Do you see a possibility of Christianity not being the predominant global religion in the future?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bohm_Bawerk
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Bohm_Bawerk

Guest
I am currently reading a part of the Catholic encyclopedia to which it said, “Formal dogmatic Atheism is self-refuting, and has never won the reasoned assent of any considerable number of men. Nor can Polytheism ever satisfy the mind of a philosopher” ( newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm ). My question is, do you see any possibility in the future of Christianity not being the number 1 global religion?
 
Formal dogmatic Atheism is self-refuting, and has never won the reasoned assent of any considerable number of men.
Click to expand...
That’s not the atheism that will come (or has) dominated the global beliefs, the majority of people will follow Weak atheism, being unconcerned with religious questions and satisified with the answers there Strong Atheist role models give them; finding comfort in the insults the future Dawkins-like anti-theist feeds them.
 
I don’t only think it’s possible, but likely. Eventually. I see no reason to believe it will happen in this century though, and I certainly don’t think the thing to replace it as the number 1 religion (note: Christianity is far from having an actual majority; self-described Christians just make up the largest group of people) will be atheism.

The idea of a world that gets inexorably less and less religious as it gets more modern is a Western idea based in the Enlightenment. It isn’t holding true globally, except in the West as a sort of self-fulfilling prophesy. Even in the West I don’t think the pattern will go on indefinitely. People have spiritual needs and they will seek fulfillment of them in something. The problem is that by then we may be living in a distinctly post-Christian West, and the majority of people may seek spiritual meaning in anything but Christianity, or at least not any kind of orthodox, Apostle’s Creed kind of Christianity.
 
It depends on us as Christians.

We can be either the greatest strength for our church, or a near death blow. Do we promote our faith as Christian solders? Do we defend it against Atheism? Do we denigrate and destroy our fellow Protestant/Islam/Jewish believers and not realize that we should join with them against atheism?

It’ll be our fault, really.
 
Bohm_Bawerk said:
I am currently reading a part of the Catholic encyclopedia to which it said, “Formal dogmatic Atheism is self-refuting, and has never won the reasoned assent of any considerable number of men. Nor can Polytheism ever satisfy the mind of a philosopher” ( newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm ). My question is, do you see any possibility in the future of Christianity not being the number 1 global religion?
Click to expand...
I used to think atheism was going to take over the world. Probably because I used to have atheistic tendencies in an intellectual sense and as a result subconsciously thought the rest of the world was going that way. But when I got over that, I could see things clearly, and realized that such a danger was illusory. Much more people intrinsically tend to be drawn to religion than I previously thought … or at least spirituality. As true religion wanes, yes, more people will be drawn to atheism, but more people will also be drawn to spiritualistic/occult beliefs as well, yet both will fail ultimately.

I say this for the simple and statistical reason that both kinds of people somehow fail to sexually reproduce. It’s probably because people who hold such beliefs end of thinking in their heart that life is really meaningless and therefore don’t want to burden others with it. Scandinavia, I think, is an indication of this, where both atheism and the occult have gained a pretty good foothold, and their replacement rates are, incidentally, abysmal. If a society fails to make enough babies, Darwin (somewhat ironically) will kick in and eliminate that culture. Only the religious (not just spiritual) will survive.

So, while it is true that atheistic and polytheistic religions will fail to win first place in the world, it does not mean Christianity will be assured that honor in the near future. No, the evidence does seem to point to something contrary. The assured candidate in the next upcoming ideological election will no doubt be Islam, which is, at the very least, most definitely NOT atheistic and most definitely NOT polytheistic. That’s how Scandinavia seems to be going. That’s how the world seems to be going. And we can thank our atheists and occultists for that.

But I hope I’m crazy.
 
There seems to be strong indications that Christianity will be a persecuted minority in the very last days. I don’t think this is a definitive teaching of the Church, but much Scripture seems to indicate it, e.g. e.g. Luke 18:8
Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Click to expand...
I think that Indifference is well on its way to becoming the chief religion. One looks at our politicians, the vast majority of which claim the name of Christian, and realize their Christianity is in name only. I would allow that one may be Christian and sin, but one may not be a Christian and deny that one is sinning.
 
Bohm_Bawerk said:
I am currently reading a part of the Catholic encyclopedia to which it said, “Formal dogmatic Atheism is self-refuting, and has never won the reasoned assent of any considerable number of men. Nor can Polytheism ever satisfy the mind of a philosopher” ( newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm ). My question is, do you see any possibility in the future of Christianity not being the number 1 global religion?
Click to expand...
Of course, it is a certainty.

We know from scripture that close to the end their will be a major falling away from the faith, and the Church will come to the brink of annihilation but will be saved by Christ in the end.
 
Unfortunately, I see it all around me. More and more folks are abandoning their Catholic upbringing, and only a few are returning if at all.

Islam does seem to be growing and they appear to keep their faith longer among their younger adherents.

The drop off rate among young Catholics must be quite high. I see very few keeping their faith much beyond high school. I must admit I too had a lapse starting just a bit after high school and lasting for more than 10 years.

I never became a total atheist but I came fairly close.
 
If Christians continue to contracept themselves out of existence Muslim will shortly be the new dominant world religion, if it is not already, followed by the entire range of pagans, that is those who do not accept the worship of one true God no matter how that is expressed. Former Christians will be number 3. Jews who are observant will remain a minority in numbers but a moral force to be reckoned with and continuing sign of fidelity to God.

if every Christian alive in the world today woke up tomorrow and began living as a disciple of Christ in earnest the world would be converted by the end of the year.
 
puzzleannie said:
if every Christian alive in the world today woke up tomorrow and began living as a disciple of Christ in earnest the world would be converted by the end of the year.
Click to expand...
It is said the Devil told St. John Vianney, “If there were three such priests as you, my kingdom would be ruined.”
 
puzzleannie said:
If Christians continue to contracept themselves out of existence Muslim will shortly be the new dominant world religion, if it is not already, followed by the entire range of pagans, that is those who do not accept the worship of one true God no matter how that is expressed. Former Christians will be number 3. Jews who are observant will remain a minority in numbers but a moral force to be reckoned with and continuing sign of fidelity to God.

if every Christian alive in the world today woke up tomorrow and began living as a disciple of Christ in earnest the world would be converted by the end of the year.
Click to expand...
I was about to sort of say the same thing regarding Islam. Islam is fast becoming (if not already is) the world’s biggest religion. One of the major reasons for that is that Muslims for the most part do not have problems rejecting contraception and the “2.5 kids” mentality.

Unless the world rejects contraception and starts standing up for the Truth and rejects secularism, moral relativism and the idea that Islam is “harmless,” Christianity may lose strength during the 21st century.

Good, valid point, Annie. 👍🙂
 
I was about to sort of say the same thing regarding Islam. Islam is fast becoming (if not already is) the world’s biggest religion. One of the major reasons for that is that Muslims for the most part do not have problems rejecting contraception and the “2.5 kids” mentality.
Click to expand...
Unless the world rejects contraception and starts standing up for the Truth and rejects secularism, moral relativism and the idea that Islam is “harmless,” Christianity may lose strength during the 21st century.
Click to expand...
Nevertheless Secularism can just as easily hit the Muslim community as badly as it has the Christian one. You have the every influence of Urban living and secularism aimed at turning its populous into indifferent agnostics.
 
Bohm_Bawerk said:
I am currently reading a part of the Catholic encyclopedia to which it said, “Formal dogmatic Atheism is self-refuting, and has never won the reasoned assent of any considerable number of men. Nor can Polytheism ever satisfy the mind of a philosopher” ( newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm ). My question is, do you see any possibility in the future of Christianity not being the number 1 global religion?
Click to expand...
Yes. It will be the year 2046. I will be the only Catholic left on the planet. In this time my home will be torn to the ground and my valuables will be shared among horrible beasts who are half goblin and half teenager. I will be exiled to a desert. After 40 days and nights, i will hear a voice. This voice will say, “Go to the towns people, the leapers and the sick, the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the master and the slave, the meek and the goblin, and tell them…Jesus Christ has returned.”

Just kidding…or am i?:hmmm:
 
As to competition between Christianity and Islam, there is no doubt in my mind that Christianity will prevail.

Islam will gradually be liberalized and experience the same slowdown of reproduction rate that Christianity is heir to.

As Islamists are educated more fully about Islam, they will discover its historical roots in Christianity, and the Prophet will be subject to a re-evaluation of his importance next to the character and teachings of Christ. This may take yet another century to happen, but over the long haul of history, what’s a century or two? 😉

Eventually Islam and Christianity will make common cause against atheistic humanism, and that will be the end of the influence of atheistic humanism, more or less. 👍
 
Perhaps not in my lifetime, but in 200, 500 years - who knows?

Maybe science will discover there isn’t a God … or that there is one
 
razredge said:
Perhaps not in my lifetime, but in 200, 500 years - who knows?

Maybe science will discover there isn’t a God … or that there is one
Click to expand...
To suppose so, either way, is to express a fundamental misunderstanding of how science operates on an epistemological level.
 
Charlemagne_II said:
As Islamists are educated more fully about Islam, they will discover its historical roots in Christianity, and the Prophet will be subject to a re-evaluation of his importance next to the character and teachings of Christ. This may take yet another century to happen, but over the long haul of history, what’s a century or two? 😉
Click to expand...
Not quite sure why you think Muslims haven’t always got a good education in their faith, but as “Islamist” generally refers to a small fundamentalist faction it probably won’t make much difference in numbers.

But following your logic, if you’re right then Muslims along with educated Christians will discover Christianity’s roots in Judaism and we’ll all become Jews. 🙂
 
inocente

But following your logic, if you’re right then Muslims along with educated Christians will discover Christianity’s roots in Judaism and we’ll all become Jews.

Christianity has already acknowledged its roots in Judaism. It is Judaism that does not acknowledge the more universal (catholic) tree of life to which it gave roots. 😉
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top