I think the 'coming around' is a generational thing, over many generations. Very few who have 'caught' a religion at a young age, no matter if they understand the rationalism that makes them doubt it, are able to cast it off during their lifetimes. They may reject the dogma and practices of the religion but still cannot shake entirely the idea of a creator.
The religious meme is very strong but it is slowly being unravelled. I understand the strength of religious feeling but truth is truth and it cannot be suppressed just because it contradicts thousands of years of religious thought.
All the previous religions throughout time thought they were true and all have gone the way of all others before them - the current crop of religions are no different and in time will fade, to be replaced by truths that can be verified. Science and rationalism will have come of age, remember it's only been around for about 350 yrs(very young when compared to the major religions). It may take many hundreds of years, in the future the religions won't be missed, just as we don't miss the Norse gods etc. Undoubtedly there will still be a small section of humanity that will hold true to the old religions, but they will be very small indeed. It won't effect anyone alive today as by then you can expect to be in paradise with your creator if that is what you believe. Your god or gods can take care of the situation as they see fit, He certainly does not depend on you or any other human for survival, for he is either real for all time with his worshipers in paradise or he is dependent on mankind's belief for his own survival - and if that is the case then he couldn't have been a god in the first place. So believers, you have nothing to lose if religion dies out.
God may decide to end all life if few people believe in him anymore, but then again that will be good for believers because they are always looking forward to the 'End Times', 'Rapture' or 'Day of Judgement' - as I say, believers have nothing to lose.
Wow! That was a stream of conciseness!! Don't know what came over me!
The exception is the USA which is very polorised between a minority of some of the most brilliant rationalists and a majority of fundementalist christians.
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."
I think the 'coming around' is a generational thing, over many generations. Very few who have 'caught' a religion at a young age, no matter if they understand the rationalism that makes them doubt it, are able to cast it off during their lifetimes. They may reject the dogma and practices of the religion but still cannot shake entirely the idea of a creator.
The religious meme is very strong but it is slowly being unravelled. I understand the strength of religious feeling but truth is truth and it cannot be suppressed just because it contradicts thousands of years of religious thought.
All the previous religions throughout time thought they were true and all have gone the way of all others before them - the current crop of religions are no different and in time will fade, to be replaced by truths that can be verified. Science and rationalism will have come of age, remember it's only been around for about 350 yrs(very young when compared to the major religions). It may take many hundreds of years, in the future the religions won't be missed, just as we don't miss the Norse gods etc. Undoubtedly there will still be a small section of humanity that will hold true to the old religions, but they will be very small indeed. It won't effect anyone alive today as by then you can expect to be in paradise with your creator if that is what you believe. Your god or gods can take care of the situation as they see fit, He certainly does not depend on you or any other human for survival, for he is either real for all time with his worshipers in paradise or he is dependent on mankind's belief for his own survival - and if that is the case then he couldn't have been a god in the first place. So believers, you have nothing to lose if religion dies out.
God may decide to end all life if few people believe in him anymore, but then again that will be good for believers because they are always looking forward to the 'End Times', 'Rapture' or 'Day of Judgement' - as I say, believers have nothing to lose.
Wow! That was a stream of conciseness!! Don't know what came over me!
The exception is the USA which is very polorised between a minority of some of the most brilliant rationalists and a majority of fundementalist christians.
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."