kaidi06

Greetings my fellow unbelievers. As history tells us, religions pretty much come and go. Changing times and the accrual of knowledge are often the motivating factors for the death and birth of religions. In your opinion, what type of event can or will cause a great number of Christians all around the world to abandon their beliefs and embrace reality? I initially had an idea that the discovery of life on another planet could cause Christians to frontslide. However then I realized that they could just either a) say that just because the bible doesn’t mention it that doesn’t mean that god didn’t create it, or b) reinterpret scriptures so that they appear to reference life elsewhere. Any thoughts?

Peter Kirby

From Biblical Criticism & History: Since Christianity is a thoroughly malleable and variegated tradition, no fact on earth or in heaven will slay the hydra. The decision to abandon that tradition, or to realize that you aren't really a part of it as usually understood, must ultimately be a matter of both the heart and the head. Some more heart and some more head, but the saying always holds true: a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.

You wouldn't expect it, but the more fundified versions of Christianity will be hardier, because it is easier to reject reason in favor of a 'higher authority'. But, Christianity is already irrelevant in many European countries, and will become so increasingly as scientific knowledge, value on independent thought, and standard of living increases throughout the globe. But, there will always be irrational beliefs as long as we feel that we can't make our own moral decisions, that death can't be final, that there must be an extrinsic purpose to life, and that the preacher you respect must be right. Which is, for a very long time to come.

best,
Peter Kirby

xorbie

I am pretty much with Peter on this one. Education, especially science and philosophy, just helps create people who are less prone to fundamentalism of any variety. Moreover, the more liberal forms of Christianity that are becoming more and more common are not at all like the more fundamental forms in that they do not perpetuate themselves the same way.

Godless Wonder

Perhaps "we" (as if there is a coherent "we") should take a page from the Christians book. (figuratively speaking.) Get 'em while they're young. I'm fairly well convinced a great many people are only able to believe in Christianity because their minds/brains literally grew to be Christ-believing-machines as they grew up with those beliefs.

one ryder

Twain said, "You can't reason someone out of something they weren't reasoned into."

Christianity and other forms of belief in supernature will continue -- waxing and waning with the changing fortunes of the global community -- precisely until Twain's claim, for some unimaginable reason, is no longer true. And that ain't gonna be Monday.

one ryder

Xyzzy

Xianity won't die until some other more popular (and possibly more irrational) religion replaces it. Atheism doesn't plut into the human mind nearly as well as xianity or many other religions. It will never replace religion.

However, there is always Islam.

Religion itself will continue to be exist as long as the human mind continues to function the way it does. Who knows how long that will be.

markfiend

The only thing I can think of that would be the end of Xianity would be the extinction of the species Homo sapiens.

And on that cheerful thought...

NonHomogenized

Me. <evil laugh>

about the only reliable method I can think of is death. Hopefully, a decent education system will appear, and take care of the problem within a few generations.

winstonjen

Ironically enough, the proof of a god.

Kruzkal

Q: What can cause the death of Xianity?

A: If all Xians participate in this thread.

__________________

Assumption is the mother of all F ups