

“Nones” on the Rise: One-in-Five U.S. Adults Have No Religious Affiliation - tokenadult
http://www.pewforum.org/Unaffiliated/nones-on-the-rise.aspx

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lutusp
A quote from the article: "In the last five years alone, the unaffiliated have
increased from just over 15% to just under 20% of all U.S. adults."

I doubt that the true unaffiliated percentage has changed that much over such
a short time period. I think these numbers actually reflect people's
willingness to reveal that they're unaffiliated, in other words, to publicly
"come out" as atheists or agnostics.

Don't get me wrong -- I see this as a good thing overall, I just think the
reason for the change is not what it seems. The first step is to discover
religion has nothing to offer an intelligent person. The second step is to be
willing to let your neighbors know what you've decided, to "come out". The
second step is often much harder.

But the big change is still a long way off -- the day an atheist can run for
president without being laughed off the stage.

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eiji
While I think this "coming out" is an intelligent observation, I don't agree
with your "first step", discovering what religion (not) has to offer to a
person. With that comment I can't upvote the entire statement.

To start with, it probably offers a sense of community. It can also help
bridge gaps between different parts of our society. I appreciate the charity
work. However, I'm part of the 20%, so I'm standing at the sidelines on this
one.

~~~
lutusp
> To start with, it probably offers a sense of community.

With all respect, the religious aspect of a human community is a coincidence
-- on can have a community without the religious context. I personally think
it's an unfortunate accident of history that so many human communities are
built on a scaffolding of religion.

> It can also help bridge gaps between different parts of our society.

It is here that you touch an important point, indeed a critical one. History
shows us that, overall, religion creates gaps, it doesn't mend them. For each
religious endeavor to reach across a chasm between people, there are ten
religious endeavors to create the chasm in the first place.

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zwieback
First you say the religious aspect of communities is coincidental then you say
that religion forms chasm-surrounded communities.

Which is it?

~~~
lutusp
> First you say the religious aspect of communities is coincidental then you
> say that religion forms chasm-surrounded communities. Which is it?

The dichotomy you think you see doesn't exist. They're both true.

Let me spell it out for you:

* The fact that many human communities are religious is a coincidence, an accident of history.

* Those religions that do form, tend to isolate themselves from other communities, sometimes by trying to convert or kill everyone they meet. This doesn't prevent them from being a community, any more than a community of rattlesnakes is not a legitimate community solely on the ground that it's dangerous to surrounding communities.

Clear now?

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jmduke
Without going into religious talk, one of the things I'm interested in with
the growing acceptance of religious unaffiliation is the gap left by
churches/synagogues/etc.

As a decidedly non-religious person raised in a Christian household, I grew to
love the sense of community and charity fostered by the organization. With the
current trend of urban migration, I'm not sure what's going to replace that.

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psychedelicx
I think this is more of a reflection of the current state of religion in the
country and its move to the extremes rather than a change in people's beliefs.

Religion has become so occupied in polarizing issues (e.g. politics) and
scandals, that belonging to one of these organization's has changed from being
part of a philosophy/community to an extremist organization.

Don't get me wrong I'm a strong contingent of the 20% but I believe there is a
place for religion as well. I believe that religion has both the ability to be
productive for a community as well as very destructive for an individual.

The founders got it right with the first amendment and the separation of
church and state. It's too bad that the same people who clutch the
constitution so firmly in one hand also carry the bible in the other these
days.

~~~
r00fus
So, if I understand you correctly, an (for example) ex-southern-baptist (by
upbringing) would be far more loathe to consider going to a (for example)
Unitarian/Universalist church or even become a Buddhist than to forego
religion altogether?

As someone who was brought up religious but now does not go to church/temple -
I would probably fit your mold.

However, I would be interested in joining some community organization just to
get that greater sense of belonging that I'm sure I could use.

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dharbin
Ah yes, Hacker News... the go-to place for all your news on religion.

