Will the Internet hasten decline of religion?

[Zzyzx]

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It seems as though most people (including religious leaders and organizations), other than die-hard religion promoters / defenders, recognize that religion is declining in educated / technological / advanced / western nations (including, belatedly, the US).

Some attribute the decline to increased education and access to information by the general public. During the past generation or two the Internet has tremendously increased public access to information (good, bad, indifferent).

Young people who might once have been somewhat restricted or isolated from 'evil influences' can now access whatever they wish using PCs, phones, devices -- whether their parents and preachers want them to or not. Some of those people might be among the 300 visitors viewing this website during the past 24 hours (about a typical day visitor count according to site statistics). And, this is just one of thousands of sites in which information is available that challenges religious dogma, literature, and/or indoctrination.

Is information available on the Internet likely to hasten / accelerate the decline of religion?

Is decline a 'good' thing or not?

[Youkilledkenny]

[Replying to post 1 by Zzyzx]

Is information available on the Internet likely to hasten / accelerate the decline of religion?

Is decline a 'good' thing or not?

I would hope so. But to what extent is the real question. But that probably depends on the sites visited
Some people 'need' something greater than themselves, internet or no.
It will, I think, at least cause more questions to arise - probably more questions than answers.

[Zzyzx]

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It will, I think, at least cause more questions to arise - probably more questions than answers.

Questions are the first step in the learning process.

If the answers provided by religion / religionists are irrational, vague, evasive, unsubstantiated, etc (as many are in these debates) OR if they require 'just believe to be saved' (emotional appeal), informed / educated / astute people are unlikely to accept those answers.

If, by contrast, answers provided outside religion are rational, supported, (and actually work in the real world), those answers are likely to appeal to the educated and informed.

[bluethread]

Is information available on the Internet likely to hasten / accelerate the decline of religion?

Is decline a 'good' thing or not?

No, it has merely created another religion, i.e. a set of practices based on things on the internet or a view of how life works based on how the internet works. Is this a "good" thing or not? That depends on what one considers to be "good". Does it lead to a departure from the "tov"(good) indicated in the Scriptures? If the internet or how it work displaces the Scriptures as authoritative or how they say that Adonai's people should live, then yes it is not "tov"(good). That said, this is nothing new. The ways of the nations have always dominated and Adonai has always preserved a remnant as a light to the nations.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Zzyzx]


A similar question was asked about my religion (Jehovah's Witnesses) on another thread. I did some research and posted my findings (link below for anyone that is interested)

Jehovah's Witnesses and the Internet
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 321#845321


To answer your question, its possible, I should think the free flow of information would indeed be a factor.


JW

[Zzyzx]

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Is information available on the Internet likely to hasten / accelerate the decline of religion?

Is decline a 'good' thing or not?

No, it has merely created another religion, i.e. a set of practices based on things on the internet or a view of how life works based on how the internet works.

Is this to say that using the Internet is a religion? Would using a library also be a 'religion'? Going to school? Attending a lecture?

I, for one, use the term religion to mean: A belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers; A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader or organization.

If others prefer to define religion loosely enough to include using the Internet, I do not object to them equating it to their god beliefs (though it seems to cheapen both).

Is this a "good" thing or not? That depends on what one considers to be "good". Does it lead to a departure from the "tov"(good) indicated in the Scriptures? If the internet or how it work displaces the Scriptures as authoritative or how they say that Adonai's people should live, then yes it is not "tov"(good).

Does that assume Jewish / Christian scriptures are the standard of 'good' for the world and all its people?

[bluethread]

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Is information available on the Internet likely to hasten / accelerate the decline of religion?

Is decline a 'good' thing or not?

No, it has merely created another religion, i.e. a set of practices based on things on the internet or a view of how life works based on how the internet works.

Is this to say that using the Internet is a religion? Would using a library also be a 'religion'? Going to school? Attending a lecture?

I, for one, use the term religion to mean: A belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers; A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader or organization.

If others prefer to define religion loosely enough to include using the Internet, I do not object to them equating it to their god beliefs (though it seems to cheapen both).

I understand that separating beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader or organization from beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a nonspiritual leader or organization is more valuable for the purposes of isolating one from the other, but to what purpose? It appears to me that the only real purpose of such separation is to create a firewall that protects one view from being analyzed based on the standard applied to the other. Admittedly, there are certain things that are exclusive to the spiritual and the nonspiritual. However, using a single term to bifurcate such broad areas as beliefs, values, and practices deceptively ignores the beliefs, values, and practices that are common to both. For example, is the essence of refraining from murder religion or not?

Now regarding use of the internet. If one were to base one's beliefs, values, and practices on the teachings of a particular web site, or the way in which the internet as a whole frames the world, what would one call that?

Is this a "good" thing or not? That depends on what one considers to be "good". Does it lead to a departure from the "tov"(good) indicated in the Scriptures? If the internet or how it work displaces the Scriptures as authoritative or how they say that Adonai's people should live, then yes it is not "tov"(good).

Does that assume Jewish / Christian scriptures are the standard of 'good' for the world and all its people?

That is one definition of the "good" and this is a perfect example of the problem with the total separation of philosophies into spiritual and nonspiritual. Does one ask if the empirical view of the "good" is applicable only to empiricists? I contend that this is generally not the case, but the various empirical "goods" are evaluated on a case by case basis, and should a particular "good" not hold for all philosophical viewpoints, there is no accusation against the empiricist for holding that the empirical view is superior.

[Zzyzx]

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[Replying to post 7 by bluethread]

According to an Apologetic position using the Internet is comparable to 'A belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers'.

Some Internet users might consider that insulting to their intelligence and some Theists might consider it insulting to their religious beliefs.

Perhaps to reduce wiggle room, the OP can be restated as 'Will the Internet hasten decline of belief in and reverence for a supernatural power (otherwise known as religon)?"

Shall we now consider whether the Internet IS a 'supernatural power'? That would be another ploy to avoid discussing the decline of religion ('belief in and reverence for a supernatural power'). The decline seems to be a touchy subject for many religionists.

[bjs]

It’s hard to say what the future will hold. I can’t speak for “religion� in general, but thus far every major advancement in communication and education has resulted in the further spread of Christianity.

[Tired of the Nonsense]

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It seems as though most people (including religious leaders and organizations), other than die-hard religion promoters / defenders, recognize that religion is declining in educated / technological / advanced / western nations (including, belatedly, the US).

Some attribute the decline to increased education and access to information by the general public. During the past generation or two the Internet has tremendously increased public access to information (good, bad, indifferent).

Young people who might once have been somewhat restricted or isolated from 'evil influences' can now access whatever they wish using PCs, phones, devices -- whether their parents and preachers want them to or not. Some of those people might be among the 300 visitors viewing this website during the past 24 hours (about a typical day visitor count according to site statistics). And, this is just one of thousands of sites in which information is available that challenges religious dogma, literature, and/or indoctrination.

Is information available on the Internet likely to hasten / accelerate the decline of religion?

Is decline a 'good' thing or not?

Over the course of the last 20 years the USA has gone from being 90% Christian, to about 70% Christian today. The bulk of the loss suffered by Christianity in the USA is reflected in the rise of individuals with no religious affiliation, termed "nones" by the media, which has gone from around 5% of the American population in 1995, to around 25% of the American population today. This decline corresponds exactly to the rise of the internet. Because, although the internet can and is being used to spread Christian claims, the internet also can and is being used to spread the various reasons why Christian claims are silly nonsense. What the internet has allowed for is for is a widespread general discussion of the truth, pros and cons, of the various claims made by Christians to occur. Really, for the first time ever. Belief in Christianity is currently declining at a rate of about 1% per year. This is a simple statistical fact.