Rise of Atheism, discussion of pro-atheist topics, and disavowal of the 3 abramic faiths

[Lavamelon]

SvennoJ said:

Lavamelon said:

If religious people become atheists later in life, its because they want to live hedonistic lifestyles. There is evidence to show that viewing online p*rn can weaken peoples belief in God. Ever wonder why atheism rates have gone up as soon as p*rn became more widespread? Trust me, its no coincidence. Logical and critical thinking have nothing to do with it. Just plain ol' hedonism.

Lol people are quite prude nowadays compared to earlier times.

And since God created men in his image, isn't 'studying' the human form bringing you closer to God ;)


According to this Atheism peaked in the 1970s, opposite to your claim widespread porn is stimulating atheism (nonsense)

https://www.science20.com/writer_on_the_edge/blog/atheism_peaks_while_spiritual_groups_move_toward_convergence-156528

HARD DATA 

But first, the numbers. Atheism is growing and church attendance falling, the media has been saying for years, quoting regular research findings. “Atheism is on the rise around the world,” said a BBC news report on 19 December 2014, one of dozens of similar reports.

At the same time, we also find solid statistics that the world’s popular belief systems appear to be growing steadily. Looking at various measures, it appears that Christianity adds about 25 million people a year, giving it a 1.56% growth rate. Islam has been growing at 1.5% to 1.84% but from a smaller base, adding 22 million people a year.²

That’s in terms of absolute numbers. A more scientific question to ask is: are religious populations growing in proportion to the rest of the world population? The answer appears again to be yes. If we blend in figures from the smaller faiths, we find that organized spiritual groups are growing on average at 1.2% a year, while world population growth is about 1.1% a year.³ So religions are growing in absolute and proportional terms, with Islam and Christianity expanding faster than the others.


Interesting article, confirming atheism and religion are not actually opposites...




Btw Hedonism is a philosophical view that prioritizes pleasure and the avoidance of pain as the ultimate good and guiding principle in life.

Isn't that what religion preaches, be good, party together, avoid going to hell...
Church has always been a social meeting place and is trying to be that again today.
https://www.smallgroups.com/articles/2017/sacrament-of-party.html

Somewhere, everywhere, people are connecting socially. From the beginning of time and throughout Scripture, God’s people have patterned their lives around celebration, feasts, social gatherings, levity, story-telling, eating, drinking, laughter, and listening.

Monasteries created beer and wine... 

Atheism peaked in the 1970s? P*rn magazines were popular at that time. It wasn't the same online viewing we have today, but p*rn existed in another form. So yes, my argument still stands. P*rn has impacted religious belief, be it online or physical magazines. No doubt about it.

And lets not forget that the 1970's had other forms of hedonism, such as casual s*x. Birth control pills were invented in the 1960s, so people in the 70s had more casual s*x and hedonistic lifestyles compared to people in earlier decades. Not saying p*rn was the only thing that made atheism grow, but it is one of the main highlights.

Hedonism sounds nice in theory, "pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain", but in practice it can make people selfish and disconnected from each other because people only care about short-term pleasures. This explains why marriage rates are falling, because people only care about themselves (individualism) and not their family as a whole (collectivism), among other things. 

Why Hedonism Doesn't Lead to Happiness | Psychology Today

The Hidden Costs of a Hedonistic Lifestyle