America's nonreligious are a growing, diverse phenomenon. They really don't like organized religion
America's nonreligious are a growing, diverse phenomenon. They really don't like organized religion
Ask Americans what their religion is, and nearly 1 in 3 say this -- none. That’s according to the U.S. adults surveyed by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Mike Dulak grew up Catholic in Southern California, but by his teen years, he began skipping Mass and driving straight to the shore to play guitar, watch the waves and enjoy the beauty of the morning. “And it felt more spiritual than any time I set foot in a church,” he recalled.
Nothing has changed that view in the ensuing decades.
“Most religions are there to control people and get money from them,” said Dulak, now 76, of Rocheport, Missouri. He also cited sex abuse scandals in Catholic and Southern Baptist churches. “I can’t buy into that,” he said.
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The older I get the more angry the concept of God makes me. It's hit the point where I hope I'm wrong, so when I die I can spit in his face and call Him a useless God
The idea that their "love" god kills, maims, allows horrendous birth defects, molestation, etc of children is one of the multiple proofs that god doesn't exist. Oh, and wasps and mosquitoes.
The bible describes God as a manchild that gets upset and throws a tantrum when his playthings don't function the way he wants them to. The loving, benevolent God only exists when things are going his will and then he gives out presents of kindness. It's pretty much the definition of an abusive relationship with a narcissist.
Abusive narcissists control people, so why not make up a magical abusive narcissist to control a lot of people?
Oh oh oh, let's make him omnipotent and gaslight everyone by saying all the abuse is just his way of showing love so we can excuse our own toxic traits as holy.
Speaking of controlling people, isn't it an interesting coincidence that the religions that tend to survive are the ones that say that the political leader (king, emperor, kaiser, tsar, chief, raj) has a divine right to rule, and is chosen by god? Also, what an interesting coincidence that whenever the king has a divine right to rule, the religious head seems to have a cushy life? How unusual is it that the suffering of common people is something that is good for your soul, especially if you bear the suffering silently.
It's like every successful religion coincidentally also sets up a society that's easy for a leader to rule over. Crazy huh?!
Wasps pollinate plants and mosquitoes are an important step in the food web. Nothing in this existence is here for no reason and "god" to is show man's own arrogance.
Don't forget bedbugs.
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There are approx. 4000 religions out there today. Most of them have a rule saying "our religion is the right one, believe in the wrong one and terrible things happen to you after you die". If one of those is right and 3999 of them are wrong, what are the odds of anybody picking the right one? Most believers don't even put in the effort and learn all about the other 3999 to be sure that the one they picked is likely to be correct. They're just gambling with a tiny chance of avoiding "hell".
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Unless the correct religion is one that is really harsh on people who believe in one of the heathen religions, but welcoming of non-believers who nevertheless live a good life.
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Damn, this version of hell fucks.
I just have more and more trouble believing that actual functional adults believe in this crap. My mom is one of them, and I keep boggling at her ideas.
Like, if she misplaces her keys then finds them, she thanks her god for finding them for her. Never blames it for hiding / losing the keys, of course. She's absolutely confident that her beliefs match what her god wants, despite hers being picking and choosing from the various holy books. Her church isn't quite mainstream for her religion. Her beliefs don't quite match her church. But, of course, she's right.
A family friend of hers is dying of dementia. He is non-verbal and can no longer feed himself. Soon he'll have to be on a feeding tube because he'll no longer be able to swallow. This, of course, is her god's plan. He wants a nurse to have to handle his waste and feed him with a tube. But, naturally, her god doesn't want those same medical professionals to assist someone in dying with dignity.
She also literally believes stories that are less believable than fairy tales. Apparently some holy person didn't eat or drink for years! This other one healed people! Another one predicted future events! We know these are true because other people from that religion verified it, and if you can't trust people of her religion, who can you trust?
How can an adult stop believing in things like Santa Claus and underpants gnomes, but keep believing in this religious stuff?