Why does atheism continue to grow in first world nations... nobody is forcing people to ascribe to it?

Question

In first world (the most educated) nations, what is compelling people in increasing numbers to become atheists? In the eleven industrial democracies with population over twenty million, non-religious have made more converts than they lost between 1990 and 2000. Atheists had a net loss from conversions in Germany, no doubt because East Germans turned to religion after the fall of communism, but in the other ten large industrial democracies the atheists had net gains through voluntary conversion. Furthermore, atheists were an increasing portion of the population in First World countries, with the exception of Germany, and non-religious people were an increasing portion of all eleven First World countries with populations over 20 million.

Is satan all of a sudden tempting the educated first world citizens, or are people just "waking up?"

(Source: David Barrett's World Christian Encyclopedia, the standard source of religious membership statistics, used by Encyclopedia Britannica.)

To reformed: I am not arguing the Barrett's summary that worldwide atheism has fallen.

However, if you are going to cite the summary to support your argument, at least be forthcoming with ALL the facts. Atheism has increased worldwide because of the fall of communism, and the subsequent introduction of religion into formally atheistic countries. This does not change the fact that in the eleven democratic industrialized nations with populations of 20 million or more, atheism has increased.

Your answer is a clever attempt to confuse readers by presenting contradictory statistics which, although accurate, have no bearing on the validity of my question. You should be in sales.

Answer 1

In, first world nations, the theory of evolution is taught in increasing numbers. Religion has traditionally answered questions, like "How did we get here?" Science now too answers that question, and in modern times, people have come to increasingly believe what science says. In many ways, science has become a religion.

Also, people have become more aware of other religions with distinctly different beliefs. They have come to see that all people have different beliefs, and that is okay. It can be hard to accept other religions and still believe that your religion is the right one. This leads some people to accept all religions as just religions. Not one is more right or more wrong; They are just things people believe.

Additionally, church has become less important in many people's lives, as they instead fill their time with work, hobbies, children, etc... Government and society does not sanction religion as strongly as it used to. Therefore, it is much easier for people to question their beliefs and declare themselves atheists without facing harsh penalties from society.

Answer 2

I think you may have misunderstood. Barrett's did not say atheism is growing. It states that atheism is falling, largely due to the fall of Communism.

Barrett's summary states:

The third group are the non-religious and anti-religious groups. Non-religious include the agnostics, do not know, do not care groups. The anti-religious are the more radical atheists, free thinkers, and those that are opposed to all religion. All together these groups are 14 percent of the world's population. About two and a half percent are part of the more radical atheist group and eleven to twelve percent belong to the more moderate agnostic group.

This group is a falling part of world population, particularly the more radical atheists, who have lost almost half their percentage of the population since Communism failed in the Soviet Block countries. Outside the communist countries less than one percent of the population fits into the more radical atheist category. As Communist governments in China, North Korea, Cuba, and Vietnam lose power the atheist percentage of the world population will drop quickly.

Because of slow birth rates atheists and agnostics will probably fall even if the communists do not loose any more countries, but as they are more common in the industrialized countries their percentage could rise if the more industrialized countries become a larger portion of total world population. This is a big if because of the more rapid population growth in the 3rd World. The 3rd World and the 1st World have been maintaining much the same percentages of World population as the more rapid birth rate of the 3rd World is balanced by immigration to the 1st world and the rise of nations like Korea from 3rd World to 1st World status.

Answer 3

Wait a minute... how can the non-religious have made more converts that they lost between 1990 and 2000 ? Non-religious don't try to convert, except for the occasional bitter crackpot. Conversion tactics are pretty much only undertaken by the christian religion. Think about it. What other religion, again with the occasional crackpot not withstanding, actually has as one of its primary tenets the saving of souls or any other means of attempting to convert ? Why the hell would a non-religious person try to convert anyone ? I mean, we have nothing to prove. Yeah, I think people are waking up. People are getting tired of being opiated. Or maybe it is just that they are not becoming atheists, but simply tired of the bull of organized religion.

Answer 4

In the western, advanced countries conversion to Atheism or other religions isn't a new trend. They started it en mass sometime between the World Wars. The reason is simple. I don't want to interfere with your liberty.

I live in India. Here the relationship within the family and the social bondage are so tight that you can never come out of it. If my parents and sibling could bear it, I would have been a Muslim or a Hindu or a registered Atheist by now.

Answer 5

It's not a surprise to me that the more educated people (and correspondingly, countries) are increasingly atheistic. Once people can break out of what they were taught with regard to religion and analyze facts, it's obvious that the creation myth has flaws that cannot stand up under scrutiny.

The educated, and thus questioning, mind will ask questions that the less educated, and thus accepting, mind will not. It has the capacity to research and learn, use trusted and verifiable information to come to different conclusions than the bible offers... conclusions that make more sense and are scientifically testable.

Answer 6

Only .2% of prisoners are atheist (US only), even though we make up about 10% of the population. So we're not the evil ones, and don't forget we don't believe in hell. Studies have shown that the more education an individual has the more likely he/she is to be atheist. Western Europe is ahead of the US in education, that is they require their kids to spend more time in school. So naturally their ahead of the US in the spread of atheism.

Answer 7

Personally, if an atheist does no harm to society, then it's OK with me. I mean, if a person seems religious but commits grave acts of crime, i.e. priests who sexually molests children, I'd rather have a sane, normal atheist as my neighbour.

Being an atheist does not mean you are sinful; it's just another transport you're jumping onto. But the roads are more tricky and have less signposts. You just need to know where you're going.

Answer 8

Oh there are plenty of reasons.
Corruption in the churches.
Televangelists, fundamentalists, and religious fanatics giving religion a bad name.
Better education.
Scientific advances that continually disprove the holy texts, or otherwise explain what was previously attributed to god.
Ease of travel, more people have gone to countries with different religions, and we can see they're doing just fine without "being saved"
...and so on....

Answer 9

More people in first world countries are becoming disillusioned with the different sects and are looking for something more concrete and reliable and sensible than what is being offered by the Mainstream Religions.
More a reawakening that what has been taught is missing something vital.
Satan is still reeling from his fight with Jesus over the Keys to Hell.

Answer 10

People are indeed waking up to the realization that religious dogma is not the way to God, or to the Truth, and not being offered an understanding that would comply with logic and that would make common sense, they choose nothing, rather than nonsense.

Religions were made by the establishment with a political purpose. To anyone who is not prepared to be manipulated into a belief that their brain rejects, but senses that there is nevertheless more to life than what we eat, you may benefit from clicking on "Rational Spirituality" on the Dhaxem website.