I find it interesting that we're arguing
the pros and cons of Atheism versus
religion.

Emile Durkheim, one of the first sociologists
believed that the origins of religion were
social, not supernatural. He pointed out that,
whatever their source, the rituals enacted in
any religion enhance the solidarity of the
community as well as its faith. Consider such
religious rituals as - Baptism, Bar Mitzvah,
Weddings, Sabbath Services, Christmas Mass,
funerals, and so on. Rituals like these serve
to bring people together: to remind them of
their common group membership, to reaffirm
their traditional values; to maintain prohibitions
and taboos; to offer comfort in times of crisis:
and, in general, to help transmit the cultural
heritage from one generation to the next.

In fact, Durkheim argued, shared religious beliefs
and the rituals that go with them are so important that
every society needs a religion, or at least some belief
system that serves the same functions.

The cause of much of the social disorder in modern
societies, he contended, is that "the old gods are
growing old or are already dead, and others are not yet
born."

In other words, people no longer believe deeply in
traditional religion, but they have found no
satisfying substitute.

Atheists however, seem to have done precisely that.
They may not believe in God but they believe in people,
and as Richard Dawkins says, " People when given the
right encouragement to think for themselves about
all the information now available, very often turn out
not to believe in God and to lead fulfilled and satisfied,
indeed, liberated - lives."

Foxy,
The revelation of the character of God happens precicely through people. A belief that - the spirit of a person reflect the character of the God they believe in, and exhibit in attitude and action.

Believe the character of Christ is the exact revelation of the character of God identifies one as Christian. It however is not just a mental assent to ideas but living as a follower in action. Such an emulation of his character identifies one as godly. Such a character is not merely a philosopher, but an action person improving the lives of the sick, unholy and poor. Blessing those that would reject and curse you. Take a look at your teachers personal life, it it worth following?

Grateful wrote:

>>Atheists tend to argue are follows:

<<The world is evolving toward an atheistic future. Religions are dying out.<<

I don’t think that at all. On the contrary I think we atheists are an endangered species.

The reason is quite simple. Believers have more babies. Atheists have few to none.

Now that used not to matter. The children of believers often gravitated towards atheism as education levels improved. But this is no longer the case. “Retention levels” within religions are improving. More and more people born into religious families remain religious. Usually they stick with some variant of their own religion.

One pundit who documents these trends rather well is Eric Kaufmann. See:

Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?: Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century

http://www.amazon.com/Shall-Religious-Inherit-Earth-Twenty-First/dp/1846681448/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285042955&sr=1-1

See also “Breeding for God” by the same author.

http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2006/11/breedingforgod/

Interestingly atheists find Kaufmann’s analysis as hard to swallow as fundamentalist Christians and Muslims find Darwin

Dear Philo,

Many religions don't recognise a supreme being,
and a number do not believe in gods at all.
Several religions ignore questions about the
origins of the universe and life, leaving these
problems to be dealt with instead by nonreligious
myth. Many religions assume that the gods take
little interest in human affairs. Some have almost
nothing to say about life after death, and many -
perhaps most-do not link our earthly morality
with our fate beyond the grave. Obviously,
religion can't be defined in terms of the Western
religious tradition alone.

As for my own personal beliefs - well I think you
already know what those are. I've stated them often
enough on this Forum. I shall be a Catholic who
follows her conscience, struggles to find herself,
to love my fellow human beings, and try to be a decent
person.

Philo,
I had more than my share of church when growing up. My parents were ministers, grandparents and two aunties were missionaries. Don't bother telling me about religion, i get it. The very beautiful scene you paint is common when one stands there and views a congregation. It is what festers under that calm which had such a dramatic impact on me that religious organisations were set aside in my life.
Bugsy got it perfectly. "you would be surprised at how many of them are the same 'youth'."
I apologies if i get over involved in these discussions when religion is raised. I try not to but often don't succeed. My disillusionment with the church does cloud my objectivity when trying to clearly explain the total pleasure of being able to do the right thing by or for someone just because it is a good act not because hell is hanging over my head.

The crutch that man invented to sleep soundly at night is no longer needed.
Even now in our lifetime new reildgions are being invented.
Ones most alive today know are false but tomorrows followers will believe.
If we must have a God let us invent one.
Lets put our heads together and have one for all humanity.
After all most of humanity follow the three so very alike but so very different born in the middle east.
Start there change it so those three for one Gods become the new all encompassing
How can Christians Muslims and Jews not see their God was in their minds the creator of us all, why fight?
Leave us non believers out of it look at the world biggest Christian church today, the child rape the cover up just here in OLO we have put thousands of words in to telling of this horror from within the heart of Christianity.