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When it comes to religion, America is the (massive) exception. My local church, that drives 10,000s of nearby resident crazy by ringing it's bells, had 3 peopl

When it comes to religion, America is the (massive) exception. My local church, that drives 10,000s of nearby resident crazy by ringing it's bells, had 3 people attending last time I stuck my head in. 3. People only use it for weddings, christenings and Christmas. They're not been a part of the community for decades.

keiferski 6y ago
Well, actually, Europe is the main exception to the rest of the world. America is in-line with most of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, India, and South America in that religion still plays a major role in everyday life. In fact, religions are growing, not shrinking, worldwide.
- mattmanser 6y ago
  Perhaps I should have been more clear, America is the exception of the wealthy countries that can afford extensive education. What might have previously been commonly called first-world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_and_religion#/media/File:Religion_economy.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_and_religion#/media/Fil... See how the US is an outlier?
  - keiferski 6y ago
    The thing is, the concept of religion as a distinct, separate part of culture is basically a Western concept itself - and one that many scholars don't find to be very solid. Take Japan for example: Shintoism and Buddhism are very woven into the culture of modern Japan. Rituals, shrines, and other associated practices are quite prevalent and most of the population interacts with them on a regular basis. Yet your link lists Japan as being the second-least religious country, after China, which also has a number of beliefs that essentially qualify as 'religious' in nature. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Japan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Japan In the Western world, the concept of humanist, egalitarian democracy is more-or-less an extension of certain Christian ethical beliefs that preceded it, so again, this definition of 'not-religious' is itself pretty problematic.

keiferski 6y ago

Well, actually, Europe is the main exception to the rest of the world. America is in-line with most of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, India, and South America in that religion still plays a major role in everyday life. In fact, religions are growing, not shrinking, worldwide.

mattmanser 6y ago
Perhaps I should have been more clear, America is the exception of the wealthy countries that can afford extensive education. What might have previously been commonly called first-world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_and_religion#/media/File:Religion_economy.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_and_religion#/media/Fil... See how the US is an outlier?
- keiferski 6y ago
  The thing is, the concept of religion as a distinct, separate part of culture is basically a Western concept itself - and one that many scholars don't find to be very solid. Take Japan for example: Shintoism and Buddhism are very woven into the culture of modern Japan. Rituals, shrines, and other associated practices are quite prevalent and most of the population interacts with them on a regular basis. Yet your link lists Japan as being the second-least religious country, after China, which also has a number of beliefs that essentially qualify as 'religious' in nature. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Japan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Japan In the Western world, the concept of humanist, egalitarian democracy is more-or-less an extension of certain Christian ethical beliefs that preceded it, so again, this definition of 'not-religious' is itself pretty problematic.