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Millennials Are Leaving Religion And Not Coming Back

blastula

blastula

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At least according to this, Millennials Are Leaving Religion And Not Coming Back | FiveThirtyEight

Four in ten millennials now say they are religiously unaffiliated, according to the Pew Research Center. In fact, millennials (those between the ages of 23 and 38) are now almost as likely to say they have no religion as they are to identify as Christian.

For a long time, though, it wasn’t clear whether this youthful defection from religion would be temporary or permanent. It seemed possible that as millennials grew older, at least some would return to a more traditional religious life. But there’s mounting evidence that today’s younger generations may be leaving religion for good.
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Sweet.
 
Yes. Now they wprship the god of video games, computers, and technology.

They are still ensnared.
 
Having read the article the clear message is that religion and religious affiliation just isn't important. For many it's even a negative, pointing out intolerance among religious people as a main reason for not being religious.
 
People leaving religion should correlate pretty tightly with the spread of science, which has been going on for a few centuries now. I wouldn't expect the U.S. to regress, except in places where science stops being taught.
 
I doubt it correlates strongly with science.

I'd bet it has more to do with consumerism and convenience, and the increasing alienation of individuals as lone consumer-workers and as enterprisers more interested in self-development than following in the footsteps of others. So more like increased 'Me-ism' than rationalism's progress.
 
blastula said:
steve_bank said:
Yes. Now they wprship the god of video games, computers, and technology.

They are still ensnared.
Click to expand...

ok boomer
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The 6s cultural revolution was about throwing away middle class norms and thinking for yourself.

The culture is far worse and insidious than the old middle class culture.

People quote movies and music as sources of wisdom.

Young people are being bred and conditioner to be perfect consumer bots. It is worse than any religion. Some can't libe without religion. Can you live without video and music?

A study has shown very young kids are being conditioned to want things by video advertising.

Far worse than the old cultural norms.
 
steve_bank said:
A study has shown very young kids are being conditioned to want things by video advertising.
Far worse than the old cultural norms.
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But now there's a cure for that. But WAIT! If you send before midnight tonight... :D
 
Meanwhile, in other news, this same society is grappling with an epidemic in drug use, a surge in domestic violence, (the reporting of) mental illness and depression is increasing. Suicide - the thing we euphemistically refer to as dying with dignity - has become normalised. The triumphant era of gender equality seems to coincide, ironically, with a RISE in sexual crimes.

Hmm???

Yes, any correlation between atheism and these social pathologies might be pure coincidence. Or it could be quite right to conflate them, because it might very well be that the same impulse which drives the increase in atheism could also be the same driver of a will to live like there's no tomorrow.
 
steve_bank said:
Yes. Now they wprship the god of video games, computers, and technology.

They are still ensnared.
Click to expand...

As long as video games, computers and technology are not inspiring them to fly airliners into skyscrapers, or to mutilate their children's genitals, or to systematically abuse and oppress people who are different from them, or to lobby for laws to promote their favourite video games at public expense, who cares?
 
Lion IRC said:
The billboard says it best.
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Well, if you can stop worrying about who other people are marrying, and who is or is not standing to recite rote phrases, or who or is not sleeping in n Sundays, or whether they are cooking meat in its mother’s milk, then yes, you can enjoy more life.

You say that like there is something wrong with enjoying life?

I enjoy life.
I love to hike and spend time in nature, I love to play with my kids and teach them what they need o become adults, I love engineering and science, I love to cook or read a good book.


You’re saying that’s bad?

You should give up whatever is making you say that - and start enjoying life.
 
Lion IRC said:
The billboard says it best.

View attachment 25265
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Looks like a wonderful message to me.

I believe the world is a worse place without some variety of spirituality. steve_bank is sorta on board, I think, when he notes that young people find wisdom in movies. Maybe he sees movies as inevitably a poor source for wisdom; maybe books are supposed to be a better source. I disagree, because it depends on the movie. Humans need stories. My preference is that we have life-enhancing stories to live by, not ugly ones... like your medieval story for example.

Life-enhancing stories conveying wisdom like "stop worrying and enjoy your life". Only people with a hateful outlook could find a problem in that message.

steve_bank also said something about people being conditioned as consumer-bots. Like with movies and music, the problem isn't "conditioning" in and of itself. The more accurate word for that is enculturation and it's a feature not a flaw. The problem is the input... Are we brought up to value money and possessions rather than to actually enjoy ourselves? Life's short, so it's a tragedy to hoard either needless possessions or needless beliefs.

Needless beliefs along the lines of 'God's watching you so you'd better be obedient slaves to his will'.
 
How can Millenials be consumeristic when they are so poor?

I'm willing to bet the assumption that they are more consumeristic than Boomers, who built American consumer culture, will crumble like most Boomer prejudices under the glare of scrutiny.

Most Millenials I know have a healthy dose of skepticism about everything, including consumer culture.
 
Sarpedon said:
How can Millenials be consumeristic when they are so poor?

I'm willing to bet the assumption that they are more consumeristic than Boomers, who built American consumer culture, will crumble like most Boomer prejudices under the glare of scrutiny.

Most Millenials I know have a healthy dose of skepticism about everything, including consumer culture.
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decadent wealth of gadgets and trinkets unnecessary for living..

My point is oter things are cultruraly replcing religion, som,e good and some bad.

Teen violence, drug addiction, drug addiction, sex abuse, have arisen.

Suicide in teens and young adults is rising. The probability for young adults reaching retirement at 65 is dropping. Drugs, alcohol, consumption disease like heart disease and diabetes. Could be described as disease of decadence. Unrestrained consumption.

Religion used to provide a foundation for living. A means to derive self worth from something other than accumulation of things.

In the 19th century protestanism there was the Protestant Work Ethic. Delayed gratification. Today completly gone, instant gratification 24/7.

No sense of self restraint, manufactured by modern marketing. Peoople swoon when Apple has a new device.

There is no philosophical replacement for religion, the result is people growing up with no foundation and stability. The reports are widespread anxiety and the attendant meds.
 
steve_bank said:
blastula said:
steve_bank said:
Yes. Now they wprship the god of video games, computers, and technology.

They are still ensnared.
Click to expand...

ok boomer
Click to expand...

The 6s cultural revolution was about throwing away middle class norms and thinking for yourself.

The culture is far worse and insidious than the old middle class culture.

People quote movies and music as sources of wisdom.

Young people are being bred and conditioner to be perfect consumer bots. It is worse than any religion. Some can't libe without religion. Can you live without video and music?

A study has shown very young kids are being conditioned to want things by video advertising.

Far worse than the old cultural norms.
Click to expand...

3ad.jpg
 
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