citizens to assemble peaceably and to petition their government.
I don't give one penny to God, but unfortunately over the years I gave way too much time and to a "Salesman" or a minister.
Here are the most current statistics:
Hey big guy, good day to you.
Quote:
May I humbly say, your concept of religion is fairly accurate. Your concept of God and Christianity is flawed. A high or low view of God will determine a high or low view of life and our relationships with one another.
One is either pregnant or not. A relationship with God is impossible without Jesus's sacrifice. There is not a spectrum that is acceptable, either you're a 100% or 0%.
Quote:
Religion is man based, Christianity is God given. Religion can be no religion, or it can be the worship of a rock or a duck.
No argument.
Quote:
Christianity is named after Christ who died for the sins of the world. Who came not to condemn the world but to save it. (From itself)
Yup.
Quote:
Like it or not, there is a difference between people who are true Christians vs those who are merely religious. Those who hold a Christian world view based on the belief that the Bible is the inspired Word of God are prone to be more respectful, accountable, and responsible.
I live next to Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and non-believers and I would describe everyone of them as respectful, accountable and responsible.
Quote:
Those who have merely a religious world view are often able to endorse anything and everything that seems right in their own opinion as being a part of their religion. That is the difference the atheist or non-believer either can not or will not concede.
Are you familiar with the First Amendment? To wit: The First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. It forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individuals religious practices. It guarantees freedom of expression by prohibiting Congress from restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely. It also guarantees the right of citizens to assemble peaceably and to petition their government.
Quote:
As far as your question about God not being able t... (show quote)
I don't give one penny to God, but unfortunately over the years I gave way too much time and to a "Salesman" or a minister.
Here are the most current statistics:
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