Is atheism on the rise in youth culture?

Question

I guess this is just an extension of a question asked by bruce b "Why are the young running from Christianity?" http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ars8iDwGBY9aCFxJjNvZvA7g5gt.?qid=20070603074204AAQMITl&show=7#profile-info-aLL66rzAaa

But it is something I was thinking about earlier on today.

My generation almost entirely grew up in established churches.

Most atheists from my generation shed their faith as they grew older.

But now, there are far more children growing up without that religious indoctrination.

Will this lead to a surge in the number of atheists as these kids grow older and then raise even more atheist kids?

Will christianity be an eccentricity of the older generation, not to be taken seriously by the young?

Answer 1

I hope so. As a previously devout Christian, I am embarrassed at how easily I accept things. I hope we do not do this to future generations with any religion. Still, I think the instinct toward religious answers guarantees religions will not only always be with us, but a problem for society.

Answer 2

It's a fact that youth is running away from the Church nowadays. I'm an atheist myself (and only 17 years old), and this is why I chose not to believe in God... I'll tell you my opinion, no matter how immature it may seem.

In Greece, the Orthodox Church masters are the most hidden politicians for me. I never understood why should Church intervene about all these political topics. I never understood why people made wars about their beliefs...

Religion does not unite people in most occasions... Many war campaigns started from popes in the past... What about the Crusades?

Instabul, the great Turkish city with 12,000,000 residents nowadays, was named so after being conquered by the Othoman Turks... And why did this happen? Because the Byzantine Empire was to weak to defend after the Crusades. Instabul's first name was Byzantium, and then Constantinopole. These were the names that Greeks and Romans, the real residents, had given to the town.

And then Greece was stable for 400 years, while England, France and Spain, along with other nations, were always improving. When industry was first introduced in England, Greeks were struggling to live working in the fields. This was industry for them. In fact they didn't even know the word "industry".

And everything happened because the pope of the Catholic church and the patriarch of the Byzantine Empire had no communication and tried to oblige the mass in different ways.

Note: I'm not an ethnicist, I hate them. Turk friends, if you read this, I don't have anything bad to tell about you about this topic. You were powerful, you took the city, that's all. :)

Too many destructions have occured during wars supported by the church...

Something that breaks my nerves is that almost all Greeks are so loyal to the Church, that, if the patriarch said that the world will end the next day, they would all kill themselves in order not to see the end of the world. It's so crazy.

Finally, everyone here in Greece has to believe in God. They don't take you to prison, but if you are an atheist, you are somehow rejected by the society.

Fortunately, many young people in Greece have started understanding that religion was invented by people who wanted to take power, make money and exploit the mass, who didn't have the ability to be educated, so they believed to everything that claimed to help them.

Sorry about not describing my point of view clearly, I'm not a native speaker... You may have understood it :)

Answer 3

I know atheism will rise due to the internet. Also, several bestselling book have been written about atheism, and several movies challenging religious claims. Before, ppl only heard theistic explanations of the world in churches, tradition, and from the culture around them. Without logic and science, myths and legends filled the void.

When I searched atheism in the internet, it took the arguments for God apart with reasoning and science. The arguments for God are clever, it is difficult for many to detect why they are flawed. With more ppl like Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens are writting about whats wrong about religion, with more ppl questioning religion, with more atheists speaking up, atheism will rise.

And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerve in the brain of Jupiter.
Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823

The sooner the better.

Answer 4

its not the fact that its on the rise because it what we've been taught exept that the fact we've been taught to gather are own op-ions on things and when you see so many religious figures crumble due the instability of people who represent them what is that saying to the kids...? your god by proxy will crumble?

just my view.

i don't think its a fad or an attack of rebellion its just were more of an open and opinionated group then past generations.

most people after church if they even go to church just run out after the sermon most people who are Cristian's at least that Ive seen are willing to say that they are in fact Cristian's but wont take someone seriously if they state that they've seen a demon.

Answer 5

I hope so. Come on, kids - atheism is cool. Everybody's doing it.

Seriously, I reached the atheist conclusion when I was 14, on my own initiative, having been raised Catholic. (I'm 25 now.) But my friends (most of whom were having sex, drinking, doing drugs, the usual teenage activities) all considered themselves to be Christians. I think the technical term is "cognitive dissonance."

Answer 6

Most definately. Kids nowadays are far more educated than they ever have been in the past. Belief in fairy tale stories is decreasing as logic and education take hold. A good thing.

Answer 7

I wouldn't say atheism per se but there is a big number of them. I would say that it is more, "I believe in God" but that is about it. No real conviction, no huge number of fundamentalists. You will see a decline in church attendance over time, and I am grateful for that.

Answer 8

'god' has never helped me and we have no evidence he exists. People just believe in something. They never wonder whether what god teaches it's right or wrong. It keeps your eyes shut you just believe in smthng without knowing why. Faith gives you hope, but life gives you lessons. Young people just use their brains.

Answer 9

yup, i think the number of atheise is really increase on the face of the earth, and not only adults, it's also influences youth generation to do so.

in this Crazy era, religion considered as Not-Cool stuff...that's so bad actually.. :(, and you also know, world offers the happiness of making sins to public, and we know..doing sins always feels good , they don't realize what they'll have to face when they dead, for every sins they've done =.=

ya..Don't worry pal, i am a teenage Christian, and also work for the Kingdom of God ^^, i know the sadness you feel for youth generation n all the atheist. i also come door to door to every house and ask them to go to church, some of them also decline our invitation, but we keep pray for their life and come to their house

we work for the same master, Jesus Christ ^^, dont care all the suffers we got, keep on moving, keep on fire !! ^^

God Bless you! we support ur works! never give up!! always pray!

~Surabaya, Indonesia~

~from your ~

Answer 10

We all need to believe on something. If I could prove God, where would my FAITH come in?

People that say they can prove God is real, have no FAITH. do they? If you know the desk in front of you is real. You need no faith.