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I tend to believe it. I think the majority of Europeans are atheists in practice if not neccesarily by creed. Then there's the population of China and Russia, which were officially atheist for generations. While the most religious countries have the highest birthrates, I think over time, that religion will fade away.

I think it's growing, as well, although many of those who lean towards atheism can be reluctant to call themselves an outright atheist. It's always a lot easier to just pass yourself off as an agnostic rather than have to argue with someone about how atheists are no more close-minded than avampirists or afairyists are.

On the other hand, I'm not so sure I really believe that religion will slowly fade away. Religion is so tied up with nationalism and cultural identity that in many countries, it is in the politicians' best interest to keep people tethered to fundamentalist beliefs. Also, not everyone has access to reliable information or instruction about science. Even in the U.S. where virtually everyone goes to school, students aren't introduced to the theory of evolution until many have had 15-20 years of denial and hostility towards it hammered into their heads by their Christian parents. If anything, I see science education moving backwards in this country, with school boards increasingly being taken over by fundamentalist parents who want creationism to be given equal, or exclusive, time. I'm really quite fearful that the pendulum may be swinging back the other direction towards extremism, intolerance, and other fundamentalist and tribalistic mentalities.

It's true that religion is tied up with cultural identity (though I'm not so sure about national identity) but there comes a point in which religion is just cultural identity, without any real religious faith behind it. There are quite a few Jews, even in Israel, that fall into this category. Likewise with Christmas/Easter/St. Valentine's Day gifts, church weddings, funerals and the like. They might have religious trappings, but really they're just fashion or social conventions, like wearing a necktie to certain events or driving on a certain side of the road.

The pendulum does swing, but in this case, I think that the entire clock is moving further away from religion, at least organized religion. New-ageism, increasing demands for superficial freedoms, and the rise of tolerance as the supreme virtue have pretty much condemned orgainized religion to extinction. Organized religion demands that it's believers, well, believe a certain creed, and in the mass-customization-I-want-it-my-way world of the future, that just won't work. Once everyone has their own, unique (perhaps solopistic?) "spirituality" the power of religion to move vast numbers of adherents towards a common goal will be gone. And a religion without effect, a religion that can be ignored, isn't much at all.

So true I think.


I'm not sure about other countries but in Iran is going to fade away I think. Youngs and teenagers discuss about Islam so openly here whereas before our revolution when I was teenager it was out of our mind to think about it, on that time we had secular regime.

I think you are right or hope so.

Well, it must be growing where I am. I went away for a vacation, came back, and a friend who has in past waxed poetic on her religion (not trying to convert me, mind you -- she never judged others and was very accepting) said she just had an epiphany and realized that the bible is fiction, and that so many use it to create circular arguments. Knock me over with a feather!