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Give it time, those "unaffiliated" ones are the low-hanging fruits in the next wave of converts. Religion is growing overall: https://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/

Give it time, those "unaffiliated" ones are the low-hanging fruits in the next wave of converts. Religion is growing overall: https://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050/ https://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projections-20...

lalaland1125 5y ago
Religion is only really growing in poor countries where religion is often the only option for a lot of services. It seems like when you give people education, wealth, and other opportunities, they don't go back to religion. It's declining reasonably quickly in rich countries like Europe and the United States. Also, note that your article is outdated, the decline of religion in the US has accelerated quite a bit since 2015. From your article: > Europe is the only region where the total population is projected to decline. Europe’s Christian population is expected to shrink by about 100 million people in the coming decades, dropping from 553 million to 454 million. While Christians will remain the largest religious group in Europe, they are projected to drop from three-quarters of the population to less than two-thirds. By 2050, nearly a quarter of Europeans (23%) are expected to have no religious affiliation, and Muslims will make up about 10% of the region’s population, up from 5.9% in 2010. Over the same period, the number of Hindus in Europe is expected to roughly double, from a little under 1.4 million (0.2% of Europe’s population) to nearly 2.7 million (o.4%), mainly as a result of immigration. Buddhists appear headed for similarly rapid growth in Europe – a projected rise from 1.4 million to 2.5 million. > Christians are projected to decline from 78% of the U.S. population in 2010 to 66% in 2050, while the unaffiliated are expected to rise from 16% to 26%.
- asadlionpk 5y ago
  Valid points. It makes sense though that "poor countries" are going more religious as generally life is difficult there and religion provides inner peace, useful in those times. Along with services and community support. Also, note that those same countries are growing in population %age and are skyrocketing economically (and joining us online, on HN) while also being religious. People tend to selfishly forget religion (and their loved ones) in good times, but good times don't stay forever :)
hunta2097 5y ago
Religious people tend to have more children, it's got nothing to do with enlightenment. In the developed world religiosity is falling but so are birth rates.
- asadlionpk 5y ago
  Natural selection? Looks like religion is key to human survival. Without it, human becomes alone, depressed, savage, has shorter life-span. And less likely to generate offsprings.
  - vineyardmike 5y ago
    So, obviously not how natural selection works. You'd have to be more likely to die without having kids due to lack of religion for that to make sense. Religion is not key. Without it, people don't become alone/depressed/etc. The offspring thing is that wealthy people/nations/communities tend to have less kids since its more expensive per kid and seen as more burdensome to their lives.
    - asadlionpk 5y ago
      If a group: - is becoming less religious - most in that group are becoming alone/depressed/etc. - It's expensive and burdensome for that group to have offsprings Then that group is essentially a dead-end and those practices will not expand to more groups. Them being rich isn't helping them. How is that not a form of natural selection?
      - hunta2097 5y ago
        This is a bit of a leap. There is no link between belief and loneliness. I live in a largely secular country, people are choosing to not have kids due to the environment and the general satisfaction in their lives without kids. The same reasons (education and social security) which counter dogma also allow people to make educated choices for their lives.

lalaland1125 5y ago

Religion is only really growing in poor countries where religion is often the only option for a lot of services. It seems like when you give people education, wealth, and other opportunities, they don't go back to religion. It's declining reasonably quickly in rich countries like Europe and the United States. Also, note that your article is outdated, the decline of religion in the US has accelerated quite a bit since 2015. From your article: > Europe is the only region where the total population is projected to decline. Europe’s Christian population is expected to shrink by about 100 million people in the coming decades, dropping from 553 million to 454 million. While Christians will remain the largest religious group in Europe, they are projected to drop from three-quarters of the population to less than two-thirds. By 2050, nearly a quarter of Europeans (23%) are expected to have no religious affiliation, and Muslims will make up about 10% of the region’s population, up from 5.9% in 2010. Over the same period, the number of Hindus in Europe is expected to roughly double, from a little under 1.4 million (0.2% of Europe’s population) to nearly 2.7 million (o.4%), mainly as a result of immigration. Buddhists appear headed for similarly rapid growth in Europe – a projected rise from 1.4 million to 2.5 million. > Christians are projected to decline from 78% of the U.S. population in 2010 to 66% in 2050, while the unaffiliated are expected to rise from 16% to 26%.

asadlionpk 5y ago
Valid points. It makes sense though that "poor countries" are going more religious as generally life is difficult there and religion provides inner peace, useful in those times. Along with services and community support. Also, note that those same countries are growing in population %age and are skyrocketing economically (and joining us online, on HN) while also being religious. People tend to selfishly forget religion (and their loved ones) in good times, but good times don't stay forever :)

hunta2097 5y ago

Religious people tend to have more children, it's got nothing to do with enlightenment. In the developed world religiosity is falling but so are birth rates.

asadlionpk 5y ago
Natural selection? Looks like religion is key to human survival. Without it, human becomes alone, depressed, savage, has shorter life-span. And less likely to generate offsprings.
- vineyardmike 5y ago
  So, obviously not how natural selection works. You'd have to be more likely to die without having kids due to lack of religion for that to make sense. Religion is not key. Without it, people don't become alone/depressed/etc. The offspring thing is that wealthy people/nations/communities tend to have less kids since its more expensive per kid and seen as more burdensome to their lives.
  - asadlionpk 5y ago
    If a group: - is becoming less religious - most in that group are becoming alone/depressed/etc. - It's expensive and burdensome for that group to have offsprings Then that group is essentially a dead-end and those practices will not expand to more groups. Them being rich isn't helping them. How is that not a form of natural selection?
    - hunta2097 5y ago
      This is a bit of a leap. There is no link between belief and loneliness. I live in a largely secular country, people are choosing to not have kids due to the environment and the general satisfaction in their lives without kids. The same reasons (education and social security) which counter dogma also allow people to make educated choices for their lives.