Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2013 14:47:00 GMT -5
What do you think contributes more to moral and social awareness, and community cohesivness....atheisim or religion? And is that even important? Is individualism more important to society?
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Post by raybar on May 27, 2013 15:36:36 GMT -5
The answers to these questions are likely to vary according to specific situations. One society may value individualism while another may value group loyalty. One community may be centered around a local church while another may be centered around a school.
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joan
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Post by joan on May 27, 2013 15:38:19 GMT -5
At the present moment in American society at least, I think it is religion that contributes more to moral & social awareness, even if at times the contribution is a negative one, i.e. opposition to same sex marriage. In Europe, religion has lost foothold. I would rather say secular as opposed to atheist. This nation is peculiar in the modern west for the influences of religion.
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Post by raybar on May 27, 2013 16:27:40 GMT -5
In Europe, religion has lost foothold. I would rather say secular as opposed to atheist. I think that is correct. It is not that a large portion of the population has become atheist, as that religion has become largely irrelevant to many people. After several thousand years of empty promises and empty threats, a lot of people have stopped listening. While here in the U.S. a very vocal minority has taken center stage and corrupted politics to the point that the constitution itself is a risk. Some of them, based on their own rhetoric, want to turn the nation into a fundamentalist christian theocracy -- so much for freedom of anything. |
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joan
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Post by joan on May 27, 2013 16:43:34 GMT -5
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Post by faskew on May 28, 2013 7:20:38 GMT -5
The US is an anomaly. All the other industrialized, advanced nations are pretty much secular. Only the US is still more believer than not. But the secular numbers are rising. It wasn't that long ago that it was more like 95% believer.
As to morality, here's a nice quote:
"You don't get to advertise all the good that your religion does without first scrupulously subtracting all the harm it does and considering seriously the question of whether some other religion, or no religion at all, does better." - Daniel Dennett
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Post by raybar on May 28, 2013 8:54:00 GMT -5
A new survey shows that, despite the endless reports of rising secularism in the United States, we’re still an overwhelmingly religious nation........ seven in 10 Americans consider themselves moderate or very religious." I don't know what membership numbers they have, but in certain areas where I drive around it seems like there is a church on every other corner. But at least they peacefully co-exist here, unlike in some parts of the world where they seem to almost be at war with one another. |
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