That's the headline in the Arabic News Digest, an online journal based in the United Arab Emirates.

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/is-gulf-youth-increasingly-drawn-to-atheism

>>"A lot of folks have reacted online, especially on Twitter, to the article I wrote last week - Atheism: Why is it spreading? - in which I discussed a growing tendency among youth in our Gulf societies to become atheists, despite the fact that our Gulf societies are known to be attached to religion," wrote Dr Sajed Al Abdali, a Kuwaiti writer, in yesterday's edition of the Dubai-based newspaper Al Bayan.

In last week's article, Dr Al Abdali wrote: "Let me cut to the chase: it is essential that we acknowledge today that atheism exists and is increasing in our society, especially among our youth, and evidence of this is in no short supply.

"You can see it in online writings, in forums, blogs and social networking websites, and more timidly, and less frequently, in some newspaper articles. You can also hear it from those who express their atheistic ideas verbally, whether explicitly or tacitly, in this gathering or that majlis," he said.>>

See also:

Muslims differ widely on religiosity and tolerance: global poll

http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/muslims-differ-widely-on-religiosity-and-tolerance-global-poll

>>In Mena, Muslims aged 35 and older were more religious than their younger counterparts. The opposite was true of religiosity in Russia.

A median figure of 63 per cent of Muslims in surveyed countries believed there was only one way to interpret Islam. Only 37 per cent of American Muslims agreed with that statement.

In countries where Sunnis and Shiites lived side-by-side in large numbers - such as in Lebanon and Iraq - believers were more likely to accept the other sect.

Conversely, in predominantly Sunni Pakistan, 41 per cent surveyed said Shiites were not true Muslims.

A quarter of everyone surveyed indentified themselves as neither Sunni nor Shiite, but as "just a Muslim".>>

See also:

Most Muslims Want Democracy, Personal Freedoms, and Islam in Political Life

http://www.pewglobal.org/2012/07/10/most-muslims-want-democracy-personal-freedoms-and-islam-in-political-life/

>>Indeed, these publics do not just support the general notion of democracy – they also embrace specific features of a democratic system, such as competitive elections and free speech.>>

today its a fad
tomorrow it will just be another creed
a form of belief..usually made in ignorance..based on high priests called scientists...lol..who speculate about life making itself FROM NUTHING..

quite by accident..very scientific..if you learned your science from a teacher teaching the dumbed down/school text.,.or these alians..they actually suggest creayted life here...lol by first dioing it elsewhere

that failsafe is cause evolution hasnt got the dna/proof that validates the theory/in fact the lies of taxionomy[looks like/phenotype..fooled the theory.

seems dna has many way to make them weak joinders full of gaps from fossils..writting phenpotype into stone..but genotype destroys the lie of taxonomy..yet science remains mute

just wait till the proof god didnt do it..is more that opinioon or theory..or alians...lol

All youth is increasingly drawn to atheism.
They see on the internet that the non religious west is a rich
and exiting place.
They want their share of sex and drugs and rock and roll.
I had my share in the 1970s and enjoyed it a lot.
Youth do not want to be told to do pointless things by silly old men.
Todays youth are not afraid of the threats of hell.No such place.

OUG.....Its always an interesting read when its coming from blind faith. The problem is, and I agree with you to a point, that something has made us, but GOD is not what you think it is. One of the facts to support this, is the lack of love with-in or about any God for that matter and to think love is a God made thing, sorry friend, all intelligent life has some degree of it, and the rest is just a programmed instinctive res ponce.

It is more highly likely that what ever engineered all life on this planet, knew exactly what they were doing, hence mans wrong interpretations of it all, hence the bible/Koran and all human writings on the subject, with its multi failings.

The thing with the religious mind, its just afraid to move on to the next stage of what's drove us all to this point in time, and this fear is keeping the human mind in a state of evolutionary suspended animation of the brain.

I wrote a long time ago...(2006/2007plus) "If you lived long-ago as a primitive man, and something came from the sky, what would you call it?"

OUG...there is strong evidence to say, that a God of any sort, is not what we think it is.

"Is Gulf youth increasingly drawn to atheism?"

The only problem I can see with atheism, is the fact that religion is genetically woven into our very existences, and only time/evolution can remove it.

I support Atheism to a point, but these are early days considering mankind has just taken off its baby-boots on a scale of immortality that's seen all around the world considering religion in the hands of the powerful or just plain MAD.

Men kill for religion, but its the only system to use to cull ourselfes until now....(new diseases)+(better birth control) and so on..

IMO....the next stage of mans evo, is to go without a GOD and just take the past teachings with us into the new future.

To stay with the book, will cause mans destruction...so sayith your lord.

Planet

a generation with no absolutes has led to huge increases in teen suicide, mental illness and violence. The fruit of denying the obvious (our Creator) is clear to anyone with half a brain. The something from nothing brigade only survive by feeding the lusts of kids and then watching them destroyed. No wonder private schools are thriving.

Mental illness and violence are increased by religion.
The something from nothing brigade are interested to
know where God came from?

Folks

Question:

What are the implications for the Gulf theocracies if youth there really are, for good or ill, embracing atheism?

Generally speaking it tends to be the more educated people who adopt atheism so they have an influence out of proportion to their numbers.

I also find it interesting that so many Arabs specifically say they want freedom of speech. I wonder if, in their minds, that includes the right to dis Islam or Muhammad.

Runner,
Are these the same thriving private schools that sometimes sexually molest their own students?

steven..what will change in the mideast..isnt for us non easterners to judge[{god gave to each one a messenger..byut those who put the messenger or his message before god plant a wind..will reap a whirlwind

NOT BY GODS HAND.
we have god concept wrong in many ways[often its not god athiest reject/for then they would be a-theo-ists[just as those studying religion..miss god all to-gether,..

god is inside everyone..omnipresent
god is eternal..[think E=energy..we learned energy cant be created NOR DESTROYED..thus god[E}>>changes form..just as indicated in the text..

god who was before the big bang..survives the big implosion of all matter...back to the prebang stage..E utters those immortal word's..*LET THERE BE LIGHT*..

and with a bang..the next big bang..
silently changes form..not state

the period betwen big bangs..is like a god breathing
birth with a bang..die with a wimper..but so much more..than men measure can measure.

BUT the key is
E=ENER-GEE..el/survives

[look up the meaning..of infinite/eternal/omnipresent..
that collectivly forms..the living form.,.,of life..in its totality.. the allness of god.

we know that god is..cause we see his creation
we know we..arnt doing it/..we know science cant explain..how god does it..

science isnt doing it..!

we cant find the true good/god
cause he is to busy getting-on..with what god does/naturally*
living in the body..he sustains being..'even'..an if 'being'..an athiest.

the allness of god...means yes..that god is with..in..even theee
as much as he was in any messanger..[recall the christo said..that ye see me do..YE wil do greater..

him born of woman..spirit made flesh
a true sun..of the father..as we all are..[enjoined mortal heirs/of the immortal eternal holy/wholy.. spirit

no matter how many hate you..one alone knows you and loves you regardless..the collective good of god

think like the www..is a collection of individual computers
and your body..a collection of living/cells..and the earth a collection of dust..lit by gods..good life sustaining life force/light

we learn..in life EVERYTHING has its reason/cause and season
its not god they reject..but the message
of one lone man..elivated into a godhead

[peace be upon his name...
not the mess-anger..but the all*ahhhhh..
[good of god..WITH-in..us all..

Steven,
And here’s a related question for you: how sustainable is that new atheism?

It seems to me that the gulf states are Lotus Lands sustained by a windfall from petrodollars and a retinue of foreign helots

How long will their new found skepticism last when the oil/gas runs dry, or, in a Climate-Change-Phobic world carbon fuels are devalued.
And,those living standard degrade, and they have to work like the rest of us?

I have visions of 1979 Iran (I am told that the Iran of the Shah was renowned for it cosmopolitanism)

Wobbles

'Runner,
Are these the same thriving private schools that sometimes sexually molest their own students? '

At least private schools have a moral basis to call child molestation wrong unlike moral relativist who continually change the rules to suite their own behaviour.

Mental illness and violence are increased by religion.
The something from nothing brigade are interested to
know where God came from?

Posted by und idly, Monday

loll...If runner and OUG knew the answer to that one, they just might have an argument:)

Runner said..."At least private schools have a moral basis to call child molestation wrong unlike moral relativist who continually change the rules to suite their own behavior.

Well religion has been teaching us all for the past 6000 years, and is that why there are so many pedophiles today? I wonder what the pope would say to that.....lol

Planet

'The something from nothing brigade are interested to
know where God came from?'

We are honest enough to call it faith (all but reasonable). The something from nothing brigade are dishonest enough to teach kids their fantasy is science. No wonder they come to all the wrong conclusions.

Runner, you are such a joy....

"The something from nothing brigade are dishonest enough to teach kids their fantasy is science. No wonder they come to all the wrong conclusions.

The thing is Runner, religion and science are some what in the same ball park.....One thinks and the other doesn’t:)....but this might help you:)

Few people actually realize that the ancient Greeks, who are regarded as the genuine first free thinkers of all time, actually HAD a religion…


And we should not forget that Christianity was first willingly adopted by the founders of Logic and true Science, the Greeks…


And let us not also forget that all the Greek manuscripts of Aristotle and Plato, the founders of “free” scientific thinking as regarded today, were saved from the passage of time by the Greek Orthodox Christians in the Byzantine Empire and the Islamists Arabs of the medieval times.
It is characteristic that the priest of modern atheism, Richard Dawkins, is a professor at the College of St. Mary! So much “war” is going on between religion and science, that religion has created a college for its greatest enemy to teach…

See!....Religion=WAR...Thy world will have to become 1 of two things.

All religious or all Atheism.....but in the mean time, science is winning hands down:)

Planet

To tell the truth folks I'm not really interested in religious arguments. I'm more interested in what affect a growing atheist group will have on the domestic politics of Gulf states.

I can't imagine young atheists willingly living under sharia law.

Dear Steven,

It is indeed an interesting phenomena to contemplate.

And the topic does follow on from your last thread on China.

There was a time in the US when religion was held somewhat apart from politics. Now it is very much a player. When religious groups decide to really get involved and use the lobbying tools and other political means afforded them by western democracy then they can wield enormous power.

In the gulf states, where often the religious heads are so entwined within the power structures of their nation, disaffection with the government can well mean that collateral damage to the predominate faith is inevitable.

Where religious power becomes so dangerous is when it is combined with strident nationalism, criticism of either becomes especially fraught as arguments against one implies denigration of the other.

Slightly north of the Gulf I am finding both Turkey and Egypt are fascinating to watch as their peoples wrestle with finding the place for each nation's religious parties and their influence. I also wonder what lessons they might take from Israel.

csteele wrote:

>>When religious groups decide to really get involved and use the lobbying tools and other political means afforded them by western democracy then they can wield enormous power.>>

Agreed.

>>Where religious power becomes so dangerous is when it is combined with strident nationalism>>

That is always the nightmare scenario. It seems to be happening in Russia.

>>I am finding both Turkey and Egypt are fascinating to watch as their peoples wrestle with finding the place for each nation's religious parties and their influence.>>

I think you are seeing a toxic combination of religion and nationalism in both countries.

>>I also wonder what lessons they might take from Israel.>>

Never give religion, any religion, too much power.

In fact it's a lesson most countries could learn from Israel.

In Australia the Christian churches are smart enough to let Islam do the running. Foolish Lefties bash so-called "Islamophobes" - ie people who express the view that contemporary Islam is evil. But once you outlaw "Islamophobia" we're back to blasphemy laws and the Christian churches are the main beneficiaries.

Muslims also seem to have succeeded in conflating "Islamophobia" with racism in the minds of airhead Lefties.

I am happy to say that in Israel there seems to be a growing backlash against the "ultra orthodox" or "haredim" as they are known.

If you want to contain the power of religion in Australia you need to fight against any religion claiming immunity from critique, analysis, satire and scorn.