Is Religion Dying?
I walked into our school library on Monday and I noticed they were selling some of their books for a dime a piece. I found some great books. I bought some collections of philosophical writings, a book on getting published, a collection of great political essays, and a book entitled Religion in America: Opposing Viewpoints, published in 1989. It is part of a larger Opposing Viewpoints series that looks at different issues from a variety of angles. The book I bought in the series deals with Religion and its relationship to national life and politics.
I have only begun reading it, but I am struck how arrogant many of the anti-religion articles are. One in particular just strikes me as ridiculous, a part of which I am going to briefly focus on here. The essay is titled “Religious Faith Will Decline” by Burnham Beckwith. The point of the essay is that religion will decline as society “progresses,” something he and other atheistic idealists have been saying since the Enlightenment. Beckwith gives numerous reasons why religion will eventually die out, including scientific discovery and social reforms. However, the reason he gave that struck me as the most far-fetched is this: “the growth in the influence of very intelligent persons.”
In discussing intelligence and religion, Beckwith begins with the assertion that the more intelligent people are, the less religious they are. I was looking for a reference to back up this broad assertion, or a clear definition of “intelligence,” but he provides neither. Beckwith then asserts that religion will die out because people of superior intelligence are in positions of power in the media (TV, etc) and our educational systems, thus positively influencing the unintelligent masses. As highly-intelligent people breed (like university professors marrying each other), future generations will be more intelligent and have no need for religion.
I couldn’t help but laugh after reading this. First, as I said above, some scientific studies and a definition of “intelligence” would be helpful. I would bet the farm that Beckwith just happens to consider himself one of these “persons of superior intelligence,” so we probably only need to look to what he believes to understand superior intelligence. Second, where does he get the idea that people in the media and in our educational system are intelligent across the board? In Massachusetts, public school teachers were failing state-mandated tests because a good chunk of them were writing sentences without verbs. If superiorly intelligent individuals ran the educational system, our students would be more competitive worldwide. Trust me, I believe many educators are intelligent (I teach in a public school), but if our educational system is run by the best-and-brightest, where are the superior results? Perhaps Beckwith has higher education in mind. Having attended undergraduate and graduate schools, I have found that critical thought is often in short supply, despite claims otherwise. A recent study suggests that college graduates are unprepared for even basic intellectual tasks, like balancing a checkbook. Third, as to the media…well, if Brittany Spears is my intellectual superior and “American Idol” the embodiment of intelligence, then I prefer to stay stupid! Besides, many media types are into new-age religion, which is hardly “intelligent” as an atheist like Beckwith would define the term. Fourth, a truly intelligent individual would not allow himself to be uncritically influenced by the media or an educational system anyway, no matter how super-smart our teachers and newscasters may be. Fifth, is there evidence that academics marrying each other leads to intelligent and irreligious kids? The bigger question would be “are academics even marrying these days?” And I am not talking about being married to a career. Ok, that was a bit of a red herring, but I still would like to see evidence to back up what Beckwith says about academics.
I think the problem with Beckwith, and many atheists, is that they automatically equate atheism with “intelligence” and religiosity with “stupidity.” This is simply not true: many atheists hold to their beliefs just as uncritically as do Christian fundamentalists, especially now that atheism has become more popular and accepted. Many former atheists, including Jennifer over at The Reluctant Atheist, can attest to the reality of thoughtless atheism.
I doubt religion will ever die out, but I do know one thing that has died out: the kind of uncritical modernist atheist idealism that Beckwith supports.
Cross posted to An Aid To Memory
David Bennett
Jennifer
asimplesinner
Fr. J.
Chad Toney
Jorge Flores
Jonathan B
carmelbennett
nicenehobbit
Jason S
jaybird68
papaz
February 3, 2006 at 12:49 am
I got “Surprised By Truth” for a dime at my school’s library. The rest is history. =)
March 6, 2007 at 3:21 am
Thank you for summarizing the argument that you found in that book. I have to say that although your article makes for good discussion and has a nice conversational tone, do not assume that this means your article has any real logical substance. You baiscally do nothing to refute the arguments in the piece that you are making reference to. If you think that your logic is sound take on Dawkins arguments in the God Delusion. Best wishes.
March 6, 2007 at 3:24 am
although your article makes for good discussion and has a nice conversational tone, do not assume that this means your article has any real logical substance.
To paraphrase The Princess Bride:
“Do you always begin good conversations this way??”
March 23, 2008 at 11:18 pm
It’s rational thought - not intelligence - that will hopefully make religion die out.
April 19, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Religion will never die out because religion is instinct. I believe in God and would never think otherwise. It takes an intelligent person to realize that God is alive in each of us. If you don’t believe what I am saying as truth, you will find out one day otherwise.
May 4, 2008 at 1:52 pm
In a recent letter, (Atheists, read these, you might be surprised) Christian “believer”, Patricia Strang makes some suggestions to Atheists like myself to read the writings of fellow Christian “believers” before we “throw in the towel on Christianity” as she not so charitably puts it. I would like to remind Ms. Strang and other Christians like herself who seem to hold a misinformed opinion that atheists have “not done their research”.
On the contrary, all of the Atheists, Agnostics and Secular Humanists I personally know across the country (and believe me, there are many more of us than Christians would lead you to believe, in a recent Gallup Poll, we number at least 14% of the population and are the fastest growing minority worldwide, having doubled in size since 1990), have done extensive reading, research and investigation into the origins of not only Christianity, but also Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and many other religions of the world’s history. In addition to researching all of the world’s religions, we have also delved with a critical thinking mind into the areas of Paleoanthropology, DNA Research, Biology, and World History. We have studied the ancient civilizations of not only Israel and Rome, but also the Persian, Greek and Babylonian empires. My personal studies have taken 10 years of research. What have Atheists found after many years of critical and discerning study of the Bible and it’s origins?
We have found that the mythological figure of “jesus christ” was based on other mythical pagan savior gods from Egypt, Babylonia, Greece and Sumeria. The mythical gods of “Horus”, “Krishna”, Mithra, and Dionysus all had the same crucified and rising from the dead “experience” “jesus” did. They were all supposedly “born” in a cave, attended by “Shepard’s” and were born from a “virgin impregnated by a ghost”. They all had a “star’ to announce that birth which was also Dec 25th which was the date assigned to the Jesus myth based on the Winter Solstice which was originally celebrated by the pagans who were murdered by the Christian when they refused to conform to the new Christian “belief system”. All of the mythical gods were attended by 3 wise men or kings.
Atheists do not believe in a heaven or a hell, because the entire concept of an afterlife was invented along with gods and goddesses by the Egyptians and the Greeks. The Greek myth the river “Hades” became the concept of “Hell”.
The persona of “Satan” is from the Egyptian God “SET” who was the God Horus’s (prototype for Jesus) mortal enemy.
It is no coincidence that the Israelites borrowed heavily from the Ancient Egyptians in the areas of mythology when they set up their belief system and wrote the myths, fables and lies that compose the Bible. The Israelites were neighbors to Egypt after all. Even the word ISRAEL is an amalgam of the names of the Egyptian gods and goddesses. IS=Isis, the Egyptian Goddess of the Moon, RA=The God of the Sun, and EL=The God of the Stars.
I would like to ask if Ms Strang is aware of all of the errors and contradictions in the Bible? Errors such as the fact that the four synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John differ in their accounts of the resurrection story? Contradictions like Judas hanging himself in the Gospel, but throwing himself into a field in the Book of Acts?
Why would we have no record of Jesus’ life from the age of 12 all the way to the age of 30?
Perhaps Ms Strang, being a female, believes that she was created from a Man’s rib, and that the earth is only 6,000 years old as well and dinosaurs lived here at the same time as “Adam and Eve”. Perhaps she believes that it was a “holy spirit” working inside the lives if priests that sexually abused children, “pastors” that have lied and embezzled money from their congregations and nuns that have been impregnated by priests who could not live up to a misguided “vow of celibacy”. If there was a god “blessing the Iraq war” why is it failing so miserably?
I believe in “Lucy”, a skeleton, carbon dated and scientifically authenticated I can see with my own eyes, rather than “Eve or Mary” who were obvious literary creations, along with a mythical sky-god named “jesus”. Ms. Strang believes in fear based “Armageddon” and “rapture”. I believe in humans working together and helping each other for the betterment of this world.
Because I believe in the seen rather than the unseen and unproven, I can face death with bravery and more importantly, I can face life with honesty, clear thinking, human empathy, and more passion than I ever could when I was a “believer. Atheists consider honesty and integrity the highest value, and they find Christianity and other religions seriously lacking in both.
Ms. Strang, I have actually read some of the works you suggested I do so in your letter. Now, may I ask you to read the following? “The Christ Conspiracy” by Acharya S and “Deceptions and Myths of the Bible” By Lloyd Graham. I would be more than happy to borrow you these for a start on a journey of critical and rational thinking.
(This is the opinion of Jack Richter, a Sartell resident who is a former catholic and fundamentalist Baptist who now embraces atheism and is a member of Minnesota atheists and American Atheists.)
May 4, 2008 at 1:54 pm
“Un-holy” Bible more fictional than “Davinci Code
As a former Catholic and Baptist fundamentalist, I looked forward to the theatrical release of “The Davinci Code. Why? Because hopefully it will make people who are blinded by religious “dogma” and superstition think rationally and investigate the bible. The ENTIRE Bible.
If you have the courage and honesty to actually look at it through clear thinking eyes, you will find that it is a work of fiction, written by a male influenced priesthood. The apostle Paul supposedly wrote “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Cor 14:33) yet never has a book produced more confusion than the bible! here are hundreds of denominations and sects, all using the “inspired Scriptures” to prove their conflicting doctrines.
Why do trained theologians differ? Why do educated translators disagree over Greek and Hebrew meanings? Why all the confusion? Shouldn’t a “divinely inspired” document be as clear as possible?
The problem is not with human limitations, as some claim. the problem is the bible itself. People who are free of theological bias and whose minds have not turned cultish in their blind belief notice that the Bible contains hundreds of discrepancies. Should it surprise us that such a literary and moral mishmash taken seriously causes so much discord?
One verse out of hundreds that do not make sense:
Jesus: But those who are my enemies, which would not have me rule over them, bring them here and slay them before me. Luke 19: Verse 27
Does this sound like the “Prince of Peace” and loving Jesus we were taught from childhood?
Are we really supposed to believe that Jesus was born of a virgin impregnated by a ghost? I find it incredible that we are asked to believe that the earth was created in 6 literal days, that women came form a man’s rib, and that same man was created from mud, that a snake, a donkey and a burning bush spoke human language, that the entire world was flooded with 40 days of rain (do you know how many times the number 40 is used in the bible? The answer is at least 4. How about the numbers 3, 6, and 7?) The writers used numerology.) Are we supposed to believe that language variations stem from the tower of Babel, that the sun stood still to help Joshua win a battle and it went backward for King Hezekiah? Would any self respecting physician believe that mental illness and epilepsy are caused by demons (there was no word for these things thousands of years ago, that those born with a homosexual orientation are possessed by the same demons, (again, no DNA studies or Biology 5,000 years ago). Finally do we believe that that there is life after death in a city which is 1,500 miles cubed, with mansions and food for Christians only. Has anyone noticed the similarity in the names Christ and Krishna? How many know that there were other pagan gods and a=saviors that have the same hallmarks that “jesus” had? Does anyone care to research evolution as much as they do the Bible? If they did they would find there are skeletons which are half human and yes, half ape. They are called Hominids. Dozens and dozens have been found, and yes, so has the infamous “missing link”.
Why is this so frightening? Isn’t war and religious division more frightening? If I am Catholic and you are Baptist, what gives me the right to tell you that you are going to a hell and I am the one who is going to a heaven and will be “saved” while you are dammed? Or ask the same question with a rational mind and substitute Mormon or Missouri Synod Lutheran? You pick the religion.
More people have been killed in the name of the “unholy Bible and Koran” and in the name of a god than for any other reason in human history. Was it a “holy spirit” inside of George W. Bush when he authorized pre-emptive strike on a country that had never harmed us in the first place and where we still cannot find any WMD?
Humans will never have world peace as long as religion occupies this world. I may not be religious, but I do wish all of you who are, true peace. http://www. mnatheists.org